Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.Populations légales 2019: 02 Aisne
INSEE

Geography

The department borders Nord (to the north), Somme and

Oise Oise ( ; ; pcd, Oése) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,41 ...

(to the west), Ardennes and Marne (east), and

Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square kilometres (2,284 square miles); it roughly covers its ...

(south-west) and

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 th ...

(Province of Hainaut) (to the north-east). The river Aisne crosses the area from east to west, where it joins the

. The Marne forms part of the southern boundary of the department with the department of Seine-et-Marne. The southern part of the department is the geographical region known as ''la

Brie Brie (; ) is a soft cow's-milk cheese named after Brie, the French region from which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern ''département'' of Seine-et-Marne). It is pale in color with a slight grayish tinge under a rind of white mo ...

poilleuse'', a drier plateau known for its dairy products and

cheese. According to the 2003 census, the forested area of the department was 123,392 hectares, or 16.6% for an average metropolitan area of 27.4%. The landscape is dominated by masses of rock which often have steep flanks. These rocks appear all over the region, but the most impressive examples are at

Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The holy district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance. ...

and the

Chemin des Dames In France, the Chemin des Dames (; literally, the "ladies' path") is part of the route départementale (local road) D18 and runs east and west in the Aisne department, between in the west, the Route Nationale 2 (Laon to Soissons), and in the eas ...

ridge.

Principal towns

The department of Aisne includes one medium-sized city (Saint-Quentin) and three small cities (Laon, Soissons and Château-Thierry) to which may be added the conglomeration formed by Chauny and Tergnier. There are many other agglomerations of an urban character because Aisne has been densely populated since before the 19th century. The villages are numerous and rather small. The most populous commune is Saint-Quentin; the prefecture

is the third-most populous. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants: See also: List of the

communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020): The

Scheldt The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...

(which takes its source near Le Catelet), the Aisne, the Marne, the Ourcq, the Vesle, the Somme (which rises in Fonsommes), the

, and the Serre. In the south of the department, there is the ''Surmelin'', the Verdonnelle, and the ''Dhuys'' (this river is channeled into the Dhuis Aqueduct, 131 km long, to supply drinking water to Paris since 1 October 1865 and also more recently the Leisure Park of

Marne-la-Vallée Marne-la-Vallée () is a new town located near Paris, France. Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney Studios Park, Val d'Europe, Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée, ESIEE Paris, and École des Ponts ParisTech are located in Marne-la-Vallée. St ...

). The department is also crossed by numerous canals (e.g. the Canal of Saint-Quentin, 93 km).

Railways

The department is crossed by three railway lines from Paris: the first two from the Gare du Nord and the third from the Gare de l'Est: * the line from Paris to Maubeuge, serving cities including Chauny, Tergnier and Saint-Quentin * the line from Paris to

, serving cities including

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital o ...

, Anizy-le-Château, and

(prefecture) * the line from Paris to Strasbourg, serving the city of Château-Thierry. In 1873, the department of Aisne had 10 railway companies with a total length of 382 km.

Climate

There is an average of 500 to 750 mm precipitation annually. Weather Data for Saint Quentin – Roupy

History

Aisne developed from the ancient settlement of Acinum, from which its name derives. The Battle of the Axona was fought nearby in 57 BC. Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...

(Laon, Soissons, Noyon, and Valois), Picardy (Thiérache Vermandois), and

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, ...

(Brie, and Omois). Most of the old growth forests in the area were destroyed during battles in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The French offensive against the

in spring 1917 is sometimes referred to as the '' Second Battle of the Aisne''.

Heraldry

Economy

Agriculture dominates the economy, especially cereal crops.

Beet sugar A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wit ...

is one of the most important industrial crops of the area. Silk, cotton, and wool weaving flourish in Saint-Quentin and other towns.

Saint-Gobain Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. () is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris, at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a mirror manufacturer, it now also produces a variety of ...

is known for its production of mirrors, which started in the 17th century. Guise is the agricultural centre of the northern area of Aisne.

Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...

France has headquarters in

Villers-Cotterêts Villers-Cotterêts () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France, France. It is notable as the signing-place in 1539 of the '' Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts'' discontinuing the use of Latin in official French documents, and as ...

Politics

The department is a mixture of rural areas and working-class towns. As a place of residence for some families working in Paris or

, Aisne was for many years a department rather oriented to the left, with a majority on the General Council on the left since 1998, and the same for the majority of parliamentary seats representing the department in the National Assembly. The smaller cities of the northern department such as Guise,

Hirson Hirson ( pcd, Urchon) is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Location Hirson is adjacent to Belgium. It is located in the northeastern department of Aisne, near the departments of Nord and ...

Vervins Vervins (; nl, Wervin) is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. It is a subprefecture of the department. It lies between the small streams Vilpion and Chertemps, which drain towards the Serre. It is surroun ...

and the railway city of Tergnier are sources of support for left-wing parties.

