Attigny () is a commune in the

Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...

department in the

Grand Est Grand Est (; ) is an Regions of France, administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-A ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of north-eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom'' in the ''Competition of cities and villages in Bloom''.

Geography

Attigny is located some 16 km east by south-east of

Rethel Rethel () is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture and third-most important city and economic center in the department. It is situated on the river Aisne, near the northern border of Champagne and 37 ...

and 14 km west by south-west of Le Chesne. Access to the commune is by the D 987 road from Charbogne in the north passing through the village and continuing south to Coulommes-et-Marqueny. The D 983 road comes from Givry in the west passing through the village and continuing south-east to Vrizy. The D 25 road comes from Saulces-Champenoises in the south-west merging with the D 983 west of the village then continuing north-east to Rilly-sur-Aisne. There is also a railway with a station just north of the village. There is the hamlet of La Couture east of the village. The town has a large residential area with the rest of the commune farmland.Google Maps
/ref> The river

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; ) is a French departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne (river), Aisne. In 2020, it had a population of 529,374. Geography The department borders No ...

runs through the commune as it flows west to eventually join the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine Conflans-Sainte-Honorine () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris. The commune was originally named for its g ...

. The

Canal des Ardennes The Canal des Ardennes (, literally ''Ardennes Canal'') is a summit level canal built to the Freycinet gauge between the river valleys of the Aisne and the Meuse. Physical Characteristics The Canal des Ardennes is 87.779 km long and has 4 ...

is close to and parallel to the Aisne. The ''Ruisseau de Saint-Lambert'' flows into the Aisne from the north.

Neighbouring communes and villages

Géoportail

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

History

Middle Ages

In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

Attigny had some importance as it had had a royal residence since

Clovis II Clovis II (633 – 657) was King of the Franks in Neustria and Burgundy, having succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639. His brother Sigebert III had been King of Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanth ...

who built a palace there in 647. It was also the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid c ...

imperial residence, and

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

is said to have attended many Christmas and Easter festivals there.

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as CharlesII, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), King of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a series of civil wars during t ...

stayed many times at the palace. The first ''Council of Attigny'' was convened at Attigny in 765 by

Pepin the Short the Short (; ; ; – 24 September 768), was King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first Carolingian dynasty, Carolingian to become king. Pepin was the son of the Frankish prince Charles Martel and his wife Rotrude of H ...

. It was a general assembly of the Frankish nation that was continued as a synodal council. The council made a decree, , which was signed by twenty-seven bishops (including the bishops:

Remigius of Rouen Remigius (or Remi) (died 772) was the illegitimate son of Charles Martel and an unknown mistress. He was also the third archbishop of Rouen from 755 to 772. Life Remigius was educated at court, but, along with his brothers, (Bernhard, son of Char ...

, Jacob de Toul (24th Bishop of Toul),

Chrodegang of Metz Chrodegang (; ;Spellings of his name in (Latin) primary sources are extremely varied: Chrodegangus, Grodegandus, Grodegangus, Grodogangus, Chrodogandus, Krodegandus, Chrodegrangus, Chrotgangus, Ruotgangus, Droctegangus, Chrodegand, and Sirigangus ...

, Magdalvé of Verdun, Fulcaire or Tungrensis of

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

, Maurinus of Évreux, Willicaire of Vienne) and seventeen abbots (such as Abbot Godobert of Rebais). It involved a form of alliance in the event of death. Each of the bishops and abbots who signed this document, on the death of a member of the alliance, committed to sing 100 psalms and the priests to celebrate 100 Masses. Each of the bishops himself was to celebrate thirty masses and if he was prevented by illness or some other cause, he should appoint another bishop care to celebrate for him. Similarly, the abbots who were not bishops should appoint a bishop to say these thirty masses. Finally the monks who were priests were to celebrate 100 Masses and the monks who were not should sing 100 psalms. In 785,

held a council at Attigny where Saxon Duke

Widukind Widukind, also known as Wittekind and Wittikund, was a leader of the Saxons and the chief opponent of the Frankish king Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 777 to 785. Charlemagne ultimately prevailed, organized Saxony as a Frankish provinc ...

