Rochefourchat
Rochefourchat (French pronunciation: [ʁɔʃfuʁʃa]; Vivaro-Alpine: Ròchaforchaa) is a commune in the Drôme department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, southeastern France. 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.
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. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 6 | — |
| 1975 | 2 | −14.52% |
| 1982 | 3 | +5.96% |
| 1990 | 2 | −4.94% |
| 1999 | 1 | −7.41% |
| 2009 | 1 | +0.00% |
| 2014 | 1 | +0.00% |
| 2020 | 1 | +0.00% |
| Source: INSEE | ||
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
- Communes of the Drôme department
- Monowi, a village consisting of one resident