Ourches

Halfway between Chabeuil and Crest, the small village of Ourches, nestled at the foot of the Vercors mountains, stretches in a narrow band from east to west. With a population of just 229, Ourches is run by Mayor Stéphane Cousin.

Orcha is mentioned for the 1st time in 1192 in the Léoncel cartulary. The commune only took the name Ourches in the 18th century.
There was a fortified castle at the foot of La Raye, on a particularly steep rocky outcrop with a far-reaching view.
The site was a fortified village with a main street leading to the church of St. Jean. A few vestiges remain, such as the "Sarrasine" tower.
The lands of Ourches then belonged to the Châteauneuf family, who sold it in the 13th century to the Poitiers, counts of Valentinois and Diois, lord of Crest.
By the middle of the 15th century, the village had 10 inhabitants (2 families, 2 nobles and 1 clergyman).
During the Wars of Religion, Ourches remained a Catholic village.
The village passed to different families, including the lord of Chabrillan (who remained lord until the French Revolution), who owned several estates and gradually abandoned the fortified site.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, political and social organization was stable.
The French Revolution disrupted territorial organization.
In 1851, following Napoleon III's coup d'état, the people of Ourch wanted to march on the Tour de Crest to free their prisoners. When, on the way, they thought they heard cavalry, they were ordered to disperse and withdraw by their own means. 2 Ourchois were imprisoned in the Tower.
During WW1, the young men left the commune.
During WW2, Ourches came under German attack, and the resistance organized to block the German advance on the Vercors.