Departmental Council

The President of the General Council is the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Nicolas Fricoteaux. In the 2021 departmental election, the Departmental Council of Aisne was elected as follows:

Presidential elections 2nd round

In the second round of the French presidential elections of 2017 Aisne was one of only two departments (along nearby Pas-de-Calais) in which the candidate of the Front National, Marine Le Pen, received a majority of the votes cast: 52.91%. In the second round of the 2022 French presidential election, Aisne was the mainland departement with the highest percentage support for her.

Representatives in the National Assembly

Administration

Aisne is divided into five arrondissements and 21 cantons. The department has 799 communes and five parliamentary constituencies.

Demography

Aisne lost some of its population in the second half of the 19th century, due to the

rural exodus Rural flight (or rural exodus) is the migratory pattern of peoples from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective. In industrializing economies like Britain in the eighteenth century or East Asia in the ...

but this was limited by the industrial development in the north of the department (Saint-Quentin, Chaunois, Thiérache). Greatly affected by the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the department has seen its population grow slightly to the same level as in 1900. For thirty years, the industrial decline has caused stagnation of the population (526,346 in 1968, 535,489 in 1999). Only the south-west of the department, close to the Paris conurbation, has seen much population growth. Population development since 1791:

Tourism

The boat tours relates in part to the Canal de Saint-Quentin with its electric towage and two tunnels (Lesdins and Riqueval/Vendhuile). In 2007, a large infrastructure for tourist accommodation, the Center Parcs, was built on the Lake of Ailette, close to many tourist attractions such as the

Cathedral of Laon Laon Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon) is a Roman Catholic church located in Laon, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France. Built in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it is one of the most important and stylistically unified exampl ...

, the

and the Château de Coucy. Among the many places to explore are: ; Monuments * Castle of Villers-Cotterets at Château-Thierry *

Château de Condé The Château de Condé is a private estate in Condé-en-Brie, Aisne, France, set in a park on the Champagne route 100 km from Paris. The Château de Condé is a private estate, listed as a historic monument and inhabited year round. Its 17 ...

* Château de Coucy * Castle Oigny-en-Valois * Dungeon of Septmonts * Château of Guise ; Cathedrals * Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon *

Soissons Cathedral Soissons Cathedral (French: ''Cathédrale Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais'') is a Gothic basilica church in Soissons, France. It is the seat of the Bishop of Soissons, Laon, and Saint-Quentin. The construction of the south transept was begun about ...

; Churches and abbeys * Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache Abbey * Abbaye du Tortoir de Saint Nicolas aux Bois * Abbaye Saint-Vincent de Laon * Abbaye Saint-Martin de Laon * Longpont Abbey * Abbey of St. Jean des Vignes * Vauclair Abbey * Church of Saint-Caprais * Abbey church of Saint-Yved de Braine ; War memorials of the

* The Caverne of the Dragon * The Landowski Ghosts,

Margival Margival () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. It is located northeast of Soissons. History During World War II, the '' Führerhauptquartier'' Wolfsschlucht II, one of the Adolf Hitler's Western Fron ...

* Bois de Belleau/Bois de la Brigade de Marine ; Musées * Musée Henri Matisse à Bohain-en-Vermandois * Quentin de Latour Museum in Saint-Quentin * Musée du cheminot, the ''Familistère de Godin'' at Guise. In 2019, the department had 3.5% of second homes.

Culture

During World War I a number of significant architectural monuments were destroyed. Of the buildings that survived, the medieval churches in Laon, Braine, and Urcel are the most significant. The ruined castle of La Ferté-Milon escaped further damage during the war. Of the castles that survived, some were used as prisons, such as the Castle of Vadancourt, near Saint-Quentin (500 prisoners). It is thought that the Aisne River was the birthplace of the trench warfare seen in the First World War. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) had initial early successes driving the Germans back to the Aisne River; the German troops dug in and managed to hold out against both British and French attacks. This German entrenchment was to mould the entire face of World War One as both sides began digging in and fortifying their positions. Thus began the stalemate that became a significant feature of the First World War.

Languages

* Picard in the north * Champenois dialect in the south * the French of Île-de-France in the centre and the south. This linguistic variance probably explains the difficulty for residents south of Aisne to identify themselves as belonging to the Picardy region.

Gastronomy

* Rustic cuisine. The north of the department is a farming area and there are products made from cow's milk such as

Maroilles cheese Maroilles (; also known as Marolles, or simply known as Maroilles) is a cow's-milk cheese made in the regions of Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais in northern France. It derives its name from the village of Maroilles in the region in which it is sti ...

and Dulce de leche. There are also typically Picardy specialties such as "ficelle", a sort of rolled

crêpe A crêpe or crepe ( or , , Quebec French: ) is a very thin type of pancake. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: ''sweet crêpes'' () or ''savoury galettes'' (). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, ...

with cream cheese, béchamel, ham, and mushrooms.

