Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Forges de Syam, located at the confluence of Ain and Saine, originated in a martinet attested in 1690, but rebuilt in the 18th century by the Péry family. Specializing in the manufacture of reputable fakes, these forges derive their expertise from Tyrolean workers. In 1763, production reached 15,000 false and 60,000 wheel bandages, but post-revolutionary competition pushed Charles-Joseph Péry to bankruptcy in 1810. The site was then purchased by Claude Jobez, industrial watchmaker and steelmaker comtois, who modernized the factory with a reverberator oven in 1811.

The 19th century marked a turning point with the construction of a new factory (1813-1822) and a Palladian villa (1827-1830) by Emmanuel Jobez, Member of Parliament for Jura. Despite the wood crisis in the face of British coke, Alphonse Jobez, his son, revived the activity in 1864 with a nail factory and a working-class city inspired by the fourierist principles, including school, dispensary and library of 30,000 volumes. The factory, modernized in the 20th century, remained active until 2009, maintaining a unique rolling mill in France.

The Forges de Syam are distinguished by their industrial continuity (1690-2009) and their protected architectural heritage: two employer housing units (including the listed Palladian villa), the 18th century martinet, and the 19th century factory with its 1900s rolling mill. The site illustrates the technical and social evolution of the Jura steel industry, combining innovation, decline in the face of foreign competition, and successive adaptations to survive in a specialized market.

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