Antheny

Antheny (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃tnˈi]) is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northern France.

Antheny
Commune
Antheny
Coat of arms
Location of Antheny
Antheny Antheny
Coordinates: 49°50′57″N 4°18′48″E
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Ardennes
Arrondissement	Charleville-Mézières
Canton	Signy-l'Abbaye
Intercommunality	Ardennes Thiérache
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Nathalie Gouverneur
Area 1	10.14 km2 (3.92 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	100
• Density	9.9/km2 (26/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	08015 /08260
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The commune has been awarded one flower by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.

Geography

Antheny is located some 40 km west by north-west of Charleville-Mézières and some 20 km east of Hirson. Access is by the D34 road from Tarzy in the north-west continuing through the village to Prez in the south-east. There is also the D31 road from Auvillers-les-Forges in the north-east also passing through the village and continuing south-west to Bossus-les-Rumigny. There is also the hamlet of Fontenelle south-west of the village on the D31. The rest of the commune is entirely farmland.

The Orvaux and the Ruisseau de Saint Remy flow from the north-east to the south-west joining near the village to form the Ton river which flows westwards to join the Oise near Étréaupont

History

A statistic dated 1844 and written by Abbot Geoffrey, then the pastor of the town, said that the origin of the village was the result of an emigrant family from Italy. This family faced a major upheaval in their country (in the time of Charles Martel) and came to France to acquire a territory which covered the present communes of Antheny and Auge. They built a Motte-and-bailey castle in the current Antheny commune. They took as a surname: de la Motte d'Antheny. The last male descendant of this illustrious family died in L'Île-Bouchard on 21 October 1901 at the age of 3 years. Other branches of this family were born with the surnames d'Antheny and Dantheny.

The village was burned and looted many times: on 27 September 1521 by the Duke of Nassau who had been forced to raise the Siege of Mézières, again in 1638, then in 1643, and finally in 1653 by Spanish troops.

Antheny village also has a nearby hamlet of Fontenelle. The fortified house at Fontenelle was destroyed in 1559 by the men of the Count of Saint-Pol. Today there is an attractive Renaissance castle.

The church at Antheny is dedicated to Saint Remy who was Bishop of Reims and who baptized Clovis I. He possessed the territory of Pothées (near Antheny).

The early church dates from 1198 but very little remains: some Romanesque arches in the north wall. It has had several fires. The current building is the result of the restoration carried out in 1689.

The village still has some fortified farmhouses dating from the end of the 17th century.

Heraldry

Arms of Antheny

Blazon: Gules, two swords Argent saltirewise cantoned in chief and base with two roundels of Or; in chief the same charged with a fleur de lis in Vert flanked by two trefoils the same..

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

From	To	Name
1995	2008	Jean-Pol Pinteaux
2008	2014	Alain Joris
2014	2020	Jean-Pol Pinteaux
2020	current	Nathalie Gouverneur

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 99 inhabitants.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 249 —     1800 209 −2.47% 1806 251 +3.10% 1821 301 +1.22% 1831 311 +0.33% 1836 337 +1.62% 1841 366 +1.66% 1846 357 −0.50% 1851 337 −1.15% 1866 347 +0.20% 1872 347 +0.00% 1876 331 −1.17% 1881 321 −0.61% 1886 324 +0.19% 1891 292 −2.06% 1896 302 +0.68% 1901 274 −1.93%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1906 281 +0.51% 1911 238 −3.27% 1921 233 −0.21% 1926 222 −0.96% 1931 215 −0.64% 1936 241 +2.31% 1946 198 −1.95% 1954 172 −1.74% 1962 186 +0.98% 1968 160 −2.48% 1975 130 −2.92% 1982 107 −2.74% 1990 101 −0.72% 1999 108 +0.75% 2007 105 −0.35% 2012 109 +0.75% 2017 99 −1.91%
Source: EHESS and INSEE

Sites and Monuments

A Cemetery Cross (18th century) is registered as an historical monument.

• 
  Church of Saint-Remy
• 
  Fortified Farm
• 
  Church of Saint-Remy
• 
  Wayside Cross
• 
  War Memorial
• 
  Church Interior

Notable people linked to the commune

Commandant Louis François Louis Melin was born in Antheny on 8 December 1810. He was the commandant of the Place de Rocroi in 1870. His son Léonce was wounded before Belfort in 1870 and died in the ambulance. He belonged to the 14th Battalion of chasseurs.

See also

• Communes of the Ardennes department

External links

• Antheny on the National Geographic Institute website (in French)
• Antheny on the 1750 Cassini Map