The small Country Capital of France

To discover Dom�vre-en-Haye is to have a view a nice country walk across the Woevre plain into fields where the Terrouin and other lazy streams with their tree decorations are running. Dom�vre is on a heavy traffic road at 18 kilometers from Toul between Marbache and Bernecourt.The village sets on a hill with its red roofs below the steeple and its surrounding of mirabelle plum offers on the north Manonville side a beautiful picture typically lorrain.

the village is an antique and was mentioned under the name of "Domini Apri" on the 10th Century. In 1404, perrin de Manonville took the village of Dom�vre back from the Duc de Bar. In 1613 it was Henri de Beauveau Senior of Fleville who was its Senior. Later on around 1700, two seniors shared the country into indivis (two third for Mr Barrois ands one third for the countess of Viange). Each one nominated a major and the inhabitants had the right to choose their own major. During the revolution Dom�vre became the Capital of the country in spite of its small importance but because of its central position with 21 communities forming the country. The only country activity was to gather electoral operations, also they were a tribunal with a justice  of the peace.

The village has a main through road and another important one starting in a right angle climbing a very steep hill to a flat meadow. From up there one discovers the panoramic plain of the Woevre, the Toul hills with here and there a village with its steeple.

On this meadow a wood mission cross stretches its arms to the wind, next to it is the cemetery build in 1891 in replacement of the one by the church. Half of the way of this climbing road called the hill road is the church's place surrounded with streets. First we see a green mound planted with trees higher than the streets an held by walls of large stones.

The church is the main building of the place . It has a curious position with its steeple which is just at the angle , it is an old square roman tower build in big heavy stones, the church is leaning against it, but does not hide it, so we can see half of the back side of the steeple with a stone arch of a big door which has walled up. So we think the church rebuild in 1737 does not have the same disposition of the roman church. The steeple has only small openings up to a cornice about two third a the high above which on each face are open on a double window with a stone lintel with two full curves.

In 1853 were build the actual spire with a shape of pyramid of eight sections. Before the tower was cover with a very simple roof with two sections of hollow tiles. We start to place a cornice of Euville stones, than we cover it with the pyramidal spire of 7,30 meters high crowned with a sphere of 0,45 meters diameter on top of all is a cross of 2,60 meters high with a steel cock on top. The church has been again roughcast recently, we had the good idea not to roughcast the steeple which shows much better the different styles with its small outside buttress and its ribbed windows we wanted to give it a small gothic style.

The main door is from the 18e century with its stone decoration surmounted with triangular lintel of carved Wood garland of the door are also from that period. Inside the large room's ceiling and the one of the church arch are flat and plastered with curves on angles as many churches of that period. We noticed that the furniture is also from that period : benches of carved oak, the chair for preaching, the confessional. Altars also from that period don't offer any interesting things. the stained glass windows on left are very modern , those on the right, older are more in the style. We can see, sealed in the left wall next to the Virgin Marie's alter a funeral monument with an epitaph of the memory for a died parish's priest in 1739.

under the steeple is a chapel with an altar to Jeanne of Arc and also the baptismal font. To have access to it, we pass under a porch with a full arch as the one walled in the outside, the Saint Patron is Saint Leger. On the outside by the wall on the mount stands a beautiful ealvar. It made of a column with a capital with volute on top of which is placed a cross, under its branches are two statues of bishops, one with a broken head.

At the angle of the street climbing up and the church, there is a building with a certain style, we can guess that it is the school and the Court house, the front make you think of a Greek temple. On front of the entry are four column holding a balcony. The door window going on the balcony has a carved triangle cornice and the roof cornice is the same. It was the style in 1822, when this house was build for the justice of the peace of this country. The court house was installed in 1873 after some repair , so it was possible to free to create another one of girls. Across on the mount the war monument was elevated in 1923 for 2000 F.

The post office next to the court house was installed in 1881. In 1858 was build a very large hole where water was reserved for horses' bathing.

The description of the village wouldn't be completed without talking about the old railroad station from Toul to Thiaucourt nicely painted with bright colors. Alas there's no more rails, no more engine to whistle across the plain. We have access to the old train station by the low part of the village which is called " la rue du vin ", it means that we used to grow Vine yard in Dom�vre.

The village is now turned to the future. just see the beautiful housing development of 19 nice houses on the Tremblecourt side. It brought new inhabitants. The population went down to 176 in 1975, it used to be 391 in 1843. Now it is back to 350.

It is a rather young population since 30% of it is miner, and 60% less than 40 years old. An association of young was created to make animation it proposes different activities as danses, movies, concerts, yoga, etc. It also organizes Saint Nicolas celebration and many other projects.