Rochefourchat
Rochefourchat (French pronunciation: [ʁɔʃfuʁʃa]) is a commune in the Drôme department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, southeastern France. Today, the commune consists of only one inhabited house. There also is a church, Saint Pierre's Church, a converted barn, and the ruins of a castle. The nearest communes are Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert, Les Tonils, Pradelle, and Brette. Saint-Nazaire-le-Desert is about 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) away.
Die is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) away, Montélimar about 40 kilometres (25 mi).
The closest primary school is in Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert.
History
changeIn 1178, the castle of Rocha Forcha was built by the bishops of the arrondissement of Die as a stronghold against the Holy Roman Emperors. It belonged to French lords until the year 1766. The last one, Lord Rey de Noinville, died that year. In 1796, a French trader, Pierre Jossaud bought the land surrounding the castle and renamed it Rochefourchat. The commune has been passed down through Jossaud's family.
Population
change| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 3 | — |
| 1990 | 2 | −33.3% |
| 1999 | 1 | −50.0% |
| 2006 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1 | +0.0% |
There is only one permanent inhabitant. There are six communes in France where no one lives; these were destroyed or abandoned during the First World War. They were left, so that people would remember the events.