Ayen is a commune in the

Corrèze Corrèze (; ) is a département in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, on the bo ...

department in the

Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...

region of central

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 ...

. The commune has been awarded two flowers by the ''National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom'' in the ''Competition of cities and villages in Bloom''.

Geography

Ayen is located some 20 km north-west of

Brive-la-Gaillarde Brive-la-Gaillarde (; Limousin dialect of ), commonly known as simply Brive, is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture and the largest city of the Corrèze department. It has around 46,000 inhabitants, while the population of the aggl ...

and 7 km west of Objat. Access to the commune is by road D5 from Saint-Robert in the west which passes through the village and continues south-east to join the D901. The D39 comes from Perpezac-le-Blanc in the south and passes through the village before continuing north to Juillac. The D17 from Rosiers-de-Juillac in the north-west passes through the north of the commune and continues south-west to join the D901. The D95 goes south-west from the village to Louignac and the D2 goes south to Cublac. The D140 goes north-east from the village to Vars-sur-Roseix. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Ayen Bas to the west of the village; Laval, Soulet, and Leyfourchie in the north of the commune; and Graschamp, Le Temple, Les Chaumonts, and Les Charnie in the south. The commune is mixed forest and farmland.Google Maps
/ref> The ''Roseix'' river forms the northern border of the commune as it flows east by south-east to join the ''Loyre'' south of Objat. The ''Elle'' rises in the south of the commune and flows west then south forming the western border before it continues south to join the

west of

Terrasson-Lavilledieu Terrasson-Lavilledieu (; , before 1997: ''Terrasson-la-Villedieu'') is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The commune was created in 1963 by the merger of the former communes Terrasson and Laville ...

. Other unnamed streams rise in the commune and flow northwards to join the ''Roseix''.

Neighbouring communes and villages

History

Ayen is a former county which was created as a

duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important differe ...

in February 1737 for

Louis de Noailles Louis de Noailles, 4th Duke of Noailles (21 April 1713 in Palace of Versailles, Versailles22 August 1793 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye) was a Peerage of France, French peer and Marshal of France. Early life He was the son of Françoise Charlotte d'A ...

. One of the largest commanderies of the

Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...

in the region was in the commune at the Temple of Ayen. In 1137 Ayen, as with all of

Aquitaine Aquitaine (, ; ; ; ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne (), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former Regions of France, administrative region. Since 1 January 2016 it has been part of the administ ...

, joined the kingdom of France through the marriage of Eleanor and

Louis VII Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger or the Young () to differentiate him from his father Louis VI, was King of France from 1137 to 1180. His first marriage was to Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the wealthiest and ...

but, after the divorce from Eleanor, it came under English rule. After two turbulent centuries during which the Limousin barons indulged in incessant wars, the English reoccupied

Malemort Malemort (; ) is a commune in the Corrèze department of southern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 and consists of the former communes of Malemort-sur-Corrèze and Venarsal.Richard the Lion Heart Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

. In 1415 the ''Brivistes''Inhabitants of

supported by King Charles VI destroyed the Chateau of Malemort. The English survivors took refuge in the chateau at Ayen. The following year the peasants of the village laid siege to the chateau. After 17 days of blockade, overcome by hunger and thirst, the English surrendered. To prevent the fortress from falling into the hands of their enemies Jean I of Comborn, future chamberlain of Charles VII, received the mission to raze the Chateau of Ayen. Ayen was one of the stages of a route from Segur which was known by Richard the Lion-Heart. There are still remnants of the passage of his troops through Pompadour, Juillac, Ayen, and Noailles. Richard ended his life killed at the Siege of Chalus in 1199.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Ayennois'' or ''Ayennoises'' in French.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

*The panoramic view from the ramparts of Upper Ayen. *The old village at Bas Ayen *The Fountain called ''L'Homme qui crache''

Religious heritage

The Parish Church of Saint Madeleine contains many items that are registered as historical objects: *33 door hinges and 2 door handles (14th century) *A set of 6 Tombs embedded in the walls (14th century) *A Tomb embedded in the wall (14th century) *A Tomb embedded in the wall (14th century) *A Tomb embedded in the wall (14th century) *A Tomb embedded in the wall (14th century) *A Tomb embedded in the wall (14th century) *A Tomb embedded in the wall (14th century) *A Bronze Bell (1604)Ministry of Culture, Palissy The embedded tombs (''enfeus'' in French) were reinstalled in the new church after the destruction of the old church in 1894.

Sights

* Arboretum de la Tuillère

Notes

References

External links

Ayen official website

The ''Green Station'' of Ayen

{{authority control Communes of Corrèze