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Aigre

Coordinates:45°53′42″N0°00′40″E/ 45.895°N 0.011°E/45.895; 0.011
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Aigre
Commune
Town hall
Town hall
Coat of arms of Aigre
Coat of arms
Location of Aigre
Map
Aigre is located in France
Aigre
Aigre
Aigre is located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Aigre
Aigre
Coordinates:45°53′42″N0°00′40″E/ 45.895°N 0.011°E/45.895; 0.011
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentCharente
ArrondissementConfolens
CantonCharente-Nord
IntercommunalityCœur de Charente
Government
• Mayor(2020–2026)Renaud Combaud[1]
Area
1
23.82 km2(9.20 sq mi)
Population
(2021)[2]
1,597
• Density67/km2(170/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+02:00(CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
16005/16140
Elevation60–151 m (197–495 ft)
(avg. 68 m or 223 ft)
1French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2(0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Aigre(French pronunciation:[ɛɡʁ]ⓘ) is acommunein theCharentedepartmentin theNouvelle-Aquitaineregion of southwesternFrance.

The commune has been awardedone flowerby theNational Council of Towns and Villages in Bloomin theCompetition of cities and villages in Bloom.[3]

Geography

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Rape fields and sky

Location and access

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Aigre is located in the north-west of the Charente department 40 kilometres north ofAngoulême.The town lies within the borders of the former provinces ofAngoumois,Saintonge,andPoitou.

The department of Charente is not served by the French motorway network so access by theA10 autorouteis by National Route N10 at Exit30Poitiers-Sud in the north and by the former National Route N739 from Exit 34, Saint-Jean-d'Angely in the west.

The commune is traversed by three former national roads: the D739 which connectsTonnay-CharentetoFontafie,the D736 which connectsRuffectoSaint-Fort-sur-le-Né,and the D737 which connectsNanteuiltoAngouleme.[4]

The local railway station isLuxéstation on theParis-Bordeaux line.It is served by theTER Nouvelle-Aquitainenetwork and theTGVpasses without stopping. TheSaint-AngeautoSegonzacline once passed through Aigre.

The nearest airport is theAngoulême-Cognac Airport.[5]

Hamlets and localities

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The main hamlets areL'OucheandSaint-Méxantto the north-west. The commune has only a few isolated farms such asLa CombeandCessacand the subdivision ofLa Broussetteand the Castle ofCrève-Cœurin the west. In the south-east there areLa Servanterie,the college zone ofReuclosandAizefat their limits withMarcillac-Lanvilleare essentially joined to the urban core.[4]

Neighbouring communes and villages

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Geology and terrain

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The geology of the commune islimestonefrom theJurassicperiod, part of theAquitaine Basinas with all the northern half of Charente. The commune is on anUpper Jurassicarea, specifically theKimmeridgian.A small area of sandy soil dating from theQuaternaryperiod covers the plateau in the south-west of the commune andalluvium(silt and clay) cover the Aume Valley on the north-eastern border. The oldest alluvium has accumulated interracesmainly in the north of the commune.[6][7][8][9]

The south of the commune is a plateau. The Aume Valley is near the north-eastern border near the town. The highest point of the commune is at an altitude of 129m located on the south-eastern boundary (IGN marker). The lowest point is 62m located on the eastern boundary along the Aume at Aizef. The town is built in an old loop of the river and is 65m above sea level.[4]

Hydrography

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Aigre is traversed by the river Aume which has its source inBouin(Deux-Sèvres) and flows into theCharenteriver atAmbérac.The Aume passes through the town which is built mainly on the right bank.

The Aume divides into several branches, some of which pass through the old town.

There are also some fountains such as theFont du Geauat the foot of the Crève-Cœur Castle.[4]

Climate

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Aigre has anoceanicAquitaine climate but like all the department underwentCyclone Lothar and Martinin 1999, andCyclone Klausin 2009, and a memorable flood in December 1982.

Toponymy

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Aigre comes from the LatinAcriacisorvilla Acriaciimeaning that the village was built around the property of a rich Gallo-Roman namedAcrius.At the end of the 13th century Aigre appears in the formAcriacisthenAgriain the 17th century.[10]

History

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There is mention of a church in the 13th century.

Nothing is left of a Castle located at a place calledSaint-Mexantwhich was the subject of fortification works in 1472 except the dovecote, the enclosure, and the moat in 1906. The chapel built before 1706 has also been destroyed.[11]

Aigre belonged to the Lordship of Marcillac and was a very poor vicarage of thearchpriestof Ambérac. It was vacant and annexed to Mons from the 15th century. In 1789, a priest for Aigre was finally provided.Marie de' Medicistopped over in Aigre in 1619.

