Ayssènes

Ayssènes (French pronunciation: [ɛsɛn]; Occitan: Aissenas) is a commune in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie region of southern France.

Ayssènes
Commune
The hamlet of Le Pouget
Coat of arms
Location of Ayssènes
Ayssènes Show map of France Ayssènes Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 44°04′13″N 2°46′49″E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Aveyron
Arrondissement	Millau
Canton	Raspes et Lévezou
Intercommunality	CC Muse Raspes Tarn
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Marie-Chantal Calmes-Bou[1]
Area 1	23.14 km2 (8.93 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	221
• Density	9.55/km2 (24.7/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	12017 /12430
Elevation	262–983 m (860–3,225 ft) (avg. 356 m or 1,168 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

The river below Le Pouget

Ayssènes is located some 25 km west of Millau and 7 km south-east of Alrance. Access to the commune is by the D510 road from Villefranche-de-Panat in the west which passes through the commune by a circuitous route to the village then continues south across the river to join the D200 on the opposite bank. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of:

• Ardennes
• Le Bastizou
• Cabière
• Calmels
• Le Caussanal
• La Caze
• La Clerguie
• Coupiaguet
• Le Crouzet
• Les Esclots
• Lescure
• Melet
• Le Pouget
• Rentières
• Saint-Rémy
• Vabrette
• Valergues
• Verdalle
• Vernet

The commune is mainly forest with large areas of farmland.^[3]

The southern border of the commune is formed by the Tarn river which is dammed just south-west of the commune to form a long lake along the southern border. From the dam the Tarn continues south-west to eventually join the Garonne just west of Moissac. The Ruisseau de Vernobre rises in the north of the commune and flows south, gathering many tributaries, to join the Tarn. The Ruisseau de Coudols flows from the north-east, gathering some tributaries in the commune, and joins the Tarn at the same point as the Ruisseau de Vernobre.^[3]

Neighbouring communes and villages

^[3]

History

Middle Ages

The village was built on a ridge overlooking the Tarn and was a direct link between the Lévézou Plateau and Raspes du Tarn. There was once a fortress on the peak of Roc Saint-Jean. It belonged to the Count of Rodez who maintained a garrison in order to maintain his influence over the southern Rouergue. Prestigious guests stayed at this location including the King of France, Charles VII, on 13 May 1437 while returning from Languedoc where he had been to restore order.

Modern Era

The castle was the subject of much covetousness during the wars of religion. In October 1586 the army of the Duke of Joyeuse, Anne de Joyeuse - brother of King Henry III, tried to besiege it. The Captain of the garrison made a ploy and the duke's army retreated towards the plateau of Saint-Victor which was where the garrison captain attacked the camp at night - taking fifty horses and capturing several soldiers. The fortress became dangerous for the kingdom and was destroyed in 1629 by order of Cardinal Richelieu. Today nothing remains but the location has one of the most beautiful views in the region.

Contemporary era

The commune consisted of four parishes in the second half of the 19th century with a population of around 1500. Today there are no more than 213 year-round residents.

Heraldry

Arms of Ayssènes

Blazon: Party per pale, first Gules, a lion Or tongued and armed in Sable; second Azure, a tower Argent embattled of 4 pieces, ensigned with a Latin crosslet the same, port open, masoned in Sable, debruised by two swords Argent hilt and pommel Gules saltirewise; in base three fesses Argent wavy.

Administration

The bridge over the Tarn

List of Successive Mayors^[4]

From	To	Name
1875	1888	Galtier Calmeyrac
1888	1889	Basile Bonnefous
1889	1892	Félix Galtier
1892	1904	Paulin Brengues
1904	1910	Justin Fabre
1910	1912	Camille Bou
1912	1914	Edouard Cambefort
1914	1919	Benoît Costes
1919	1953	Edouard Cambefort
1953	1995	René Arles
1995	2026	Marie-Chantal Calmes-Bou

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Ayssenols or Ayssenoles in French.^[5]

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1800 591 —     1876 1,219 +0.96% 1881 1,149 −1.18% 1886 1,130 −0.33% 1891 1,125 −0.09% 1896 1,038 −1.60% 1901 1,014 −0.47% 1906 956 −1.17% 1911 963 +0.15% 1921 828 −1.50% 1926 770 −1.44% 1931 739 −0.82%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1936 740 +0.03% 1946 663 −1.09% 1954 568 −1.91% 1962 466 −2.44% 1968 431 −1.29% 1975 343 −3.21% 1982 309 −1.48% 1990 248 −2.71% 1999 226 −1.03% 2007 218 −0.45% 2012 212 −0.56% 2017 216 +0.37%
Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE[7]

Saint Victor-et-Melvieu and Costecalde

Sites and monuments

The oak and sweet chestnut woodland near Costecalde (Le Truel)

• The Old Ayssènes Cemetery (graves from the early 19th century).
• The Roc Saint-Jean (The castle disappeared after Richelieu ordered its destruction)
• The Roc du Cavalier
• The Church of the Nativity of Mary (Ayssènes) (19th century)
• The Church of Saint-Amans (at Coupiaguet) (19th century)
• The Church of Saint Rémy (at Saint-Rémy) (19th century)
• The Church of Saint-Blaise or of the Purification of Notre-Dame (at Vabrette) (19th century). The church contains two items that are registered as historical objects:
  • A Chasuble (18th century)^[8]
  • A Chasuble (18th century)^[9]
• The House of Chestnuts

• 
  Church of St-Rémy.
• 
  Church of Saint-Amans.
• 
  Church of Saint-Blaise.
• 
  Church of the Nativity of Mary.

Notable people linked to the commune

• Antoine Salvanh (1479-1555). Architect specialising in religious buildings, builder of the bell tower on Rodez Cathedral between 1513 and 1526.
• Guillaume Molinier-Lamothe (1736-1794). Refractory priest jailed in 1793 in Rodez then deported to the Fort du Hâ at Bordeaux the following year where he died.
• Georges Connes (1890-1974). Senior lecturer at the University of Dijon, Doctor of Literature, Dean of the University of Dijon in 1946 and 1947, resistance fighter in 1943, Mayor of Dijon after the liberation of the city in September 1944.
• Pierre-Damien Hèbles (1864-1954). Priest for Ayssènes from 1903 to 1944, member of the literary society of Aveyron, historian for the Raspes du Tarn region. He wrote three manuscripts on local history after 40 years of research in the departmental archives and deeds.
• Gaston Boulouis (1908-1991) Priest, Professor of Literature at the Seminary Minor of Saint Pierre and at the Sainte Marie de Rodez Institution. Canon, historian and occitan scholar at the end of his life. He published several historical books on the region as well as an autobiography and a collection of Occitan proverbs.
• Alain Marc (born in 1957). Politician, Municipal councillor for Ayssènes from 2001 to 2004, he has been MP for Aveyron since 2007.

See also

• Communes of the Aveyron department

Bibliography

• Christian-Pierre Bedel, preface by Alain Marc, Sant-Roma, Aissenas, Broquièrs, Brossa, Las Còstas, L'Estrada, Sant-Victor, Lo Truèlh / Christian-Pierre Bedel e los estatjants del canton de Sant-Roma, Rodez, Departmental Mission for culture, 1995, Al canton collection, 239 pages, ill., cov. ill., 28 cm, ISBN 2-907279-20-3, ISSN 1151-8375, BnF 366885722 (in Occitan and French)