Pleujouse
Intro
Pleujouse is located in the eastern part of the Ajoie at the foot of the Rangiers chain, where pastures merge with wooded valleys. Perched on a rocky outcrop, a mediaeval castle overlooks the village.
Away from major lines of communication in a rugged topography, Pleujouse is situated at the entrance to a narrow valley that forms a magnificent wooded background. The fortified rocky peak overlooks a number of orchards, drawing attention to the fact that the traditional local economy is based mainly on the cultivation of damsons, a small purplish red plum from which Damassine AOP, a local liqueur, is extracted.
The castle – the first tower of which was built around 1100 – has undergone several phases of destruction and reconstruction. Today it consists of a circular keep from the 13th century and a residence from the 16th century. Below, layered on the slopes of the hill, in addition to the small Notre-Dame de Lourdes chapel and the old school, several 18th and 19th century farmsteads follow one another along the road, each separated by interlacing flowered gardens and fruit trees that partially obscure this rural fabric from view.
The site has seen relatively little development since the 19th century, with the population even declining continuously until the 1990s before starting to rise again slowly at the end of the last century.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