In the 16th century a large part of the population became part of thereformationand together with Marcillac formed a Protestant parish of the Synod of Poitou. Protestantism was prohibited in Marcillac in 1665 then on 31 March 1667 a decision of the grandSeneschalofPoitouordered the closure of the Protestant place of worship in Aigre.[12]

On 1 January 2019, the former commune ofVillejésuswas merged into Aigre.[13]

Heraldry

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Arms of Aigre
Arms of Aigre
 Blazon:

Or, a bend sinister of azure charged with a bunch of grapes surmounted by an ear of corn at sinister 2 ears of wheat in bouquet, the whole of Or debruised at dexter by a snail the same shelled azure, the whole accompanied at sinister by 13 Gouttes set in an arc: 4 in chief azure, 3 on bend of Or, and 6 at sinister azure.



Administration

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List of Successive Mayors of Aigre[14]

From To Name Party Position
2001 2008 Philippe Combaud ind. Insurer
2008 2020 Jean-Paul Ayrault DVD Agricultural technician
2020 2026 Renaud Combaud

Taxation

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Taxation is a rate of 16.05% on buildings, 49.81% on undeveloped land, 7.13% for residence tax, and business tax of 11.48% (2007 rates).

The Community of communes levies 2.61% on buildings, 6.06% on undeveloped land, 1.09% for residence tax, and business tax of 1.45%.

Twinning

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See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Aigre hastwinningassociations with:[15]

Population

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The inhabitants of the commune are known asAigrinoisorAigrinoisesin French.[16]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
19681,681—
19751,676−0.04%
19821,657−0.16%
19901,726+0.51%
19991,685−0.27%
20071,662−0.17%
20121,639−0.28%
20171,591−0.59%
Source: INSEE[17]

Distribution of Age Groups

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Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Aigre and Charente Department in 2017

Aigre Charente
Age Range Men Women Men Women
0 to 14 Years 14.1 11.1 16.7 14.8
15 to 29 Years 12.1 10.1 15.7 13.8
30 to 44 Years 14.3 11.4 17.1 16.3
45 to 59 Years 21.0 18.8 21.1 20.8
60 to 74 Years 23.1 24.7 19.6 19.8
75 to 89 Years 13.2 17.9 8.9 12.0
90 Years+ 2.2 6.1 0.9 2.4

Source:INSEE[17][18]

It is clear that the population is elderly, especially for women.

Economy

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The Wheat mill, called theMoulin du Châteaudates from the 18th century and was converted in the 19th century to using the driving force of the water for the workshop for making Angelus liqueur.

Currently, it has become the Gautier distillery[19]which in 1990 employed 32 people at the plant and 20 in sales.[20]

Cognac Gautierjoined theBergergroup in 1975 which was itself taken over by theMarie Brizardgroup in 1995.

Facilities, services, and local life

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Education

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The secondary college ofOsmehosts 180-200 students from the 6th to the 3rd divided into eight classes.[21]

Aigre also has a primary school with four classes.[22]

Services

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As the capital of the Canton, Aigre has a police station and a rescue centre.

  • The Rescue Centre
    The Rescue Centre
  • The Tourist Information Centre
    The Tourist Information Centre

Sports

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Cycling

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The cycling track is located in the town. The club is calledACJAR[23]and they organize several amateur races in the north-west of Charente such as theCriterium ofVillejésusand theTour of Aigre country.In 2010, the club organized, with theFrench federation of wheelchair sports,the championship of France of for wheelchair cycling in the commune ofSaint-Fraigne.

The town had already been traversed by theTour de Francebut in 2009 for the first time it held the 1st stage in the 23rdTour du Poitou-Charentesand the victory ofAnthony Ravardon 25 August 2009. The start of the second stage took place the next day atRouillac.

Bicycle touringhas increased since the CC Aigrinois organized a biennial event called theCoco Trainaudwhose last event was held on 15 May 2011. It is named after a former rider who has done a lot for local cycling.

Football

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Socceris a major sport in the commune with a club founded in 1902 that participated in theUSFSAchampionship of Charentes before theFirst World War.Thereafter the club has long been at the regional level and was in 1968 the winner of the Challenge of the Central-West League.[24]

Sites and Monuments

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Civil heritage

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The commune has several sites that are registered as historical monuments:

  • AHouseat l'Ouche (1793)[25]
  • AHouseat Rue de l'Eglise (19th century)[26]
  • AHouseat 17 Rue de l'Eglise (15th century)[27]
  • AHouseat Rue des Planches (19th century)[28]
  • AFlour Millat 28 Rue des Ponts (18th century)[29]
  • AHouseat 2 Rue de la Servanterie (1774)[30]
  • AHouseat RN 736 (19th century)[31]
  • AChateauat Saint Mexant (destroyed) (15th century)[32]
  • Houses and Farms(15th, 18th-19th centuries)[33]
  • AChateauat Crève-Coeur (19th century)[34]

There are many registered historical objects in the commune, several of which are in private collections.[35]

Religious Heritage

[edit]
The Church

The commune has two religious sites that are registered as historical monuments:

  • AChapelat Saint Mexant (17th century)[36]
  • TheParish Church of Saint Pierre(1875).[37]The church was first built in 1620 then rebuilt in 1868 but collapsed in 1870 and was rebuilt again from 1874 to 1877. The bell tower spire was completed in masonry in 1882. The church contains a number of items that are registered as historical objects:

Environmental heritage

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Aigre is located on the Aume river.

