Aube

Entry to the Aube department from Route N77

The Aube department is located in the south-west side of the Grand Est region. It borders the departments of Marne in the north (about 130 km long), Haute-Marne to the east (about 100 km long), Côte-d'Or in the south-east (about 45 km long), Yonne in the south-west (about 175 km long), and Seine-et-Marne in the west (about 45 km long).[5]

Map of natural and traditional regions of the department.

Within the department regions of natural or traditional countryside can be identified as follows:

• northwest quarter: Champagne crayeuse (chalky Champagne)
• northwestern tip: the Nogentais
• southwest of Troyes: the Othe region
• to the south: le Chaourçois
• to the northeast: the Briennois
• to the east: the Barrois
• between Troyes and Barrois: Champagne wetlands

Aube is divided into 431 communes totalling 310,242 inhabitants (2019). The most populous commune is the prefecture Troyes. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants:[3]

All of those communes, except Romilly-sur-Seine, are part of the agglomeration of Troyes.

The Seine at Bar-sur-Seine

There are 23 rivers throughout the department,[Note 1] the four main rivers being the Seine, the Aube (tributary of the Seine), the Armance (tributary of the Armançon), and the Vanne (a tributary of the Yonne).

Temple Lake seen from the dam

The department has 140,000 hectares of forests.[7]

Located in the Community of communes of Forests, lakes, and lands in Champagne, the Orient Forest Regional Natural Park was one of the first natural parks created in France.

In the same place, there is the Orient Lake and the Amance and Temple lakes where fishing, recreational water sports, and bathing are available. Each lake specialises in one or more of these activities.

The climate is moderate without intense cold or excessive heat which represents a climate similar to continental and oceanic.

Between 1950 and 1985 the average annual temperature recorded in the department was 10.1 °C[8] which is equivalent to the Paris basin and the cities of north-eastern France. The average sunshine hours per year is 1771.

Average annual rainfall is quite high (653.4 mm over 115 days of rain[8]). In general there is more rain in autumn than in winter but rainfall is highest during spring. In contrast summer is the season when rainfall is lowest. There is, however, more rain in the south-east than the north-west.

Snow is relatively infrequent. Prevailing wind is from the west.

Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France[9]

Town	Sunshine (hours/yr)	Rain (mm/yr)	Snow (days/yr)	Storm (days/yr)	Fog (days/yr)
National average	1,973	770	14	22	40
Troyes[10]	1,817	645	15	17	38
Paris	1,661	637	12	18	10
Nice	2,724	767	1	29	1
Strasbourg	1,693	665	29	29	56
Brest	1,605	1,211	7	12	75

The department has 150 km of autoroutes, 33 km of national roads, 4,517 km of departmental roads and 2,116 km of local roads.[11]

In the Agglomeration of Troyes TCAT (Transport for the Communes of Troyes) provides a transport network between communes. Unlike many networks that are provided by other operators, the agglomeration community of the city is the owner of the company.[12] The network currently serves eleven communes including two outside the Troyes agglomeration. Other cities, including Romilly-sur-Seine, have no transport network.[13]

Aube also has intercity transport networks. 21 regular bus routes are operated between the major cities of the department. The use of these lines is entrusted to private coaches: Transdev – The Carriers of Aube has 15 routes,[14] Keolis Sud Lorraine has 4 routes,[15] Procars Champagne has 2 routes,[16] Autocars Bardy has one route.[17]

Troyes Station

Five railway stations are currently in operation. These are: Nogent-sur-Seine, Romilly-sur-Seine, Troyes, Vendeuvre-sur-Barse, Bar-sur-Aube.

Aube does not have a strong rail coverage. Only one main non-electrified line passes through Aube – the line that connects Paris-Est to Mulhouse.

The department has 34.8 km of navigable waterways.[11] The city of Nogent-sur-Seine has two river ports for grain.[18]

The first inhabitants of Aube were the Tricasses and Lingones with a substantial human settlement around the year 400 BC.

Saints Potentian and Savinian,[19] Greek priests from Samos, came to preach the gospel from the middle of the 3rd century. Saint Patroclus was one of the first martyrs of the new faith in the year 259. Shortly after Saint Jule and some notables of the city of Tricasses also suffered martyrdom. Nevertheless, as elsewhere, the Christian community became large enough to accommodate a bishop. Saint Amateur was the first in 340. In the year 286 the Bagaudae ravaged the land which forms Aube. Emperor Julian came to Troyes with his army and rescued it.

The territory making up Aube was first attached to France in 843, following the Treaty of Verdun.

The Abbey of Clairvaux: today a prison

Two important monasteries were founded in the department: one at Clairvaux in 1114, created by Bernard of Clairvaux, the other was the Abbey of the Paraclete near Nogent-sur-Seine, by his illustrious rival, Pierre Abélard and of which Héloïse d'Argenteuil was the first abbess. Bernard of Clairvaux was noted for his eloquence at the Council of Troyes and his preaching of the Second Crusade which had no result and whose outcome was disastrous.

The reunion of Champagne with the kingdom of France was finalised in 1361. Yet people wanted absolutely the incorporation of Champagne but in 1328 King Philip VI gave the city of Bar-sur-Seine to Philippe de Croy. The inhabitants, however, ransomed him to return it to the king on the condition that it become inalienable.

The decree of the National Assembly of 15 January 1790 formally established the department of Aube. Its first president was Augustin-Henri-Marie Picot[20] and his first deputy was Louis Antoine Joseph Robin. Jacques Claude Beugnot was elected Attorney-General and also MP.[20]

The 19th century marked the emergence of the Hosiery business in the department.

After the victory of the allies in the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815, the department was occupied by Russian troops from June 1815 to November 1818.

In 1911 following the revolt of the vineyards of Champagne large Riots broke out in the department. The consequences of this were tragic because the clashes resulted in dozens of injuries.

In 1919, a decree allowed Aube department to produce champagne for the first time.[21]

In 1932 Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited Aube and signed a friendship treaty with France there on 4 July 1938.[22]

The General Council of Aube is located in Troyes. Its president has been DVD Senator Philippe Adnot since July 1990. It includes the 34 councillors of the 17 cantons of Aube. Of these, 32 are from the Right (mainly the UMP), the others are from the Miscellaneous left.[23] Currently the budget of the General Council is €329.8 million. Its main mission and expenditure on social activities and health.[11]

In 2017, the department had 310,020 inhabitants.

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Aube Department in 2017

Source: INSEE[30]

The economy of Aube has focused on the textile industry since the 19th century. This sector is now in crisis due to the department being in an area of real economic change.

In 2017, the departmental workforce totalled 137,774 with 114,530 persons in employment and 23,244 people unemployed. Men accounted for 51.4% of the active population and women 48.6%.[31]

The Aube department has a high rate of feminization in employment. Nearly half of people with active jobs (48.1% in 2017) are women. The main areas affected by the feminization are trade, transport, textiles, utilities, education, and health. Women are slightly more affected than men by unemployment (51.3% of the unemployed in 2017). This is mainly due to layoffs in the textile sector.

Harvesting hemp at Saint-Flavy

The utilized agricultural area is 379,720 hectares. Aube is the largest producer of hemp; the 2nd largest producer of champagne, cabbage for sauerkraut, medicinal poppies, and alfalfa; the 6th largest producer of potatoes; the 8th largest producer of cereals; and the 9th largest producer of beet in France.[11]

In 2010 elementary and secondary education consisted of:

• 11,568 students in kindergarten across 136 schools (including 1 private);[32]
• 18,465 students in primary school across 255 schools (including 14 private);[32]
• 12,311 students in college across 34 institutions (including 9 private);[33]
• 5,199 students in schools of general education across 10 institutions (including 3 private);[33]
• 2,666 students in vocational high school across 10 institutions (including 3 private).[33]

According to the latest census of the academic inspectorate of Aube in 2009 the department has 8,794 students in higher education.[11][Note 4]

List of Universities and Higher Educational Schools

Public Schools

• University of Technology of Troyes (UTT)
• Institute of Technology of Troyes (University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne)
• Faculty (University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne)
• Institute for Heritage Skills (IUMP)
• Institute for Teacher Training (IUFM)
• Institute for Nursing Education (IFSI of Troyes/DE IDE)
• Preparatory classes for Higher Education (CPGE) scientific and economic
• Graduate School for Applied Arts in Troyes
• National Conservatory of Music in Troyes

Private Schools

• Graduate School of Commerce in Troyes
• Supinfo

The Aube Stadium is the residence of the ES Troyes AC football club.

There are 580 clubs and sports associations in the Aube department.[34] The main ones are:

• ES Troyes AC: soccer club in the French Ligue 1;
• ETAC Handball: Handball Club at National Level 3;
• Union Sportive de Sainte Maure Troyes Handball: Women's handball club at National Level 1;
• Pygargues of Troyes: american football club in Division 2;
• PLAVB (Troyes): volleyball club at Regional one;
• SUMA (Troyes): Motoball club of France (one of the most successful) moved to elite since the 1930s;
• Troyes roller hockey: roller hockey club playing at National Level 2;
• Espadons (Swordfish )(Troyes): baseball club playing at Regional Level 1;
• Romilly Association for Sports 10: which includes multiple sections.

At Troyes there are three independent local radio stations:

• Radio Latitude: that broadcasts programming focused on the dance floor. This was the first local radio station in the department. It broadcasts from Troyes, Romilly-sur-Seine, and Vendeuvre-sur-Barse
• Theme Radio: community radio broadcasting music and information flashes
• Troyes Campus radio: rock music oriented radio and sometimes rap

At Romilly-sur-Seine, in addition to Latitude Radio, there is a local independent radio broadcaster: Radio Aube et Seine.

French Christian Radio (RCF) Aube is located in the department.

• Canal 32: television network with a local Troyes and department station
• France 3 Aube (France 3 Lorraine Champagne-Ardenne)

All Aube jurisdictions are located in Troyes. The city has a Tribunal d'instance and a High Court, a commercial court and an Employment Tribunal for civil and criminal jurisdictions. There is also a Correctional court and a Juvenile court.

Appeals, however, are passed to the Court of Appeal in Reims.[36]

Aube currently has two storage facilities for radioactive waste:

• Storage Centre for Very Low Activity Waste (CSTFA)
• Storage Centre for Low and Medium Activity Waste (CSFMA)

• The Cube – in the Parc des Expositions in Troyes
• Champagne Theatre
• Théâtre of la Madeleine
• Argence space

The four main theatres are:

• Ciné City in Troyes
• Vagabond in Bar-sur-Aube
• Lumière in Nogent-sur-Seine
• Cinema Eden in Romilly-sur-Seine

• Festival in Othe
• Aube Templiers 2012 event

Andouillette from Troyes.

• Andouillette from Troyes
• Barberey cheese
• Cacibel liqueur
• Montgueux champagne
• Chaource cheese
• Chocolate from Jacquot (Cémoi group)
• Sauerkraut from Brienne-le-Château
• Cider from Othe country
• Prunelle de Troyes liqueur
• Rosé des Riceys wine

The castle of La Motte-Tilly

The Aube has 365 historical monuments of which 144 are classified, and 221 are enrolled.[37]

• La Motte-Tilly Castle
• Bligny Castle
• Droupt-Saint-Basle Castle
• Barberey-Saint-Sulpice Castle
• Brienne-le-Château Castle

Hall in the style of Baltard d'Aix en Othe

[38]

The Hôtel de Ville in Troyes

• Clairvaux Abbey
• Basilica of St. Urbain, Troyes
• Abbey of Saint-Loup of Troyes
• Monastery Notre-Dame of Saint Espérance
• Hotel of Marisy
• Hotel de Ville in Troyes
• Hotel of the prefecture of Aube

• Orient Forest Regional Natural Park
• Orient Lake
• Amance and Temple Lakes
• Nigloland: amusement park located at Dolancourt

• 
  Troyes
• 
  Troyes Cathedral
• 
  Aix-en-Othe
• 
  Clairvaux Abbey
• 
  Bar-sur-Aube