Ain
Ain (, ; frp, En) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where it ...
department in eastern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and a subprefecture of the department.
It lies from the
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
*Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internatio ...
border and from
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
. It is a
subprefecture
A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.
Albania
There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...
of Ain.
History
The town gave its name to the '' Pays de Gex'', at various times under the jurisdiction of France,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and the
Duchy of Savoy
The Duchy of Savoy ( it, Ducato di Savoia; french: Duché de Savoie) was a country in Western Europe that existed from 1416.
It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy for Amadeus VIII. The ...
.
The future site of Gex was inhabited around 1800 BC. Around 220 BC, a group of Gallic warriors known as the
Gaesatae
The Gaesatae or Gaesati (Greek Γαισάται) were a group of Gallic mercenary warriors who lived in the Alps near the river Rhône and fought against the Roman Republic at the Battle of Telamon in 225 BC., s.v. ''Gaesatae''.
According to some ...
reside in the area around Gex. Afterwards, the town was part of
Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul refers to GaulThe territory of Gaul roughly corresponds to modern-day France, Belgium and Luxembourg, and adjacient parts of the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. under provincial rule in the Roman Empire from the 1st century ...
.
In 1252, Léonette of Geneva, Lady of Gex, descendant of the count of Geneva, Amadeus I, married Simon of Joinville, son of Simon of Joinville and Beatrix of Auxonne, Lady of Marnay. The city of Gex was included in her
dowry
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...
. Later that century, the Joinvilles set up a
castellan
A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant ...
and a judge in the town.
On November 13, 1353, the town of Gex as well as its castle were captured by
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps.
Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south.
Sa ...
,Salch, Charles-Laurent and Finó, José Federico; ''Atlas des châteaux forts en France'', 1988. p. 26. (in French) and the '' pays de Gex'' was incorporated into the
Savoyard state
The Savoyard state is a term of art used by historians to denote collectively all of the states ruled by the counts and dukes of Savoy from the Middle Ages to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy. At the end of the 17th century, its population ...
for nearly two centuries. The ''pays de Gex'' was invaded in 1536 by the
Canton of Bern
The canton of Bern or Berne (german: Kanton Bern; rm, Chantun Berna; french: canton de Berne; it, Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. ...
. The Bernese established a
bailiwick
A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. The bailiwick is probably modelled on the ...
at Gex, managed by a
bailiff
A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their of ...
. Walls were built in 1550.
The ''pays de Gex'' is returned to the
Duchy of Savoy
The Duchy of Savoy ( it, Ducato di Savoia; french: Duché de Savoie) was a country in Western Europe that existed from 1416.
It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy for Amadeus VIII. The ...
in 1564. The Genevans seized it in 1589. Savoy, with the assistance of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, tried several times to take back the ''pays de Gex'', but they were unsuccessful. During these attacks, the town of Gex is burned in 1590 on July 23 and again on July 30; few of the houses withstand the fires.
In 1601, during the reign of Henry IV, control of the ''pays de Gex'' passed to France as part of the Treaty of Lyon.
With the 1815 Protocol of the Conference of Paris, (signed on 20 November) and the Treaty of Paris of the same date, Gex was placed in the Customs region of Switzerland and neutralised. The resolutions regarding the Pays de Gex were annulled by Art 435 of the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
), which decided in favour of Switzerland; this case is also notable for being an early example of the doctrine of fundamentally changed circumstances being invoked before an international court. A compromise was reached in 1932.
Historically, citizens spoke a dialect of the
Franco-Provençal language
Franco-Provençal (also Francoprovençal, Patois or Arpitan) is a language within Gallo-Romance originally spoken in east-central France, western Switzerland and northwestern Italy.
Franco-Provençal has several distinct dialects and is sepa ...
but this dialect is not in use anymore. In 1910 the commune of Mijoux was created from part of the commune of Gex.
Population
Population data for 1906 and earlier include the commune of Mijoux.
Economy
Its principal market for exports is Geneva. A weekly market takes place in the town on Saturdays.Weekly Markets - Pays de Gex Monts Jura Tourism 28 May 2021