Ay,_Marne
Aÿ
Part of Aÿ-Champagne in Grand Est, France
Aÿ (French pronunciation: [aj] eye; also Ay) is a former commune in the Marne department in northeastern France. On 1 January 2016 it was merged into the new commune Aÿ-Champagne.[2]
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2013) |
Aÿ | |
|---|---|
Part of Aÿ-Champagne | |
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Aÿ  | |
  Aÿ  Aÿ | |
| Coordinates: 49°03′22″N 4°00′14″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Grand Est |
| Department | Marne |
| Arrondissement | Épernay |
| Canton | Épernay-1 |
| Commune | Aÿ-Champagne |
| Area 1 | 10.43 km2 (4.03 sq mi) |
| Population (2019)[1] | 3,593 |
| • Density | 340/km2 (890/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 51160 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Aÿ is most famous as a centre of the production of Champagne. Aÿ's vineyards are located in the Vallée de la Marne subregion of Champagne, and are classified as Grand Cru (100%) in the Champagne vineyard classification. The vineyards, harvest huts, presses, and cellars in the region were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015 as part of the Champagne hillsides, houses and cellars site, because of the region's testimony to the development of champagne.[3] Many prestigious Champagne houses own vineyards in the immediate vicinity, and several producers are located in Aÿ, including Ayala and Bollinger.
Aÿ is twinned with:
Aÿ was the birthplace of:
- Denise Schmandt-Besserat (1933-- ), French American cognitive archaeologist and art history professor
- Lucien Berland (1888–1962), entomologist and arachnologist
- René Lalique (1860–1945), glass designer
- Stephen Rochefontaine (1755–1814), military engineer
- Albert Lemaître, sporting motorist in 1890s and 1900s
Aÿ was the home of:
- Juan Romero (1919-2020), Spanish Legion d'Honneur recipient, anti-fascist Spanish Civil War veteran, and last survivor of the Nazis' Mauthausen concentration camp[4]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1793 | 2,516 | — |
| 1800 | 2,593 | +3.1% |
| 1806 | 2,548 | −1.7% |
| 1821 | 2,507 | −1.6% |
| 1831 | 2,727 | +8.8% |
| 1836 | 2,810 | +3.0% |
| 1841 | 3,130 | +11.4% |
| 1846 | 3,415 | +9.1% |
| 1851 | 3,302 | −3.3% |
| 1856 | 3,268 | −1.0% |
| 1861 | 3,395 | +3.9% |
| 1866 | 3,573 | +5.2% |
| 1872 | 4,149 | +16.1% |
| 1876 | 5,063 | +22.0% |
| 1881 | 5,396 | +6.6% |
| 1886 | 6,075 | +12.6% |
| 1891 | 6,701 | +10.3% |
| 1896 | 7,061 | +5.4% |
| 1901 | 7,052 | −0.1% |
| 1906 | 7,391 | +4.8% |
| 1911 | 7,212 | −2.4% |
| 1921 | 7,911 | +9.7% |
| 1926 | 7,267 | −8.1% |
| 1931 | 6,995 | −3.7% |
| 1936 | 6,666 | −4.7% |
| 1946 | 6,272 | −5.9% |
| 1954 | 6,806 | +8.5% |
| 1962 | 6,682 | −1.8% |
| 1968 | 4,884 | −26.9% |
| 1975 | 4,883 | −0.0% |
| 1982 | 4,773 | −2.3% |
| 1990 | 4,318 | −9.5% |
| 1999 | 4,315 | −0.1% |
| 2006 | 4,190 | −2.9% |
| 2009 | 4,116 | −1.8% |
- Arrêté préfectoral 9 November 2015 (in French)
- "Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- Jones, Sam (2020-10-05). "Last Spanish Anti-fascist Survivor of Nazi Concentration Camp Dies Aged 101". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
Spain['s]...deputy prime minister, Carmen Calvo, travelled to Romero's home in Ay, north-east France, to present him with a certificate recognising both his persecution and Spain's outstanding debt to its anti-fascists.
