Rural heritage in Saint-Julien-la-Genète

Depart from the town of Évaux-les-Bains, latitude 46.1747000 (N 46° 10’ 29”), longitude 2.4855100 (E 2° 29’ 8”)

• Departure from the Evaux-les-Bains Tourist Office
• To see her

• Laundry located on the edge of a fishery (= former fishpond) and consisting of aligned washing stones. It could also be used as a hemp filler.

• Bordes Cross

Crossroads Crossroads dating back to the end of the 19th century: these crosses were intended to mark the boundaries of a parish and its various hamlets as well as to remind people of the importance of religion.

• These crosses also have a role of guide for the travelers and indicator for the inhabitants: when the crossing is under the snow, the cross continues to indicate their position.

• Saint-Julien Church

• Dating from the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, it has a nave with a straight chevet, a belfry and chapels north and south. Of modest size, but with harmonious proportions, the church of Saint-Julien-la-Genète surprises with its very rich interior decoration. You will observe in particular the vaults of the nave entirely painted and a large variety of luminous enamelled suspensions. Statues and paintings adorn the building.

Julian, a Roman soldier, killed his father and mother without knowing it. Indeed, during a hunting party, a deer told him he would be the murderer of his parents. To prevent this from happening, he retired to a very remote country, where he finally married a widow chatelaine and received a castle dowry. But his parents went looking for him, and ended up one day arriving at this place while Julien was away. They told their story to his wife, who recognized them, offered to host them and gave them her bed. The next day Julien returned, and found a man and a woman in his bed, whom he thought was his wife and a lover. He killed both of them. His wife arrived at this moment, and revealed to him his mistake. In penance, his wife remained at the palace, and Julien, indignant, fled into a forest after the majestic burial of his parents. He decided to serve others as a smuggler of a river. One day, in the middle of the night, a leper asked him to cross him. Julien protected him, gave him his bed, covered him with his body. He will turn out to be the Christ himself. Julien became the patron saint of innkeepers, boatmen, carpenters and travelers.

• "Genete" means a place where broom, a bushy shrub with yellow flowers, grows in abundance.

• The fountain of Saint-Julien

According to legend, Saint Julien, a Roman soldier, would have had his horses drink in this fountain with the agreement of the villagers. Since then, it possesses miraculous virtues.

• The wells and the lavoir des Bordes

• Well with gate built entirely of masonry and grouted with cement. The wooden winch and crank handle are still present. A protective grid closes the access of the well. The gatehouse and the gate have several functions:
• Prevent animals from contaminating the water
• Avoid falling dead leaves or other organic matter.
• Keep the water cool and in the shade and thus limit the development of potentially toxic algae.
• Below the pond, you will see a wash house which, beyond its primary function, was in the village community a meeting place and conviviality.

• Back to the Tourist Office of Evaux-les-Bains