Avant-lès-Marcilly

Avant-lès-Marcilly (, literally Avant near Marcilly) is a commune in the Aube department in the Grand Est region of north-central France.

Geography
Avant-lès-Marcilly is located some 40 km north-west of Troyes and 32 km south-east of Provins. Access to the commune is by road D54 from Nogent-sur-Seine in the north-west which passes through the centre of the commune and the village and continues south-east to Marcilly-le-Hayer. The D52 come from Soligny-les-Étangs in the west and passes through the village continuing to Ferreux-Quincey in the north-east. The D23 branches from the D54 in the south of the commune and goes to Saint-Lupien in the south-east. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Les Ormeaux, Le Mesnil, and Tremblay. There are some forests in the east of the commune but the rest is farmland.

The Ru du Gué de l'Éspine rises near the village and flows west to join the Orvin at Soligny-les-Etangs.

History
The origins of the commune can be dated back to about the time of construction of the church in the 12th and 13th centuries. There are also gravestones with the oldest dating to the 13th century. This fief belonged to Angenoust at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century and was under Nogent-sur-Seine.

Many older historic remains are still visible in the area such as menhirs (the Marguerite Stone and the Pierre-au-Coq) and dolmens (next to Les Ormeaux).

Administration
List of Successive Mayors

Demography
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Avants or Avantes in French.

Civil heritage
The commune has one site that is registered as an historical monument:
 * A Menhir called the Pierre-au-Coq (Neolithic)


 * Other points of interest
 * The Marguerite Stone
 * The Grooves of Côte des Ormeaux
 * The Commonwealth War Cemetery

Religious heritage
The Church of the Assumption. Avant-lès-Marcilly was a former seat for a priest under the conferment of the Bishop of Troyes. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin. It is sandstone and was started on the western side in the 12th century. The bell tower and the west portal are novel. The Romanesque nave was rebuilt in the 18th century. The eastern part of the church is early gothic.

The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:


 * The Tombstone of François de Palluet (17th century)
 * The Tombstone of a lady of Angenoust (1567)
 * The Tombstone of an Abbot (13th century)
 * The Seat of Héloïse (17th century)
 * A Statue: Saint Vincent (16th century)
 * A Secondary Altar and Retable on the south side (19th century)
 * A Secondary Altar and Retable (19th century)
 * An Ampule for holy oil (19th century)
 * 2 Statuettes: Angels holding a crown (19th century)
 * A Paten (19th century)
 * A Paten (19th century)
 * A Chalice (19th century)
 * A Chalice (18th century)
 * A Chalice (1882)
 * A Cope (19th century)
 * A Cope (19th century)
 * A Cope (19th century)
 * A Processional Banner (1895)
 * A Processional Banner: Notre-Dame d'Avant (20th century)
 * A Statue: Christ on the Cross (17th century)
 * A Tombstone (1539)
 * Baptismal fonts (19th century)
 * A Processional Staff (17th century)
 * A Processional Staff: Saint Eloi (17th century)
 * A Processional Staff: Saint Anne and the Virgin (17th century)
 * An Altar Painting: Saint Bishop (19th century)
 * An Altar Painting: Pursuit of Saint Hubert (19th century)

Notable people linked to the commune

 * Jean Grosjean, man of letters.