Aÿ (; also Ay) is a former

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Marne department in northeastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. On 1 January 2016 it was merged into the new commune Aÿ-Champagne.

Champagne

Aÿ is most famous as a centre of the production of

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

. Aÿ's vineyards are located in the

Vallée de la Marne Vallée de la Marne is a sub-region of the Champagne wine region. It is south of Champagne and Montagne de Reims, and north of Côte de Sézanne and Côte des Blancs. The sub-region is located on the riverbanks of the Marne Marne can refer to: ...

subregion of

, and are classified as Grand Cru (100%) in the Champagne vineyard classification. The vineyards, harvest huts, presses, and cellars in the region were inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

in 2015 as part of the

Champagne hillsides, houses and cellars Champagne hillsides, houses and cellars is the name given to several sites in the Champagne region of France inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015 for their historical ties to the production and sale of champagne, as well as their te ...

site, because of the region's testimony to the development of champagne. Many prestigious Champagne houses own vineyards in the immediate vicinity, and several producers are located in Aÿ, including Ayala and Bollinger.

International relations

Aÿ is twinned with: *

Besigheim Besigheim () is a municipality in the district of Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated 13 km north of Ludwigsburg at the confluence of the Neckar and Enz rivers. The town has many old buildings and a tow ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

Newton Abbot Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish on the River Teign in the Teignbridge District of Devon, England. Its 2011 population of 24,029 was estimated to reach 26,655 in 2019. It grew rapidly in the Victorian era as the home of the So ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

* Quaregnon,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

Sinalunga Sinalunga is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Siena, in the Tuscany region of central Italy. History Aside from scanty prehistoric findings, the oldest historical remains date from the 8th century BC, when Sinalunga was perhaps an Etrusca ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

- since 2004

Personalities

Aÿ was the birthplace of: *

Denise Schmandt-Besserat Denise Schmandt-Besserat (born August 10, 1933 in Ay, Marne, France) is a French-American archaeologist and retired professor of art and archaeology of the ancient Near East. She spent much of her professional career as a professor at the Univer ...

(1933-- ), French American cognitive archaeologist and art history professor *

Lucien Berland Lucien Berland (14 May 1888 in Ay, Marne – 18 August 1962 in Versailles)Jean-Jacques Amigo, « Berland (Lucien) », in Nouveau Dictionnaire de biographies roussillonnaises, vol. 3 Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Perpignan, Publications d ...

(1888–1962), entomologist and arachnologist *

René Lalique René Jules Lalique (6 April 1860 – 1 May 1945) was a French jeweller, medallist, and glass designer known for his creations of glass art, perfume bottles, vases, jewellery, chandeliers, clocks, and automobile hood ornaments. Life Lalique' ...

(1860–1945), glass designer * Stephen Rochefontaine (1755–1814), military engineer *

Albert Lemaître Albert Lemaître (c. 1864 – in or after 1906), (aka Georges LemaîtreSome modern anglophone secondary sources (and myriad derivative internet sites) use the name Georges Lemaître, but the leading contemporary French sources of the 1890s–1900 ...

, sporting motorist in 1890s and 1900s Aÿ was the home of: *Juan Romero (1919-2020), Spanish Legion d'Honneur recipient, anti-fascist Spanish Civil War veteran, and last survivor of the Nazis' Mauthausen concentration camp

References

Former communes of Marne (department) Grand Cru Champagne villages {{Marne-geo-stub

Champagne

International relations

Personalities

See also

References