Vingeanne

Gorges de la Vingeanne, the origjn of the river

The Vinganne is a torrential watercourse.[1] The source of the Vingeanne is near the village of Aprey, Haute-Marne. It forms as a stream that has carved a narrow canyon in the edge of the Langres plateau.[2] It forms at an altitude of 429 metres (1,407 ft) and flows south for 92.9 kilometres (57.7 mi) to the Saône,[3] which it joins at an altitude of 187 metres (614 ft). Tributaries are the streams (ruisseaux) of Flagey, Leuchey, Anjeurres and Orain.[4]

A hydrological station measures the river's flow at Saint-Maurice-sur-Vingeanne, where it is fed by a watershed that covers 398 square kilometres (154 sq mi). The river there normally has average flow of around 8.43 cubic metres per second (298 cu ft/s) in February, falling to 0.914 cubic metres per second (32.3 cu ft/s) in August. The maximum instantaneous flow was recorded on 30 December 2001 at 61.4 cubic metres per second (2,170 cu ft/s).[5]

A hydrological station measures the river's flow further down at Oisilly, where the Vingeanne captures water from an area of 609 square kilometres (235 sq mi).[6] The river there normally has average flow of around 12.4 cubic metres per second (440 cu ft/s) in February, which falls to around 1.56 cubic metres per second (55 cu ft/s) in August. The maximum instantaneous flow was recorded on 27 April 1983 at 82 cubic metres per second (2,900 cu ft/s).[6]

The Vingeanne is an exceptional 2nd category river because it shelters many species of fish.[10] Trout and "Satoille" (probably the European river lamprey) were fished in the Bèze, the Saône and Vingeanne in the Middle Ages. Margaret III, Countess of Flanders recounts having tasted the fish in 1382–83.[11] Some of the upstream courses have trout, and the Dame Fario (Salmo trutta fario: brown trout) is common upstream with a spawning area in Saint Maurice sur Vingeanne. There are many species of cyprinids and pike is present throughout. The Amicale des pêcheurs de haute et moyenne Vingeanne, a fishers' association, practices a heritage management policy, and releases rainbow trout for the opening of the season in March and for holidaymakers in June.[10]

Lait Pur Sterilise de la Vingeanne by Théophile Steinlen

The Quillot Brothers had a dairy in the village of Montigny sur Vingeanne where they produced sterilized milk. In 1897, they commissioned the Swiss artist Théophile Steinlen (1859–1923) to produce a poster advertising their product. The result was an endearing poster that shows the artist's daughter Colette tasting a bowl of milk before giving it to the family cats, who are waiting expectantly.

Steinlen was a prolific artist, but this early work is his most successful poster.[12]

Battle of Vingeanne July 52 BC

In July 52 BC the Roman general Julius Caesar fought an important battle of the Gallic Wars against a coalition of Gauls led by Vercingetorix.[13] Caesar responded to an attack against Gallia Narbonensis by leading his forces east through Lingones territory towards Sequani territory, probably marching down the Vingeanne valley.[13] He had recently recruited (or hired) German cavalry, and they would prove decisive.[13]

The Gallic army held a very strong position guarded by high slopes, easy to defend. It was protected by the Vingeanne on the right, and the Badin, a small tributary of the Vingeanne, on its front. In the space between these two streams and the road from Dijon to Langres was an area 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) across, slightly uneven in some parts, almost flat everywhere else, mainly between the Vingeanne and the hillock of Montsuageon. Near the road, and to the west, rise hills which dominated the ground, as well as the whole country, up to the Badin and the Vingeanne.[14]

The Gauls thought the Romans were retreating towards Italy and decided to attack.[13] One group of Gallic cavalry blocked the Roman advance while two groups of cavalry harried the Roman's flanks. After hard fighting, the German cavalry broke the Gallic cavalry on the right and chased them back to the main Gallic infantry force.[13] The remaining Gallic cavalry fled, and Vercingetorix was forced to retreat to Alesia, where he was besieged by the Romans. The Battle of Alesia decided the war in the Romans' favor.[13]