Anizy-le-Château

Anizy-le-Château is a former commune in the department of Aisne in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune of Anizy-le-Grand.

Geography
Anizy-le-Chateau is located some 40 km south by south-east of Saint Quentin and 20 km south-west of Laon. The commune is accessed by the D5 road from Chivy-les-Etouvelles which passes west through the village then continues north through Brancourt-en-Laonnois. The D14 road comes from Pinon in the south in a north-west direction intersecting the D5 west of the village. Also from Pinon is the D26 which runs north directly to the village. The D265 also comes from Wissignicourt in the north and the D26 runs north-east from the village to Faucoucourt. The town urbane area covers some 15% of the commune with the rest being farmland and a large forest in the south-west.

The Ailette flows along the southern border of the commune to the west and parallel to the Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne. The Ru du Bordet flows south-west through the commune from Brancourt-en-Laonnois to the Ailette river. There is a network of ponds and reservoirs in the south-east of the commune near the river. The Fosse du Marais forms part of the eastern border of the commune and also flows into the Ailette.

History
The commune was given by Clovis I to Saint Remi who in turn gave it to the Bishop of Laon. The County was created in 1397 by Charles VI in favour of Jean de Roucy, the Bishop of Laon. These bishops built a mighty castle which was rebuilt in the 16th century by the Cardinal de Bourbon and rebuilt again in the 18th century by Monseigneur de Rochechouart who also paved the whole town.

Administration
List of Successive Mayors of Anizy-le-Château

Population
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aniziens or Aniziennes in French.

Sites and Monuments

 * The Park is registered as an historical monument.
 * The Church contains three items which are registered as historical objects:
 * A Commemorative plaque of a donation by the Cardinal of Rochechouart (1770)
 * A Painting: Portrait of Cardinal Rochechouart (1777)
 * The Tombstone of Claude Allongé, Count of Anizy and recipient of the episcopate. (1724)

Notable People linked to the commune

 * Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse
 * Geoffroy de Billy, died in Anizy castle


 * Works by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse