Balignicourt

Balignicourt (French pronunciation: [baliɲikuʁ]) is a commune in the Aube department in the Grand Est region of north-central France.

Balignicourt
Commune
Balignicourt Church
Location of Balignicourt
Balignicourt Show map of France Balignicourt Show map of Grand Est
Coordinates: 48°31′00″N 4°27′42″E
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Department	Aube
Arrondissement	Bar-sur-Aube
Canton	Brienne-le-Château
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Pascal Joanot[1]
Area 1	13.06 km2 (5.04 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	58
• Density	4.4/km2 (12/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	10027 /10330
Elevation	109–166 m (358–545 ft) (avg. 111 m or 364 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Balignicourt is located some 18 km north-west of Brienne-le-Château and 25 km south by south-west of Vitry-le-François. The northern border of the commune is the departmental boundary between Aube and Marne. Access to the commune is by the D56 from Jasseines in the west which passes through the south of the commune and the village before continuing east to Chavanges. The D156 goes north-east from the village to Margerie-Hancourt, changing to the D355 at the departmental border. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Les Ormées, Vendeuil and Les Vieilles-Vignes. The commune is entirely farmland except for a belt of forest along the river.^[3]

The Meldançon river flows through the commune from east to west and continues west to join the Aube near Morembert.

Neighbouring communes and villages

^[3]

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[4]

From	To	Name
	1857	Jules Royer
2001	2008	Marcel Diart
2008	2014	Henri Paul Joanot
2014	2026	Pascal Joanot

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 61 inhabitants.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 209 —     1800 189 −1.43% 1806 167 −2.04% 1821 208 +1.47% 1831 285 +3.20% 1836 215 −5.48% 1841 223 +0.73% 1846 204 −1.77% 1851 220 +1.52% 1856 233 +1.15% 1861 228 −0.43% 1866 230 +0.17% 1872 215 −1.12% 1876 209 −0.71% 1881 204 −0.48% 1886 200 −0.40% 1891 200 +0.00% 1896 180 −2.09%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 167 −1.49% 1906 161 −0.73% 1911 172 +1.33% 1921 149 −1.43% 1926 164 +1.94% 1931 162 −0.25% 1936 180 +2.13% 1946 190 +0.54% 1954 144 −3.41% 1962 148 +0.34% 1968 153 +0.56% 1975 147 −0.57% 1982 111 −3.93% 1990 93 −2.19% 1999 94 +0.12% 2007 83 −1.54% 2012 72 −2.80% 2017 61 −3.26%
Source: EHESS[5] and INSEE[6]

Culture and heritage

Religious heritage

The commune has two religious buildings that are registered as historical monuments:

• A former Presbytery (18th century)^[7]
• The Church of Saints Peter and Paul (12th century)^[8] The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:
  • 2 Paintings: Saint John the Baptist and the Virgin of the Assumption (17th century)^[9]
  • A Group Sculpture: Christ bound with Angels and emblems (1549)^[10]
  • A Statue: Christ on the Cross (18th century)^[11]
  • A Paten (18th century)^[12]
  • A Collection Box (18th century)^[13]
  • A Wardrobe (18th century)^[14]
  • A Chalice (19th century)^[15]
  • A Door (1771)^[16]
  • A Baptismal font (16th century)^[17]
  • A Statue: Christ on the Cross (18th century)^[18]
  • 4 Columns (17th century)^[19]
  • The Furniture in the Church^[20]
  • Stained glass figures (16th century)^[21]

Church Picture Gallery

• 
  Church exterior
• 
  Stained glass and statue in the Church
• 
  The Church Altar
• 
  Detail on the Church

Notable people linked to the commune

Charles Ragon de Bange

• Charles Ragon de Bange (1833-1914), born in Balignicourt, invented the first effective obturator (valve closure) system for breech-loading artillery.

See also

• Communes of the Aube department

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
2. "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
3. Google Maps
4. List of Mayors of France (in French)
5. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Balignicourt, EHESS (in French).
6. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
7. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00078028 Presbytery (in French)
8. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00078027 Church of Saints Peter and Paul (in French)
9. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM10003619 2 Paintings: Saint John the Baptist and the Virgin of the Assumption (in French)
10. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM10000121 Group Sculpture: Christ bound with Angels and emblems (in French)
11. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10003189 Statue: Christ on the Cross (in French)
12. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10002853 Paten (in French)
13. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10002852 Collection Box (in French)
14. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10002851 Wardrobe (in French)
15. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10002850 Chalice (in French)
16. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10002849 Door (in French)
17. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10002773 Baptismal font (in French)
18. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10002770 Statue: Christ on the Cross (in French)
19. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10002697 4 Columns (in French)
20. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10003290 Furniture in the Church (in French)
21. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM10000735 Bay 12 IM10000734 Bay 9 IM10000733 Bay 8 IM10000732 Bay 4 (in French)

External links

• Balignicourt on the old National Geographic Institute website (in French)
• Balignicourt on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (in French)
• Balignicourt on the 1750 Cassini Map