Circuit de découverte de Balesmes

Balesmes takes its name from the Gallic Minerva, Belisama, companion of the Gallic Apollo Belenos. These deities were once worshipped near the springs of the Marne, a short distance from the village. It is likely that a Roman settlement and a number of dwellings from the same period, located between the source of the Marne and the church, preceded the present-day village. In this context, the legend of the Gallic Sabinus, who rebelled against Rome and hid for nine years in a cave near these springs, has no basis in reality and must be abandoned today.
The current village has only been known since the High Middle Ages, with the Bishop of Langres owning the seigneury as a moving fief from time immemorial, as well as the hereditary town hall. However, the presence of private lords in the 12th century, such as Henry de Balesmes, a knight in 1198, attests to the presence in the village of a private fiefdom with a fortified house under the town hall and school (the Motte-Mairé fiefdom). In addition, the priory of Saint-Geosmes, which had acquired the Marnotte estate (located between the source of the Marne and the village) in 885, also owned a house near the church. This location made it easier for the monks to serve the Balesmes church until 1728.
Around 1180, the Knights Templar acquired the La Marnotte settlement to turn it into a hospice. It became the property of the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem (then of Malta) in 1312, and joined the Commanderie de Ruetz (Cne de Laneu-ville-à-Bayard, on the Marne) in 1558. It became the property of the Jacobins of Langres after 1650.