View source for Baâlons

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Baâlons
|commune status     = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image              = Baâlons (Ardennes) city limit sign.JPG
|caption            = The road into Baâlons
|image coat of arms = Ecu Baalons.svg
|arrondissement     = Charleville-Mézières
|canton             = Nouvion-sur-Meuse
|INSEE              = 08041
|postal code        = 08430
|mayor              = Raoul Charbonneaux<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=2 December 2020|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   = [[Communauté de communes des Crêtes Préardennaises|Crêtes Préardennaises]]
|coordinates        = {{coord|49.595|4.6711|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        = 220
|elevation min m    =
|elevation max m    =
|area km2           = 14.72
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
'''Baâlons''' ({{IPA|fr|balɔ̃}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Ardennes (department)|Ardennes]] [[Departments of France|department]] in the [[Grand Est]] region of northern [[France]].
==Geography==
Baâlons is located some 25&nbsp;km north-east of [[Rethel]] and 18&nbsp;km south of [[Charleville-Mézières]]. Access to the commune is by the D28 road from [[Bouvellemont]] in the south which passes through the village and continues north-east then north to join the D27.  The D991 also goes north from Bouvellemont passing through the west of the commune to join the D951 north of [[Mazerny]]. The commune is mixed forest and farmland with particularly large forests in the east.
The ''Ruisseau du Fond Cahors'' rises west of the village and flows west to join the ''Ruisseau de la Fontaine aux Chênes''. The ''Ruisseau des Puiselets'' forms the western border of the commune as it flows south to join the Ruisseau du Fond Cahors. The ''Ruisseau de Baâlons'' rises in the north of the commune and flows south towards the village then turns east to join the ''Ruisseau de Bairon'' on the eastern border. The Ruisseau de Bairon forms the eastern border of the commune as it flows south to join the ''Étang de Bairon'' which feeds into the [[Canal des Ardennes]] west of [[Tannay, Ardennes|Tannay]].<ref name=Google>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ba%C3%A2lons,+France/@49.6007193,4.6737087,14z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x47ea16263e5267af:0x40a5fb99a3f7e20 Google Maps]</ref>
===Hamlets and localities in the commune===
[[File:Baâlons-FR-08-postcard-Géraumont-1905.jpg|thumb|Géraumont in 1905]]
;Géraumont
Géraumont was a former fief where there is still a castle, now Géromont Farm.
;Les Puiselets
A small hamlet west of Baâlons village. It is now very sparsely populated however the ''General Dictionary of cities towns, villages, hamlets and farms of France'' by Duclos says that in 1846 there were 70 inhabitants.<ref>Duclos, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Hi1YAAAAcAAJ&dq=%22&pg=PA1 ''Dictionnaire général des villes bourgs, villages, hameaux et fermes de la France''], 4th ed., Paris & Limoges : Martial Ardent frères, p.387 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
;Beauvois
A Hamlet in the north of the commune which is still populated.
===Neighbouring communes and villages===
{{Geographic location
|width=auto
|Centre    = Baâlons
|North     = [[La Horgne]]
|Northeast = [[Villers-le-Tilleul]]
|East      = [[Omont]]
|Southeast = [[Chagny, Ardennes|Chagny]]
|South     = [[Bouvellemont]]
|Southwest = [[Saint-Loup-Terrier]]
|West      = [[Mazerny]]
|Northwest = [[Poix-Terron]]
}}
<ref name="Géo">[http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=4.6711,49.595&z=7.92265E-5&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&l=ADMINISTRATIVEUNITS.BOUNDARIES$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes Géoportail], [[Institut géographique national|IGN]] {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
==History==
Various objects have been found in the commune:<ref>Archives MAE, GA0107 FR MAESA GA 55/1 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
*Tools and shards of [[flint]] which are probably [[Neolithic]]
*[[Gallo-Roman]] Bronze Statuettes of [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]] and [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]]
*A [[Merovingian]] and [[Carolingian]] Cemetery
The ''Universal Dictionary of Ancient and Modern France and New France'' by Marin Saugrain stated in 1726 that:<ref>Marin Saugrain, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lfdIAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA272 ''Dictionnaire universel de la France ancienne et moderne et de la Nouvelle France''], Paris, 1726, t.1, p.271 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
"BAALON in Champagne, Diocese of Reims, Parliament of Paris, Intendance of Chalons, Election of Rhetel, has 419 inhabitants. The Curate is worth nine hundred [[French livre|livres]].".
===Heraldry===
{{Blazon-arms
|img1=Ecu Baalons.svg
|legend1=Arms of Baâlons
|text=
'''Blazon:'''<br/>
''Parti per pale: 1 Or a lion Sable, 2 Argent with 3 fesses Sable; the whole in chief Gules charged with 3 mullets Or.''
