Guy de Jonvelle founded Notre-Dame de Clairefontaine Abbey in 1131. Its abbey church was already standing by 1175; that year, Étienne, Count of Traves and Auxonne, was buried there. Polaincourt-Et-Clairefontaine can be explored through several historical themes: the Cistercian abbey, the Faïencerie de Clairefontaine and Moulin Ruby. There is also a short road-cycling route that passes through the village. For planning your trip, it is useful to distinguish between them: the abbey represents an early foundation, the faience factory represents ceramic production and later repurposing, and Moulin Ruby represents a workshop for grinding materials.
Abbey: foundation, church and remembrance
The early dates refer to different milestones: 1131 marks the foundation by Guy de Jonvelle, while 1175 marks the existence of a church and a specific burial. Étienne was Count of Traves and Auxonne; his burial links the abbey church to a named person. Today, only the Palais abbatial remains as a reminder of the Cistercian Abbey of Clairefontaine. The historic abbey, its church in the 12th century and today's memorial therefore form a chronological sequence. The abbey's early history and the much later industrial history belong to two clearly distinct periods.
Faience factory: production and later use
The industrial timeline begins in 1804, when the kiln was fired up and the faience factory began production. Between 1876 and 1879, the Faïencerie de Clairefontaine supplied white faience biscuit ware to the artists Charles and Emile Gallé. The faience factory closed in 1932; in 1938, the former factory buildings were converted into a psychiatric clinic. This sequence distinguishes the start of production, the period of supply, the end of operations and the buildings' later use. The conversion took place six years after the factory closed and involved the buildings, while production had already ended in 1932.
Moulin Ruby and its craft history
Moulin Ruby also adds its own craft-related role to the village's history. It is located 500 metres downstream on the Ruisseau de la Cité and served as a workshop for grinding materials. Unlike the faience factory, whose focus was ceramic production, Moulin Ruby was devoted to grinding materials. This distinction helps place the two sites in the context of different kinds of work.
Cycling route and a practical stop
The Boucle cyclable n°06 des Verriers is a short road-cycling route from Demangevelle via Corre, Ormoy and Polaincourt-Et-Clairefontaine. It includes the village on a named cycling route that also passes through Corre and Ormoy. Those more interested in history can explore the abbey, the faience factory and Moulin Ruby as cultural attractions, while the cycling route provides an active element for their plans. Chez Nad in Polaincourt-Et-Clairefontaine is a grocery shop with a café area where coffee and other non-alcoholic drinks are available. This adds a practical option for food and drinks to the historical themes and cycling route. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus more on local history, cycling or a combination of the two.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Gray-La-Ville, Huanne, La Rosière, Héricourt, Baulay, Filain, Plancher-Bas, La Demie
For the wider travel overview: Haute-Saône.
