Rochefourchat
Rochefourchat (French pronunciation: [ʁɔʃfuʁʃa]; Vivaro-Alpine: Ròchaforchaa) is a commune in the Drôme department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, southeastern France.[3] In the commune there is a single house, the St. Pierre's Church, a converted barn, and the ruins of an old castle. The commune is bordered by four other communes, and nearest to Rochefourchat are Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert, Les Tonils, Pradelle, and Brette.
Rochefourchat | |
|---|---|
 The church of Saint-Pierre | |
Location of Rochefourchat | |
  Rochefourchat  Rochefourchat | |
| Coordinates: 44°35′58″N 5°14′53″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |
| Department | Drôme |
| Arrondissement | Die |
| Canton | Le Diois |
| Intercommunality | Diois |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Martigny[1] |
| Area 1 | 12.74 km2 (4.92 sq mi) |
| Population | 1 |
| • Density | 0.078/km2 (0.20/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 26274 /26340 |
| Elevation | 600–1,513 m (1,969–4,964 ft) (avg. 963 m or 3,159 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
History
In 1178, the castle of Rocha Forcha was built by the bishops of Die as a stronghold against the Holy Roman Emperors. It belonged to French lords until the year 1766 when the last one, Lord Rey de Noinville, died. In 1796, a French trader, Pierre Jossaud bought the land surrounding the castle and renamed it Rochefourchat. The commune has been passed down through Jossaud's family.
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 3 | — |
| 1990 | 2 | −33.3% |
| 1999 | 1 | −50.0% |
| 2006 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1 | +0.0% |
The permanent population of Rochefourchat consists of one woman; yet Rochefourchat is not the least populous French commune, as there are six communes with no inhabitants, destroyed and abandoned during World War I but maintained as administrative subdivisions to preserve their memory.
See also
References
- "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
- "Populations légales 2020". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 29 December 2022.
- "Commune de Rochefourchat (26274) − COG | Insee". www.insee.fr. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
