Aubin, Aveyron

Aubin (Languedocien: Aubinh) is a commune in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie of southern France.

Geography
Aubin is located some 20 km south-east of Figeac and immediately south of Decazeville. Access to the commune is by road D 5 from Viviez in the north-west which passes through the centre of the commune and the town and continues south to Montbazens. The D221 goes from the town north to Decazeville. The D 11 goes east from the town to Cransac. The minor D 513 road branches off the D 5 on the north-western border of the commune and goes east through the north of the commune to Firmi. The Capdenac-Gare to Rodez railway line passes through the commune and there is a station at the town: Aubin station. Apart from the town there are the hamlets and villages of Severac, Ruffies, Cerons, La Croix du Broual, Combes, Tramons, Ruau, Les Escabrins, and Saugiere. The commune is mixed forest and farmland with significant sized urban areas.

The Riou Morte flows through the north-eastern corner of the commune as it flows north-west before turning west at Decazeville. The Enne river flows through the commune and the town from the east and continues north-west to join the Riou Morte at Viviez. The Ruisseau du Banel flows from the east north of the village and joins the Enne on the north-western border of the commune.

Classical Antiquity
Lucien Mazars, an author of numerous books on local history, wrote in Aubin; its history, from its origins to the Revolution of 1789: "tradition [says] that Aubin, which bore the name Albin until the end of the 18th century, was founded by the Roman General Declus Clodius Albinus or in his honour". However, General Albinus did not exercise the functions of a legate in Gaul but rather in Roman Britain. His control of Gaul was probably too short to be able to found a town.

Middle Ages
Fort Aubin initially served as a fortress and then was occupied during the Middle Ages by the Lords of Rouergue. The town became the center of important coal mines, and also had iron mines.

Contemporary era


The commune was the capital of the District of Aubin from 1790 to 1800.

In October 1869 soldiers fired on a demonstration of miners killing 14 and injuring 20. This was the second strike in the Second Empire after the one in June 1869 at La Ricamarie. Captain Bernard Gosseran who gave the order to fire on strikers was later made a chevalier of the Legion of Honour. This tragedy inspired the Ode à la Misère (Ode to Misery)The poem in the original French:

" - Quel âge as-tu ? - Seize ans. - De quel pays es-tu ? D'Aubin. - N'est-ce pas là, dis-moi, qu'on s'est battu? On ne s'est pas battu, l'on a tué. - La mine Prospérait. - Quel était son produit ? - La famine. Oui, je sais, le mineur vit sous terre, et n'a rien. Avec la nuit de plus, il est galérien. - Mais toi, faisais-tu donc ce travail, jeune fille ? - Avec tout mon village et toute ma famille, Oui. Pour chaque hottée on me donnait un sou. Mon grand-père était mort, tué du feu grisou. Mon petit frère était boiteux d'un coup de pierre. Nous étions tous mineurs, lui, mon père, ma mère, Moi. L'ouvrage était dur, le chef n'était pas bon. Comme on manquait de pain, on mâchait du charbon. Aussi, vous le voyez, monsieur, je suis très maigre ; Ce qui me fait du tort - Le mineur, c'est le nègre. Hélas, oui ! - Dans la mine on descend, on descend. On travaille à genoux dans le puits. C'est glissant. Il pleut, quoiqu'on n'ait pas de ciel. On est sous l'arche D'un caveau bas, et tant qu'on peut marcher, on marche ; Après on rampe ; on est dans une eau noire ; il faut Étayer le plafond, s'il a quelque défaut ; La mort fait un grand bruit quand tout à coup elle entre ; C'est comme le tonnerre. On se couche à plat ventre. Ceux qui ne sont pas morts se relèvent. Pas d'air. Chaque sape est un trou dont un homme est le ver. Quand la veine est en long, c'est bien ; quand elle est droite, Alors la tâche est rude et la sape est étroite : On sue, on gèle, on tousse ; on a chaud, on a froid. On n'est pas sûr si c'est vivant tout ce qu'on voit. Sitôt qu'on est sous terre on devient des fantômes. Les pauvres paysans qui vivent sous les chaumes Respirent du moins l'air des cieux. On étouffait. - Pourquoi ne pas vous plaindre aussi ? - Nous l'avons fait. Nous avons demandé, ne croyant pas déplaire, Un peu moins de travail, un peu plus de salaire. - Et l'on vous a donné, quoi ? - Des coups de fusil. Je m'en souviens, le maître a froncé le sourcil. Mon père est mort frappé d'une balle. - Et ta mère ? - Folle. - Et tu n'as plus rien ? - Si. J'ai mon petit frère. Il est infirme… "

Victor Hugo,Ode à la Misère and the Aubin poems to Victor Hugo.

Aubin railway station on the Capdenac-Gare to Rodez line opened in 1858.

Administration
List of Successive Mayors


 * Mayors from 1939

Demography
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aubinois in French.

Civil heritage
The commune has two buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:
 * 2 Factory Chimneys (1847)
 * The Jules Ferry du Gua School (1876). Designed by Emmanuel Brune and built between 1876 and 1880. It is 59 metres long and 12 metres wide built on a terrace overlooking the small houses which make up the suburb of Gua.
 * The Town Hall contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
 * A Statue: Maid of Honour at the Court of Francis I (1870)
 * A Painting with frame: Miners of the Saar (1950)
 * A Painting with frame: Unnamed abstract (1973)
 * A Painting with frame: Confidences (1950)


 * Other sites of interest:
 * The Departmental House of Memory: Museum of resistance, deportation, and citizenship
 * The Museum of Mines

Religious heritage
The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:
 * The Church of Notre-Dame-des-Mines (1942). The Church also contains many items that are registered as historical objects:
 * A set of monumental paintings: Resurrection and Appearance of Christ, Ascension of Christ, Crowning of the Virgin (20th century)
 * A painting: Wayside Cross (1952)
 * A set of monumental paintings: Virgin and Child, Calvary and episodes of life of miners, Saint Famille (1951)
 * A set of monumental paintings and Wayside Cross: Cycle of the Passion of Christ, Episodes of life of miners (1951, 1952)
 * The Church of Saint-Blaise (1486). The Church also contains many items that are registered as historical objects:
 * A Statue: Virgin and Child (16th century)
 * A Group Sculpture: The Resurrection (15th century)
 * A Statue: Christ on the Cross (12th century)
 * A Group Sculpture: The Baptism of Christ (15th century)
 * A Baptismal font (13th century)
 * A Consecration Cross (12th century)
 * An Altar (12th century)
 * The Church of Gua (1865)

Sports

 * The Étoile Sportive de Combes, a football club since 1921.

Notable people linked to the commune

 * François Cogné, sculptor.
 * Marie-Claire Bancquart, university professor, writer and poet, born in Aubin in 1932.
 * Serge Mesonès, French footballer, born in 1948, died in 2001 at Aubin.
 * Lilian Bathelot, novelist, author, born at Aubin in 1959.