Avaux

Avaux is a rural commune in the north of the historic region of Champagne-Ardenne. If you are looking for rows of vines here, you will not find them: the village belongs to the Ardennes département and lies outside the champagne appellation. For wine lovers it is still a good example of how varied the landscape around Champagne can be.

Location and landscape

Avaux belongs to the arrondissement of Rethel, the canton of Château-Porcien and the Pays Rethélois intercommunal authority. The Aisne forms the south-eastern and southern boundary of the commune and crosses its southern part over about 4.5 kilometres. A short stretch of the Canal latéral à l'Aisne runs there too. To the west, Avaux already borders the Aisne département in the Hauts-de-France region. Neighbouring communes include Asfeld, Vieux-lès-Asfeld and Brienne-sur-Aisne.

The land is shaped by farming: according to Corine Land Cover, around 96 per cent of the area was agricultural in 2018, 87 per cent of it arable. The climate is oceanic in character. For 1971 to 2000 the source gives an average annual temperature of 10.3 °C and about 682 millimetres of rainfall a year. Formally Avaux lies within the catchment area of Reims, but it is a commune with scattered settlement.

“For 1971 to 2000 the source gives an average annual temperature of 10.3 °C and about 682 millimetres of rainfall a year.

History

In the Middle Ages a castle of the lords of Escry stood here. In 882 the Frankish king Carloman II is said to have defeated the Vikings at this spot. In 1638 Avaux became the seat of a county. In 1670 Jean-Jacques de Mesmes united the village with Escry: Avaux was henceforth called Avaux-le-Château, and Escry Avaux-la-Ville.

Church and notable figures

The source names the church of Notre-Dame as the sight worth seeing. Three names are linked with the village:

Landkarte der Champagne, Lexikon

• Claude de Mesmes, comte d'Avaux (1595 to 1650), diplomat and man of letters
• Jean-Jacques de Mesmes, comte d'Avaux (1640 to 1688), magistrate and scholar, known for developing Asfeld
• Yves Gibeau (1916 to 1994), writer, whose family came from Avaux

Avaux and champagne

Avaux is neither a grand cru nor a premier cru and, according to the information available, has no growers or champagne houses. The Ardennes is not among the départements with a champagne appellation. If you want to explore the region through its food and drink, Reims and the Marne valley are where to find the right addresses. Avaux is better suited as a quiet stop on the Aisne for anyone travelling off the beaten track, away from the well-known wine villages.

In 2023 the commune had about 520 inhabitants, roughly 12 per cent more than in 2017. In French, residents are called Avalois (men) and Avaloises (women).