Avenay | |
|---|---|
 Tombstone in the old Fierville Church at Avenay | |
 Location of Avenay | |
  Avenay  Avenay | |
| Coordinates:49°06′07″N0°27′32″W / 49.1019°N 0.4589°W /49.1019; -0.4589 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Calvados |
| Arrondissement | Caen |
| Canton | Évrecy |
| Intercommunality | CC Vallées Orne Odon |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Françoise Paris[1] |
Area 1 | 5.62 km2 (2.17 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 561 |
| • Density | 99.8/km2 (259/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 14034 /14210 |
| Elevation | 35–120 m (115–394 ft) (avg. 90 m or 300 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Avenay (French pronunciation:[avnɛ]ⓘ) is acommune in theCalvadosdepartment in theNormandyregion of north-westernFrance.
Avenay is located some 12 km south-west ofCaen just east ofÉvrecy. Access to the commune is by the D36 road fromSainte-Honorine-du-Fay in the south-west which passes through the heart of the commune and the village and continues north to join the D8. Apart from the village there is the hamlet ofLa Coquerie on the eastern border. The commune consists entirely of farmland.[3]
TheGuigne river flows along the northern border of the commune towards the east where it joins theOrne south of Bully.[3]
Neighbouring communes and villages[3] | |
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The oldest traces of Avenay village date fromGallo-Roman times. In 1820-1821 some remains of Gallo-Roman houses were found. In the Middle Ages, the village depended on the Bishop of Bayeux.[4]
In 1827 Avenay (336 inhabitants in 1821) absorbed Fierville-en-Bessin (68 people) in the east of its territory.[5]
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List of Successive Mayors[6]
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | Louis Touraille | |
| 1850 | 1860 | Jean Labbé |
| 1860 | 1863 | Adolphe Viel |
| 1863 | 1870 | Pierre Gallet |
| 1870 | 1872 | Jean-Louis Londe |
| 1872 | 1875 | Edouard Accard |
| 1875 | 1881 | Gustave Feron |
| 1881 | 1883 | Pierre Sauvage |
| 1883 | 1902 | Jean-Louis Londe |
| 1902 | 1909 | Louis Lebrun |
| 1909 | 1923 | Émile Lemoine |
| 1923 | 1937 | Louis Lemonnier |
| 1937 | 1945 | Jean Barbot |
| 1945 | 1977 | Pierre Lecorsu |
| 1977 | 1989 | François Lecorsu |
| 1989 | 1995 | Lucien Martin |
| 1995 | 2014 | Gérard Lemoine |
| 2014 | 2020 | Jean-Louis Lechevalier |
| 2020 | 2026 | Françoise Paris |
In 2017 the commune had 557 inhabitants. This table includes the population of Fierville-en-Bassin prior to 1827.
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Each year, during the 3rd weekend in June, the Festival Committee of Avenay organises an inter-regional competition of bread.
One hundredbakers are judged every year. The competition focuses on different types of bread:Pain brié,Pain de campagne, traditionalBaguettes,Croissants etc.
The jury, composed of baking professionals and consumers, use many criteria of quality and presentation.
The results are announced on Sunday afternoon at the fair in the village. The fair begins with a snack ofTripe at 9 am which brings hundreds of gourmands. The day continues withMass and an exceptional sale of gold tripe.
On this day, the bakers make bread and pastries using bakery equipment and ovens installed specially for the festival. Visitors can buy bread made before their eyes.
The school fair is also held on the same day. On this occasion the students of the school perform several Norman dances in traditional costumes.
Avenay, along with eight other communes,Amayé-sur-Orne,Maizet,Montigny,Préaux-Bocage,Maisoncelles-sur-Ajon,Sainte-Honorine-du-Fay,Vacognes-Neuilly andMontillières-sur-Orne, is a member of The ICL Val Orne, which has organised beingtwinned with:[10]