, main enemy of Charlemagne during his wars against the

Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

(772-805), and Aboin received baptism from Charlemagne. Louis the Pious

In 822,

Pope Paschal I Pope Paschal I (; died 824) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 25 January 817 to his death in 824. Paschal was a member of an aristocratic Roman family. Before his election to the papacy, he was abbot of St. Stephen's monas ...

was present at a ''Council of Attigny'', convened for the reconciliation of the emperor

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (; ; ; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only ...

with his three younger brothers, Hugo, Drogo and Theodoric, whom he had caused to be violently tortured and whom he had intended to put to death. In the council he confessed publicly his wrongdoing; also the violence practiced by him on his nephew, Bernard, King of Italy, and his brother, the Abbot, Adelard Wala, and proposed to perform public penance in imitation of the emperor

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...

. He also exhibited an earnest desire to correct abuses arising from the negligence of the bishops and the nobles and confirmed the rule (''Aquensis Regula'') that the

Council of Aachen A number of significant councils of the Latin Church were held at Aachen (also known in French as ''Aix-la-Chapelle'') in the early Middle Ages. In the mixed council of 798, Charlemagne proclaimed a capitulary of eighty-one chapters, largely a repe ...

had drawn up in 816 for canons and monks. In 870, thirty bishops and six archbishops met at Attigny, to pass judgement on Karlomann, the king's son, made an ecclesiastic at an early age, and accused by his father of conspiring against his life and throne. He was deprived of his abbeys and imprisoned at

Senlis Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hauts-de-France. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...

. In the council of 875 Hincmar, Bishop of Laon appealed to the pope for his uncle,

Hincmar, Archbishop of Reims Hincmar (; ; ; 806 – 21 December 882), archbishop of Reims, was a Frankish jurist and theologian, as well as the friend, advisor and propagandist of Charles the Bald. He belonged to a noble family of northern Francia. Biography Early life Hincm ...

. In 880 the Battle of Attigny was fought between a Carolingian coalition against an army of Boso - self-proclaimed King of

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

. In 916

Charles the Simple Charles III (17 September 879 – 7 October 929), called the Simple or the Straightforward (from the Latin ''Carolus Simplex''), was the king of West Francia from 898 until 922 and the king of Lotharingia from 911 until 919–923. He was a memb ...

transported relics of

Saint Walpurga Walpurga or Walburga (; ; ; 71025 February 777 or 779) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary to the Frankish Empire. She was canonized on 1 May c. 870 by Pope Adrian II. Walpurgis Night, Saint Walpurgis Night (or "Sankt Walpurgisnacht") is the name fo ...

to Attigny and founded a chapel served by twelve canons and his intention was that this chapel would be subject to the at

Compiègne Compiègne (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department of northern France. It is located on the river Oise (river), Oise, and its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois'' (). Administration Compiègne is t ...

. The

Carolingians The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid ...

abandoned the residence before 931 and the palace disappeared after the 10th century. Attigny was also a

royal domain Crown land, also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. Today, in Commonwealth realm ...

and remained so when it ceased to be a royal residence of the Carolingians. At the beginning of the 10th century it encompassed at least 3,500 hectares. Donations of land to the Church remained limited. The domain passed almost intact to the smaller Capetian royal domain. It formed the dowry of the daughter of

Philip I Philip(p) I may refer to: * Philip I of Macedon (7th century BC) * Philip I Philadelphus (between 124 and 109 BC–83 or 75 BC) * Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman Emperor * Philip I of France (1052–1108) * Philip I (archbishop of Cologne) ( ...

Constance Constance may refer to: Places * Constance, Kentucky, United States, an unincorporated community * Constance, Minnesota, United States, an unincorporated community * Mount Constance, Washington State, United States * Lake Constance (disambiguat ...

, on her marriage to Hugh, Count of Champagne, in 1093. The domain was split apart by the prince, especially for the benefit of

Reims Cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims (; ; meaning "Our Lady of Reims"), known in English as Reims Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in the French city of the same name, the seat of the Archdiocese of Reims. The cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and wa ...

, and is the origin of the ecclesiastical lordships of Attigny and Sainte-Vaubourg. A

leper colony A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. '' M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East ...

was documented in the 14th century.

Contemporary era

The town was badly damaged by the two world wars. From 14 May to 10 June 1940 the 18th Infantry Regiment of Pau fought at Attigny. For 25 consecutive days it repelled successive attacks by an enemy superior in numbers and resources. They left their position in order, their flanks being threatened by the German advance. The town was destroyed in 1914 and 1940. Attigny holds two

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

, one from each world war. A monument to the 18th Infantry Regiment was inaugurated on 20 September 1947 near the canal bridge. A plaque celebrating Franco-German reconciliation was later affixed by the Fellowship of the French 18th regiment and the German 20th Infantry Regiment of Ratisbonne. This regiment was part of the attacking German forces at Attigny.