Foie gras Foie gras (, ; ) is a specialty food product made of the liver of a duck or goose. According to French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage (force feeding). Foie gras is a popular and well-known delica ...

is a product developed in

Thiérache The Thiérache () is a region of France and Belgium united by similar geography and architecture, including the presence of hedgerows, grassland, hilly terrain, scattered settlements, and traditionally-built stone or brick houses with stone dividi ...

of the highest quality. * The cultivation of red fruit (strawberries) is beginning to develop. * Trade shows for: cheeses (La Capelle), blood sausage (Saint-Quentin). * Tastings in flea markets and many opportunities to discover local products in a traditional atmosphere. * In the south there are kidney beans form Soissons and the Tourist route of Champagne where some champagnes produced in the Chateau-Thierry region, like the maroilles, are recognized by the

Appellation d'origine contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...

(AOC). * Thiérache cider and its eau-de-vie and the production of beer (mostly craft) give the department of Aisne real identity. * Large swarms of bees mean that the flavours of honey, mead, gingerbread, vinegar etc. can be found.

Notable people linked to the department

Camille Desmoulins Lucie-Simplice-Camille-Benoît Desmoulins (; 2 March 17605 April 1794) was a French journalist and politician who played an important role in the French Revolution. Desmoulins was tried and executed alongside Georges Danton when the Committee ...

((1760–1794)), revolutionary politician and journalist, was from Guise *''Achille Jacopin'' is a sculptor born in 1874 and died in 1958 at Château-Thierry *

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

and

Camille Claudel Camille Rosalie Claudel (; 8 December 1864 19 October 1943) was a French sculptor known for her figurative works in bronze and marble. She died in relative obscurity, but later gained recognition for the originality and quality of her work. The ...

came from Tardenois * Jean de la Fontaine was from Château-Thierry * Paul Doumer, French president from 1931 to 1932, founder of the journal ''La tribune de l'Aisne'' and long time deputy for the departement * Alexandre Dumas was from Villers-Cotterets * The fictional character Jean Valjean was born in Faverolles, Aisne *

Jean Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditi ...

was from La Ferte-Milon *

Maurice Quentin de la Tour Maurice Quentin de La Tour (5 September 1704 – 17 February 1788) was a French Rococo portraitist who worked primarily with pastels. Among his most famous subjects were Voltaire, Rousseau, Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour. Biography Maurice ...

was born in Saint-Quentin *

Louis Antoine de Saint-Just Louis Antoine Léon de Saint-Just (; 25 August 17679 Thermidor, Year II 8 July 1794, was a French revolutionary, political philosopher, member and president of the French National Convention, a Jacobin club leader, and a major figure of the Fr ...

((1767–1794)), revolutionary politician and member of the Committee of Public Safety, was from

Blérancourt Blérancourt () is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population Sights The Château de Blérancourt, an influential design by Salomon de Brosse houses the Na ...

* François-Noël Babeuf, called

Gracchus Babeuf The Gracchi brothers were two Roman brothers, sons of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus who was consul in 177 BC. Tiberius, the elder brother, was tribune of the plebs in 133 BC and Gaius, the younger brother, was tribune a decade later in ...

(1760–1797) was from Saint Quentin * ''Guillaume-Benoît Houdet'', lawyer, MP, and Mayor of Château-Thierry (1800–1805) *

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, and sculptur ...

, painter, spent his childhood in Bohain-en-Vermandois * ''Sébastien Cauet'', host-producer of television and radio French, is from Marle *

Jean-Baptiste André Godin Jean-Baptiste André Godin (26 January 1817 – 15 January 1888) was a French industrialist, writer and political theorist, and social innovator. A manufacturer of cast-iron stoves and influenced by Charles Fourier, he developed and built an i ...

(1817–1888), an industrialist and French philanthropist, creator of ''Familistère de Guise'' *

Nicolas de Condorcet Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, Marquis of Condorcet (; 17 September 1743 – 29 March 1794), known as Nicolas de Condorcet, was a French philosopher and mathematician. His ideas, including support for a liberal economy, free and equal pu ...

(1743–1794), a philosopher, mathematician and political scientist was from Ribemont * Leo Lemoine, mayor of Saulchery member of the Resistance in February 1941 and died for France in exile at

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or sus ...

Dora with his son Jacques (17 years old) *

Kamini Kamini may refer to: * KAMINI, a research reactor at Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam, India * ''Kamini'' (film), a 1974 Indian Malayalam film Places * Kamini, Mummidivaram Mandal, a village in Andhra Pradesh, India * Kami ...

, a rapper, is from Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache