- Département
- Marne (Grand Est region)
- Site
- Southern side of the Montagne de Reims
- Inhabitants
- 112 (2023)
- Source
- Wikipedia, eigene Zusammenfassung
Isse is a small village on the southern flank of the Montagne de Reims in the Marne département. It sits on the Canal de l'Aisne à la Marne and is shaped by farmland, not vines.
Location
Isse lies in the Marne département in the Grand Est region, on the southern side of the Montagne de Reims. With 112 inhabitants (2023), it is a very small place. Statistically it counts as a rural commune with scattered housing and belongs to the catchment area of Châlons-en-Champagne. Administratively, Isse is part of the Communauté d'agglomération Cités-en-Champagne, which was formed in 2014 from several groupings of communes.
Landscape and viticulture
If the Montagne de Reims makes you think of vine-covered slopes straight away, Isse asks you to think again. According to the European Corine survey, 96.4 per cent of the land is agricultural, and entirely as arable land. Built-up areas account for 2.3 per cent, woodland for 1.3 per cent. Vines do not appear in this breakdown at all. Isse is neither grand cru nor premier cru, and for champagne lovers it is more a place to drive through than a destination for a tasting. The better-known wine villages of the southern side, such as Bouzy, are only a few kilometres away.
The climate is oceanic, with moderate sunshine, evenly spread rainfall and cold winters. The nearest Météo-France weather station is in Bouzy, about 5 kilometres away. For 1991 to 2020 it records an annual mean temperature of 11.5 °C and an average of 687.5 millimetres of rainfall. The recorded extremes are 41.2 °C on 25 July 2019 and minus 20.5 °C on 16 January 1985.
For 1991 to 2020 it records an annual mean temperature of 11.5 °C and an average of 687.5 millimetres of rainfall.
The canal
The Canal de l'Aisne à la Marne runs through the commune. It links Berry-au-Bac with Condé-sur-Marne and, via the Aisne canals, gives Reims access to the Marne. Construction began on 9 March 1842, and the 58-kilometre canal has been in operation since 1866. Together with the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, which was connected in 1861, it created a continuous waterway from Strasbourg to Lille. Between 1878 and 1883 it was brought up to the Freycinet gauge.
The canal probably also gave the village its name. The place name derives from the little river Isse, which has since been absorbed into the canal. The oldest recorded form is Escia, dating from around 850. The Ruisseau d'Isse and the Ruisseau de Trepail also drain the commune's land.
Things to see
The most important building is the church, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. It dates from the 12th century and was altered several times in the 18th century. Its features include:
- a square-ended chancel (flat chevet)
- painted altars
- stones with inscriptions, where it is unclear whether they are reused material
If you are travelling along the southern side of the Montagne de Reims, you can plan Isse in as a quiet stop by the water. You are better off buying your wines in the neighbouring villages.
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