}}
==Administration==
[[File:Baâlons (Ardennes) mairie.JPG|thumb|The Town Hall]]
{{incomplete list|date=April 2021}}
'''List of Successive [[Mayor (France)|Mayors]]'''<ref>[http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/resultcommune.php?id=8455 List of Mayors of France] {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! From !! To !! Name
|-
| 2001 || 2008 || Ludovic Dasnois
|-
| 2008 || 2012 || Henri Charpentier
|-
| 2012 || 2020 || Pascal Nihotte
|-
| 2020 || Current || Raoul Charbonneaux
|}
==Population==
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Baâlonnais'' or ''Baâlonnaises'' in French.<ref>[https://www.habitants.fr/ardennes-08 Le nom des habitants du 08 - Ardennes], habitants.fr</ref>
{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|2477|Baâlons}}</ref> and INSEE<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-08041#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|1793 |660
|1800 |751
|1806 |795
|1821 |902
|1831 |925
|1836 |947
|1841 |920
|1846 |907
|1851 |862
|1866 |682
|1872 |633
|1876 |609
|1881 |553
|1886 |528
|1891 |476
|1896 |415
|1901 |377
|1906 |392
|1911 |346
|1921 |301
|1926 |288
|1931 |259
|1936 |232
|1946 |251
|1954 |204
|1962 |173
|1968 |169
|1975 |163
|1982 |147
|1990 |160
|1999 |170
|2007 |199
|2012 |235
|2017 |207
}}
[[File:Baâlons-FR-08-monument aux morts-01.JPG|thumb|The War Memorial]]
==Sites and Monuments==
[[File:Baâlons-FR-08-mairie-église-02.JPG|thumb|The Church of Saint-Rémi and the Town Hall]]
*The '''Church of Saint-Rémi''' is a church dating to the 13th century in the late [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] style with a [[Tympanum (architecture)|tympanum]] over the door from the 10th century representing a man with a [[crosier]] and an open book flanked by two angels. The church contains two items which are registered as historical objects:
**A Group Sculpture: Saint Nicolas (17th century){{Palissy Icon}}<ref>Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM08000044|PM08000044 Group Sculpture: Saint Nicolas}} {{in lang|fr}}{{Camera}}</ref>
**A Statue: Virgin and child (14th century){{Palissy Icon}}<ref>Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM08000043|PM08000043 Statue: Virgin and child}} {{in lang|fr}}{{Camera}}</ref>
*The '''Chapel of Saint Anne''' was built in 1911 on the site of a chapel dating from 1807 near the Saint Anne spring which was a place of pilgrimage. The Procession of Saint Anne is held on 26 July of each year.
;Church and Chapel Picture Gallery
<gallery>
Image:Baâlons (Ardennes) église, chevet.JPG|{{center|The Church of Saint-Rémi}}
Image:Baâlons (Ardennes) église, façade.JPG|{{center|The facade of the Church}}
File:Baâlons-FR-08-église-04.JPG|The door to the Church
Image:Baâlons (Ardennes) église, tympan.JPG|{{center|The Tympanum}}
File:Baâlons-08-église-la nuit-01.jpg|Stained glass in the Church
File:Baâlons (Ardennes) croix de chemin.JPG|A Wayside Cross
File:Baâlons-FR-08-Sainte Anne-04.JPG|The chapel of Saint Anne
File:Baâlons-FR-08-Sainte Anne-05.JPG|The Altar in the Chapel
File:Baâlons-FR-08-Sainte Anne-07.JPG|An Oratory at the Chapel of Saint Anne
File:Baâlons-FR-08-Sainte Anne-06.JPG|Strained glass in the Chapel
</gallery>
==Notable people linked to the commune==
*'''Eugène Houssière''', emigrated to [[Louisiana]] USA in 1883, donated the Chapel of Saint Anne in 1911.
==See also==
*[[Communes of the Ardennes department]]
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==External links==
* [http://www.ac-reims.fr/datice/ecole/ia08/Site%20de%20la%20bar/BAALONS.htm Baâlons]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070314041103/http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1087&CommuneId=93827 Baâlons on the old National Geographic Institute website]
*[http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=4.6711,49.595&z=7.92265E-5&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&l=ADMINISTRATIVEUNITS.BOUNDARIES$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes Baâlons on Géoportail], [[Institut géographique national|National Geographic Institute]] (IGN) website {{in lang|fr}}
*[http://rumsey.geogarage.com/maps/cassinige.html?lat=49.595&lon=4.6711&zoom=13 ''Baalon'' on the 1750 Cassini Map]
{{Commons category|Baâlons}}
{{Ardennes communes}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baalons}}
[[Category:Communes of Ardennes (department)]]