  • The canal
    The canal
  • The Gardens
    The Gardens
  • The Delicatessen
    The Delicatessen

Notable People linked to the commune

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René Gautier

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Répertoire national des élus: les maires".data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises(in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^"Populations légales 2021"(in French).The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.28 December 2023.
  3. ^Aigre in the Competition for Towns and Villages in BloomArchived2014-12-10 at theWayback Machine(in French)
  4. ^abcdIGN Map on the Géoportail(in French)
  5. ^Angouleme-Cognac Airport websiteArchived2013-08-08 at theWayback Machine(in French)
  6. ^BRGM Map onGéoportail(in French)
  7. ^Infoterre Visualiser,BRGM website(in French)
  8. ^Notice on Matha,BRGM, 1986, Infoterre, consulted on 20 November 2011(in French)
  9. ^Notice on Mansle,BRGM, 1984, Infoterre, consulted on 13 November 2011(in French)
  10. ^Jean-Marie Cassagne and Stéphane Seguin,Origin of the names of towns and villages in Charente,Jean-Michel Bordessoules, 1998, 311 pages, p. 10,ISBN2-913471-06-4(in French)
  11. ^Base Mérimée:IA00040743 Castle of Saint-Mexant,Ministère français de la Culture.(in French)
  12. ^Dr. Joseph Mouclier,Some historical notes on the 82 communes of the Arrondissement of Ruffec - Vol. I, The town ofRuffecand the communes of the Canton of Aigre,- Local studies, January–February 1921, see:Aigre on charente.free(in French)
  13. ^Arrêté préfectoral28 September 2018, p. 4(in French)
  14. ^List of Mayors of France(in French)
  15. ^National Commission for Decentralised cooperation(in French)
  16. ^Le nom des habitants du 16 - Charente,habitants.fr
  17. ^abÉvolution et structure de la population en 2017: Commune d'Aigre (16005)
  18. ^Évolution et structure de la population en 2017: Département de la Charente (16)
  19. ^The Cognac Gautier website(in French)
  20. ^Base Mérimée:IA00066106 Moulin du Château,Ministère français de la Culture.(in French)
  21. ^Collèges,Academic Inspection of Charente website, consulted on 20 March 2011(in French)
  22. ^Directory of Schools,Academic Inspection of Charente website, consulted on 20 March 2011(in French)
  23. ^Cyclist Association of Jarnac, Aigre, and Rouillac,consulted on 21 March 2010(in French)
  24. ^Football, Challenge Centre-Ouest(in French)
  25. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040742 House at l'Ouche(in French)
  26. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040915 House at Rue de l'Eglise(in French)
  27. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040741 House at 17 Rue de l'Eglise(in French)
  28. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040917 House at Rue des Planches(in French)
  29. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00066106 Flour Mill at 28 Rue des Ponts(in French)
  30. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040740 House at 2 Rue de la Servanterie(in French)
  31. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040916 House at RN 736(in French)
  32. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040743 Chateau at Saint Mexant(in French)
  33. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040739 House at RN 736(in French)
  34. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040737 Chateau at Crève-Coeur(in French)
  35. ^Base Palissy:Search for heritage in the commune,Ministère français de la Culture.(in French)
  36. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040744 Chapel at Saint Mexant(in French)
  37. ^Ministry of Culture, MériméeIA00040738 Parish Church of Saint Pierre(in French)
  38. ^Ministry of Culture, PalissyIM16001553 Bronze Bell called Marie Louise(in French)
  39. ^Ministry of Culture, PalissyIM16001552 Altar and Tabernacle(in French)
  40. ^Ministry of Culture, PalissyIM16001551 Altar and Tabernacle(in French)
  41. ^Ministry of Culture, PalissyIM16001550 Altar and Tabernacle(in French)
  42. ^Ministry of Culture, PalissyIM16001549 2 Stained glass windows: Saint Louis and Saint Radegonde(in French)
  43. ^Ministry of Culture, PalissyIM16001548 3 Stained glass windows of people(in French)
  44. ^Ministry of Culture, PalissyIM16001547 Portal(in French)
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