Heraldry

Decorations

Oorlogskruisen met palmen en sterren 1914 en 1939

Croix de guerre 1914-1918 : 4 September 1920 Croix de guerre 1939-1945 : 12 February 1949

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Attignatiens'' in French.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: *A sugar refinery (1864) *A Milk and Cheese factory (20th century) *A Brickworks (1919) *The Palace of Charlemagne (16th century) The Town Hall contains a Painting with frame: Marriage in Assyria (19th century) which is registered as a historical object.

Religious heritage

The Church of Notre-Dame (11th century) is registered as a historical monument. The Church contains several items that are registered as historical objects: *

Bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

: Descent from the Cross (16th century) *4 Statues: Saints Nicolas, Éloi, Marthe, and Laurent (16th century) *Tombstone (17th century) *

Stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

windows (15th century) *Main

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

(17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy ;The Church File:Église Notre-Dame d'Attigny.JPG, Church of Notre-Dame File:Attigny (Ardennes) église Notre-Dame, vue du sud.JPG, Church of Notre Dame from the south File:Attigny-FR-08-église-intérieur-02.JPG, The Altar File:Attigny-FR-08-église-intérieur-01.JPG, The Nave File:Attigny-FR-08-église-intérieur-03.JPG, Stained glass windows File:Attigny-FR-08-église-intérieur-08.JPG, Statue ;Other sights in the commune File:Attigny - maison d'André Dhotel.jpg, House of André Dhôtel File:Attigny (Ardennes), ici est né André Dhôtel 01.JPG, House of André Dhôtel File:Attigny.JPG, The Canal des Ardennes File:Attigny port Canal des Ardennes.JPG, Port on the Canal File:X 3943 EN GARE ATTIGNY blog.JPG, Autorail X3943 preserved at the station File:Attigny (Ardennes) monument aux morts.JPG, War memorial File:Attigny 18th regiment.JPG, 18th Regiment memorial File:Attigny-FR-08-sépultures militaires-05.JPG, War cemetery File:Attigny (Ardennes) kiosque à musique.jpg, Bandstand File:Attigny-FR-08-poste-04.JPG, The Post Office File:Attigny-FR-08-panneaux-06.JPG, Signs in the town File:Attigny-FR-08-abribus-05.JPG, Bus stop

Notable people linked to the commune

Chilperic II Chilperic II ( 672 – 13 February 721) was King of the Franks from 715 until his death. He was a son of Childeric II and his half-cousin wife, Bilichild, both of whom were assassinated, along with their eldest son Dagobert, in 675. Still a ...

: died in Attigny. * Victor Noir: born at Attigny on 27 July 1848. * André Dhôtel: born at Attigny in 1900, died in Paris in 1991. Writer, winner of the

Prix Femina The Prix Femina is a French List of literary awards, literary prize awarded each year by an exclusively female jury. The prize, which was established in 1904, is awarded to French-language works written in prose or Verse (poetry), verse by male ...

in 1955. *Charles Goutant: born at Liart in 1847, died at Sedan in 1906), General councillor for the Canton of Attigny from 1898 to 1904, President of the General Council of Ardennes from 1901 to 1904, and Senator from 1898 to 1906. *Alfred Lesure: born at Attigny in 1831, died there on 12 July 1885, French politician, Doctor, Councillor for the arrondissement in 1879, General Councillor for Ardennes in the same year. *Camille Renault: born at Omont on 10 October 1866, died at Attigny on 4 October 1954, French

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

. Satrape of the Collège de Pataphysique.

Bibliography

*Josiane Barbier, ''Palace and tax administration in the Carolingian era: Attigny'', Bibliothèque de l'école des chartes, No. 140, 1982, pp. 133–162
Read online
. *Octave Guelliot, ''Historical Dictionary of the arrondissement of Vouziers'', Chapter Attigny, Éditions Terres Ardennaises, 1997, Vol. I, 94 pages, pp. 61–69, .

References

External links

Attigny on the old IGN website

Attigny on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Attigny'' on the 1750 Cassini Map
{{authority control Communes of Ardennes (department)