Avaux

Avaux
Avaux
Commune
	the Church of Notre-Dame
	Coat of arms
	Location of Avaux
	Avaux Avaux
	Coordinates: 49°27′24″N 4°05′03″E / 49.4567°N 4.0842°E
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Ardennes
Arrondissement	Rethel
Canton	Château-Porcien
Intercommunality	CC Pays Rethélois
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Didier Marby
Area 1	13.19 km2 (5.09 sq mi)
Population (2021)	496
• Density	38/km2 (97/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	08039 /08190
Elevation	57–130 m (187–427 ft) ; (avg. 60 m or 200 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Avaux (French pronunciation: [avo]) is a commune in the Ardennes department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France.

The commune has been awarded two flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.^[3]

Geography

Avaux is located some 22 km west by south-west of Rethel and 38 km south-east of Laon. Access to the commune is by the D523 from Évergnicourt in the south-west which changes to the D137 at the border then continues to the village and north-east to join the D18 south-west of Saint-Germainmont. The D966 forms the western border of the commune as it goes south from Lor to Evergnicourt. Apart from thin strips of forest along the eastern and southern borders the commune is entirely farmland.^[4]

The Canal latéral à l'Aisne forms the southern border of the commune and the Aisne river forms the eastern border then runs through the south of the commune parallel to the canal as it flows west to eventually join the Seine at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.

Neighbouring communes and villages

Heraldry

Arms of Avaux	The official status of the blazon remains to be determined. Blazon: Azure, a lion crowned Argent issuant, in chief Or a crescent of Sable between two mullets the same.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[5]

From	To	Name
2001	2008	Pascal Beguin
2008	current	Didier Marby

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Avalois or Avaloises in French.^[6]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1793	506	—
1800	574	+1.82%
1806	504	−2.14%
1821	644	+1.65%
1831	705	+0.91%
1836	716	+0.31%
1841	725	+0.25%
1846	682	−1.22%
1851	704	+0.64%
1866	753	+0.45%
1872	710	−0.98%
1876	649	−2.22%
1881	653	+0.12%
1886	650	−0.09%
1891	631	−0.59%
1896	606	−0.81%
1901	602	−0.13%

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1906	592	−0.33%
1911	575	−0.58%
1921	405	−3.44%
1926	431	+1.25%
1931	404	−1.29%
1936	417	+0.64%
1946	359	−1.49%
1954	361	+0.07%
1962	355	−0.21%
1968	327	−1.36%
1975	317	−0.44%
1982	293	−1.12%
1990	404	+4.10%
1999	454	+1.30%
2007	462	+0.22%
2012	455	−0.30%
2017	466	+0.48%

Source: EHESS^[7] and INSEE^[8]

Sites and monuments

Avaux was once called Asfeld-le-Château as it was the seat of a fortified house of the Counts of Avaux. The chateau has disappeared.

The Church of Notre-Dame contains a Painting: the Nativity of the Virgin (18th century), which is registered as an historical object.^[9]

Notable people linked to the commune

Claude de Mesmes, Count of Avaux (1595-1650), diplomat and man of letters.
Jean-Jacques de Mesmes, Count of Avaux: best known for developing the town of Asfeld.
Yves Gibeau, his family came from Avaux and he lived in the commune during part of his youth.^[10]