Sillegny
Encyclopedia
Sillegny is a commune
in the Moselle
department in Lorraine
in north-eastern France
.
The inhabitants are referred to as the Sillegnois.
along the Seille river which flows near the village. In the west, the Côtes de Moselle massif and its outliers dominate the region.
Loiville, a hamlet belonging to the commune, is situated in the north, over the Rû des Crux in the direction of Coin-sur-Seille
.
which connected Lyon
to Trier
runs west from
the village along the Forêt Dominale des Six Cantons forest. Ruins of a villa
were found near this road, what is a proof of the ancient occupation of Sillegny. Furthermore the suffix
"-y" comes from the Latin suffix
"-iacum" (which comes himself from the Gaulish language
"-ac") indicates a rural estate near a stream (the Seille river).
In the 11th century, Sillegny belonged to the abbey of Saint Pierre, and one century later to the Bishopric of Metz
. In 1226 the name of the town changed and became Sulincium. In 1246 the bishop Jacques ceded the village to Sainte Marie abbey but the Diocese kept St.Martin church until the French Revolution
. In 1635, at the end of the Thirty Years' War
, Sillegny was nearly destroyed by the Swedish and the church became a pilgrimage place.
From 1871 to 1918 and between 1940 and 1945, when Alsace
and Lorraine
were annexed by Germany
(see Treaty of Frankfurt (1871)
), Sillegny became a German town renamed Sillningen situated in the Imperial Province of Elsass-Lothringen. The bombings of 1944 destroyed almost all the village.
During the German period, casemates (fortified gun emplacements) were built in the Forêt Dominale des Six Cantons, near Les Jurieux and Marly-aux-Bois (close to the Roman road) and along the D 67 road.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
in north-eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The inhabitants are referred to as the Sillegnois.
Geography
Sillegny is located in the Seille Valley, a floodplainFloodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
along the Seille river which flows near the village. In the west, the Côtes de Moselle massif and its outliers dominate the region.
Loiville, a hamlet belonging to the commune, is situated in the north, over the Rû des Crux in the direction of Coin-sur-Seille
Coin-sur-Seille
Coin-sur-Seille is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Moselle department...
.
History
The Roman roadRoman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
which connected Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
to Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
runs west from
the village along the Forêt Dominale des Six Cantons forest. Ruins of a villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
were found near this road, what is a proof of the ancient occupation of Sillegny. Furthermore the suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
"-y" comes from the Latin suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
"-iacum" (which comes himself from the Gaulish language
Gaulish language
The Gaulish language is an extinct Celtic language that was spoken by the Gauls, a people who inhabited the region known as Gaul from the Iron Age through the Roman period...
"-ac") indicates a rural estate near a stream (the Seille river).
In the 11th century, Sillegny belonged to the abbey of Saint Pierre, and one century later to the Bishopric of Metz
Bishopric of Metz
The Bishopric of Metz was a prince-bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire. It was one of the Three Bishoprics that were annexed by France in 1552....
. In 1226 the name of the town changed and became Sulincium. In 1246 the bishop Jacques ceded the village to Sainte Marie abbey but the Diocese kept St.Martin church until the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. In 1635, at the end of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, Sillegny was nearly destroyed by the Swedish and the church became a pilgrimage place.
From 1871 to 1918 and between 1940 and 1945, when Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
and Lorraine
Lorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
were annexed by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(see Treaty of Frankfurt (1871)
Treaty of Frankfurt (1871)
The Treaty of Frankfurt was a peace treaty signed in Frankfurt on 10 May 1871, at the end of the Franco-Prussian War.- Summary :The treaty did the following:...
), Sillegny became a German town renamed Sillningen situated in the Imperial Province of Elsass-Lothringen. The bombings of 1944 destroyed almost all the village.
During the German period, casemates (fortified gun emplacements) were built in the Forêt Dominale des Six Cantons, near Les Jurieux and Marly-aux-Bois (close to the Roman road) and along the D 67 road.
Sights
- Castle: demolished during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The only thing remaining is the portal. - Chapel: located in Bois de Curelle, a wild in the Forêt Dominale des Six-Cantons.
- Lorette Cross: built by Jacques Lorette in 1892.
- Saint Martin church , nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of the Seille. Her naveNaveIn Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
was built in the 15th century. This gothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style church had a massive fortified tower which was used for protecting the inhabitants in the troubled times.