Laignes is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.

Geography

Laignes has a total area of 40 km2 and an approximate altitude of 220 m. Near the town hall there is a basin formed by the resurgence of the river Laigne.

Accessibility

Laignes is traversed by RN 965 from Auxerre to Chaumont. The nearest train stations are found at Nuits (17 kilometers) and Montbard (25 kilometers). There is a bus connection to Gare de Montbard, a (TGV) station.

Neighboring communes

History

Prehistory and antiquity

Refined flints and tombs dating to the Iron Age attest to the antiquity of the site's occupation. The crossing of the roads from Auxerre to Langres and Alise to Vertault made it a very active place for the Lingones during the Gallo-Roman period: an ancient potter's wheel was discovered near the train station bearing witness to the area's artisanal past.

Middle Ages

Merovingian coins were struck at Laignes, especially those bearing the likeness of Charles the Bald. During this period, Laignes belonged to Tonnerre which passed from the Counts of Champagne to the Duchy of Burgundy. To resist various assaults from armed bands that ravaged the country during the Hundred Years' War, the city surrounded itself with fortifications; of which only a single round tower remains.

Modern era

On the eve of the French Revolution, Laignes depended on goods from the Bailiwick of Sens in the County of Champagne and spiritual guidance from the Deanery of Châtillon-sur-Seine, part of the Diocese of Langres.

Heraldry

List of mayors

Demographics

In 2017, the commune had 692 inhabitants, a change of -22% from 2007.

Monuments and historic places

Notable personalities