My beautiful village. Amance, a piece of Lorraine history seen from above

Twenty minutes from Place Stanislas , in Nancy, stands Amance between Petit Mont and Grand Mont. Here, the small village offers an unparalleled 360° view of the surrounding area, provided you venture onto the wild pear tree hill, not far from the castle ruins.

Below, in the shade of the majestic 160-year-old Lebanese cedar, listed as one of the ten remarkable trees in the department, the church square is a popular stopover for hikers and cyclists. Whether you're crossing the GR 5 or climbing a 170-meter elevation gain, there's no excuse to stop in Amance.

Moreover, the oldest traces of the past assure that in the Gallo-Roman era, the site was already inhabited, that much later, the Count of Lunéville would have built a fortification there in the 10th century, period when the territory served as a dowry when his daughter married Thierry ^I , Duke of Upper Lorraine (972-1027). Finally, history also remembers that the German advance of the First World War was stopped, here, in defense of Nancy, during the battle of Grand Couronné.

No town gas. Heat pumps and solar panels are prohibited. With its listed church and stained-glass windows by Grüber, and its streets without sidewalks, Amance is effectively in a heritage protection zone.

However, its particular design around the almost disappeared ruins of the castle as well as its medieval preservation generate among the inhabitants infinitely less frustration in terms of thermal renovation than pride in living on this hill wrapped in small streets.

It's barely noon under the Amance sun, and like a rare outing, Pierre, a relaxed forty-something, is walking his dog along the cobbled streets. He was a native of Amance, and he's become a native of Amance again: "This setting and the atmosphere make me feel like I'm on vacation here. I never tire of it. I spent about ten years in the Saintois region before coming back. I was lucky enough to find a house not too far from my parents' house."

Sixty meters exactly, for a return home that's quite common in the village. In fact, over the past five years, the town has seen a demographic rebound of 8% (361 inhabitants in total).

Met that very morning, the mayor, Olivier Salvé , had also praised the richness of the place: "We definitely don't want to become a dormitory village, we don't have a land development policy, but when an old person dies, it's a family that settles or returns. There is a real village spirit, with a lot of participatory actions. Currently we are trying to restore old footpaths known to the older ones."

It's all about living together, about intergenerational actions: "These projects are calls for volunteers supported by an essential friendship drink. It's almost become a mission of the municipal council," smiles Sandra Hausser, a former resident of the Greater Nancy Metropolis, who has become second deputy in the municipal team.

An AMAP (Association for Community Agriculture), that of Pichou, a brewer, a mustard producer contribute to the identity of the place cemented by the five associations of the village. One of them, Les Amis du Lavoir, has made the preservation of heritage its contribution. Figure in major work of renovation of the framework of the wash house . With its small natural amphitheater made of dry stones, this place is today popular for picnics.

A new project will take shape on September 13th and 14th, with the first limestone sculpture festival . This will be an opportunity to appreciate nationally and internationally renowned sculptors who will bring five works to life. With the theme of the village's heritage, they will be spoiled for choice.