Architecture

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The bell towers of Comté, or religious architecture

There are at least 700 such bell towers in the region, in particular in Haute-Saône and Doubs.
The main period of construction began after the French conquest (the Ten Years' War during which many religious buildings were damaged), and engendered so much enthusiasm that they became the emblem of Franche-Comté.

The sound of the bells accompanied the each community in its daily activities. The imperial roofs are made all the more beautiful by the blends of materials used: the local bell towers all used to be covered with tinplate. This was subsequently replaced by other materials. The churches of Franche-Comté are also made special by the use of varnished polychrome tiles.

"Tuyé" farms

The tuyé farmhouse is characterised by the its large block-house appearance: the preponderance of livestock breeding in the region and the need to feed the animals over the long winter months explain why the stables are so large, and adjacent to the ground floor of the house and the barn.

The ground floor was stone built and the roof and walls insulated with shingles. The shingles, thin slats of spruce set out like tiles, were nailed to the roof and to the walls most exposed to bad weather.

The tuyé is the most characteristic elements of these farmhouses. The name refers both to the huge wooden fireplace in the shape of a pyramid and to the room which in the past was used as a smokehouse. Hams and sausages would be hung from hooks, over a smouldering fire of conifer wood chippings.