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Origin and history

Mouthe's royalty stone is a monolith classified among historical monuments, located in the village of Mouthe, in the Haut-Doubs (Franche-Comté). This block of square stone, measuring about a metre on the side, served in the Middle Ages as a support for the payment of seigneurial royalties, in particular the tithe due to Mouthe priory. Its central location, near the church of the Assumption, highlights its role in the community and religious life of the village.

The tithe, a tax in kind or money levied on farmers' crops or incomes, was a common feudal obligation. At Mouthe, the subjects of the local lord had to pay this tax on this stone, symbolizing the authority of the priory and the social hierarchy of the time. The stone, now protected, recalls the economic and religious structures that organized medieval society in Franche-Comté.

Listed in the inventory of historical monuments by decree of 20 November 1931, the royalty stone is now owned by the municipality. Its state of conservation and its precise location (place of the Church) make it a material testimony of the fiscal and seigneurial practices of the Middle Ages. Although discreet, this stone illustrates local and regional history, linked to the influence of religious institutions such as Mouthe Priory.

Available sources, including the Merimée and Wikipedia bases, confirm its status as a protected monument and its historical role. No additional information specifies details of its construction, sponsor, or any subsequent modifications. Its interest lies above all in its original function and its persistence as a vestige of the feudal system in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

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