In the early 12th century, Landry, Lord of Joux, gave land in the upper Doubs valley to Humbert, Archbishop of Besançon, to found an abbey.[3][4] The local summit in the area was at the time called Mont Benoît after a hermit named Benoît who lived there. Humbert invited monks to come from Valais and an abbey under St. Columbanus's rule was built by a monk called Nardouin (Norduin) in 1141–1142.[5][6] The town grew up nearby the abbey. Both the abbey and the town were named Montbenoît after the local summit. The abbey later came under the Augustine rule.[6]
In 1947, Montbenoît was proclaimed capital of the Republic of Saugeais by Georges Pourchet, a local hotel owner, who also created the republic on the spot.[citation needed]
^"Montbenoît" Congrès Archéologique de France 118: p. 306
^Landry, Donald J. (1999) The History of the Surname Landry from Clovis to the Present volume I, Donald J. Landry, Metairie, Louisiana, p. 22, OCLC42748089citing Suchaux, L. (1878) Galerie Héraldo: Nobiliaire de la Franche-Comté H. Champion, Paris, p. 314, OCLC18349834
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