Monuments to visit Poligny

12 metres high, this cross, which is seen from the city centre, dominates Poligny. It is said that 20 oxen were needed to mount it. Was it built by a couple of nobles in memory of their son who threw herself into the emptiness by amoureux? Or simply to protect the city from the ravages of war? The origin of this cross remains mysterious… To reach it, from the centre of Poligny, take the direction of Lignano-le-Saunier and turn towards Plasne, then follow the road in the woods. Chamois sometimes crapahutent here or there. The viewpoint from the Dan cross extends across the valley, on the hills of the vineyard and on the green plain of the Bresse. In good weather, we see Dole, yet more than 30 kilometres away! The slopes of the Côte d'Or draw to the final stage of this beautiful landscape. A path on the left indicates a Roman path.

Poligny was once protected by twenty-five towers and five doors. It should be remembered that its location was strategic and coveted: between the Plaine plain and the Jura. The inhabitants therefore protected themselves by building rectangular walls that lost all utility when Franche-Comté became French after the Treaty of Nijmegen in 1678. Many remains of these ramparts are still visible: the towers of Paradise and Sergenterie for example. They date back to the th century. The latter, recently restored, is a beautiful example of medieval fortification. Small reminder: Machicolated (the stones around the top of the tower) made it possible to pour boiling oil into the enemy. Note that the square tower, the so-called "tower of the Library", which today belongs to Friant lyceum (the former convent of Des), was also part of the ramparts. It dates back to the th century.