A
bit of history...
and some sightseeing
Mézilles
(Miciglis,
as the Romans called it), appears in
documents as early as the 5th century among
the estates bequeathed to the monastery of
Saint Côme by Saint Germain, the bishop
of Auxerre. It lies on the road connecting
Orleans and Auxerre, the D965, which more or
less follows the old Roman road.
Mézilles is almost equidistant from
Toucy (birthplace of Pierre Larousse),
Saint
Fargeau
(with a castle where a cousin of Louis XIV,
La Grande Mademoiselle, was sent in exile),
and Saint Sauveur, birthplace of the writer
Colette.
Despite
a population of around 560, Mézilles
covers 5,000 hectares, 40% of which is
forest, and has more than 40 kilometers of
roads, and tracks. The commune comprises the
village, grouped around the church, and home
to about half the population, as well as
hamlets, and farms, scattered around the
green and gentle valleys of the
Puisaye.
Over
the years, the small farms, generally mixed,
but with an emphasis on dairy farming, have
been absorbed by larger estates which also
tend to be more specialised: large herds of
cattle (both dairy, and meat), vast expanses
of cereal production, individual farms
raising pigs, horses or
chickens.
Since
the 1940s, Mézilles has lost nearly
50% of its population. However, in recent
years, the trend has been towards a slow but
steady repopulation, and today the village is
a lively, and active
community..
