Avant-lès-Marcilly (, literally Avant near Marcilly) is a commune in the Aube department in the Grand Est region of north-central France.

Geography Avant-lès-Marcilly is located about 40 km north-west of Troyes and 32 km south-east of Provins. The commune can be accessed by road D54 from Nogent-sur-Seine in the north-west, which passes through the centre of the commune and village and continues south-east to Marcilly-le-Hayer. The D52 comes from Soligny-les-Étangs in the west, and passes through the village, continuing to Ferreux-Quincey in the north-east. The D23 branches from the D54 in the south of the commune and goes to Saint-Lupien in the south-east. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Les Ormeaux, Le Mesnil, and Tremblay. There are some forests to the east of the commune and the rest is farmland.Google Maps

The Ru du Gué de l'Éspine rises near the village and flows west to join the Orvin at Soligny-les-Etangs.

Neighbouring communes and villages

History The origins of the commune can be dated back to about 12th and 13th centuries, the approximate time of construction of the church. There are gravestones with the oldest dating to the 13th century. This fief belonged to Angenoust at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century and was under Nogent-sur-Seine.

Many older historic remains are still visible in the area such as menhirs (the Marguerite Stone and the Pierre-au-Coq) and dolmens (next to Les Ormeaux).

Administration

List of Successive MayorsCommune website From To Name 1900 1904 Stanislas Banry 1904 1908 Aristide Benoit 1908 1919 Jules Bellemere 1919 1935 Aristide Benoit 1935 1941 Emile Boulanger 1941 1965 Jean Bosuat 1965 1971 Clauzel Collot 1971 1977 Jean-Paul Godier 1977 1995 Bernard Dalle 1995 2008 Jean-Paul Renard 2008 2014 Jean-Louis Marcilly 2014 2020 Chantal Frou 2020 2026 Michel Dalle

Demography The inhabitants of the commune are known as Avants or Avantes in French.Le nom des habitants du 10 - Aube, habitants.fr

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage The commune has one site that is registered as an historical monument: A Menhir called the Pierre-au-Coq (Neolithic)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Other points of interest The Marguerite Stone The Grooves of Côte des Ormeaux The Commonwealth War Cemetery

Religious heritage The Church of the Assumption. Avant-lès-Marcilly was a former seat for a priest under the conferment of the Bishop of Troyes. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin. It is sandstone and was started on the western side in the 12th century. The bell tower and the west portal are novel. The Romanesque nave was rebuilt in the 18th century. The eastern part of the church is early gothic.Marguerite Beau: Essay on the religious architecture of southern Champagne in Aube excluding Troyes, 1991

The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:

The Tombstone of François de Palluet (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy The Tombstone of a lady of Angenoust (1567)Ministry of Culture, Palissy The Tombstone of an Abbot (13th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy The Seat of Héloïse (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Statue: Saint Vincent (16th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Secondary Altar and Retable on the south side (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Secondary Altar and Retable (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy An Ampule for holy oil (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy 2 Statuettes: Angels holding a crown (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Paten (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Paten (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Chalice (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Chalice (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Chalice (1882)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Cope (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Cope (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Cope (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Processional Banner (1895)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Processional Banner: Notre-Dame d'Avant (20th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Statue: Christ on the Cross (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Tombstone (1539)Ministry of Culture, Palissy Baptismal fonts (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Processional Staff (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Processional Staff: Saint Eloi (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy A Processional Staff: Saint Anne and the Virgin (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy An Altar Painting: Saint Bishop (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy An Altar Painting: Pursuit of Saint Hubert (19th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy

Picture Gallery

Notable people linked to the commune Jean Grosjean,Aube: a man, a place, Valérie Alanièce and Jean-Michel Van Houtte, L'est-éclair. man of letters.

See also Communes of the Aube department

References

External links Avant-lès-Marcilly official website Avant-lès-Marcilly on the old IGN website Ceremonies on 14 July 2013 for Jean-Louis Marcilly, Mayor of the village from 2008 to 2014 (born in 1947 and died on 30 March 2014) Avant-lès-Marcilly on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Avant on the 1750 Cassini Map