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 ...
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 It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-A ...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 of northern
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 ...
.
Geography
''Aire'' is some 15 km south by south west of Rethel midway on a direct line between
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
Guignicourt
Guignicourt () is a former Communes of France, commune in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune of Villeneuve-sur-Aisne.Blanzy-la-Salonnaise through the town of Aire and continuing south-west to Asfield. The only other access is by small country roads which criss-cross the commune. The commune is almost entirely farmland except for a small area of forest in the north. The
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 ...
river forms a small part of the northern border and the northern area of the commune is traversed by 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 ...
''. There are no streams or hamlets in the commune.Google Maps /ref>
Neighbouring Communes and Villages
History
The village suffered from fighting during the
Wars of Religion
A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war (), is a war and conflict which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion and beliefs. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent ...
Calvinists
Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...
in the wake of the killings at Gomont on the other side of the
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 ...
in May 1590.Albert Meyrac, ''Illustrated Geography of the Ardennes'', Paris, 1965
It also suffered fires that ravaged much of the village in 1770 and 1780.
On the 1 March 1789 the inhabitants of the town, who were attached to the Bailiwick of
Reims
Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
fires
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion reaction when the fuel ...
". Through the concerns mentioned in this list of grievances some activities were highlighted, including the
vineyards
A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
, and the cultivation of
hemp
Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...
that villagers wanted to
rett Rett may refer to:
* Andreas Rett (1924–1997), Austrian neurologist and author
* Arbeidets Rett, local newspaper published in Røros, Norway
*Rett syndrome, neurodevelopmental disorder of the grey matter of the brain that affects girls almost exc ...
in the river unmolested.
Administration
List of Successive Mayors of Aire
Population
Economy
Agriculture
There are three farming operations (EARL) headquartered in Aire, but many households are retired farmers, or farms in operation, but whose main buildings are in the nearby village. So the farmers, the old farmers, and their families occupy a large part though not the majority, of the population of Aire.
The farming activity is also significant.
Industries and services
There is no industrial area in Aire.
The commune of Aire has few services as the town is very small and the complete services are available in
Asfeld
Asfeld () is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France, formerly named Ecry or Ecri.
The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom'' in the ''Competi ...
, 4 kilometres away. There is a garage, a roofer, and a carpentry business in Aire.
Other services come from outside: the baker of the commune comes from Saint-Germainmont (but lives in Aire) passes through Aire every day.
Outside of farmers and artisans working on site or nearby, employment in Aire is split between the towns 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 of
Reims
Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
through commuting.
Two cottages offer accommodation next to the pond in Aire.
Local life
The ''Association of Flying Fools of Aire'' consists of fifteen model aircraft enthusiasts who have a flying field 250 metres by 30 metres.
Sites and Monuments
*The Church contains a painted
Tribune
Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the Tribune of the Plebs, tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs ac ...
(1588) which is registered as an historical object.
*The Étang d'Aire (Pond of Aire)
*Aire is a stage on the Route PorcienA tourist route defined by the Ardennes Tourist Office.
File:Aire (Ardennes) Église.JPG, Church
File:Nef 01285.JPG, The nave of the church
File:Aire (Ardennes) Monument aux morts.JPG, War Memorial
File:Aire (Ardennes) Croix de chemin.JPG, Wayside Cross
File:Barbe 295.jpg, Barbe
File:Estienne 293.jpg, Estienne
File:Catherine 296.jpg, Catherine
File:Clere 296.jpg, Clere
File:Laurent 295.jpg, Laurent
File:Eloy 293.jpg, Eloy
See also
*
Communes of the Ardennes department
The following is a list of the 447 communes of the Ardennes department of France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include Frenc ...