Ardoix

Ardoix (French pronunciation: [aʁdwa]; Occitan: Ardoitz) is a commune in the Ardèche department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southern France.

Ardoix
Commune
The church and surroundings in Ardoix
Location of Ardoix
Ardoix Ardoix
Coordinates: 45°11′16″N 4°44′14″E
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Ardèche
Arrondissement	Tournon-sur-Rhône
Canton	Haut-Vivarais
Intercommunality	Annonay Rhône Agglo
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Sylvie Bonnet
Area 1	12.15 km2 (4.69 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	1,264
• Density	100/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC 01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC 02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	07013 /07290
Elevation	147–397 m (482–1,302 ft) (avg. 360 m or 1,180 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Adoix is located some 7 km west by north-west of Saint-Vallier and 14 km south-east of Annonay. Access to the commune is by the D221 road from Sarras in the east passing through the length of the commune and the village and continuing south-west to Saint-Romain-d'Ay. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Corme, Bruas, Thoue, and Chamas. The commune is a valley between two mountain ranges and apart from the slopes of the mountains is entirely farmland.

The Cance river forms a large part of the northern border of the commune as it flows east to the Rhone river. Many small tributaries of the Cance rise in the commune including the Ruisseau de la Goueille which forms the north-western border. The Ay river forms the southern border of the commune and also flows east to the Rhone.

History

In the gift of Quintenas made by Charlemagne to the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Claude on 23 August 776, the Church of Saint-Didier d'Ardoix was mentioned. Also dependent on Saint Claude were the Chapel of Oriol, Saint-Alban-d'Ay, Saint-Jeure-d'Ay, Saint-Romain-d'Ay, and the chapel of Our Lady of Ay. In 1557 Ardoix, as was Quintenas, were secularized and thereafter administered by the Diocese of Vienne.

The old land of Ardoix had its chateaux and towers. Oriol, Munat, Manoha, Léorat, and le Pestrin Manoha was a fortified house and farm in medieval times. It is still a rural area today. The tower of Oriol is all that remains of the medieval castle which overlooked the gorges of the Ay. During the Hundred Years War it was sacked by soldiers. Taking advantage of the wars of religion, a criminal from Vernoux, Erard, took it and restored it to make it his lair. Farmers, frustrated by his robberies destroyed the castle to dislodge the bandit (who was hanged at Lamastre).

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

From	To	Name
2001	2008	Michel Becheras
2008	incumbent	Sylvie Bonnet

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Ardoisiens or Ardoisiennes in French.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 300 —     1800 517 8.09% 1806 761 6.66% 1821 765 0.03% 1831 800 0.45% 1836 757 −1.10% 1841 854 2.44% 1846 800 −1.30% 1851 863 1.53% 1856 874 0.25% 1861 920 1.03% 1866 942 0.47% 1872 911 −0.56% 1876 926 0.41% 1881 911 −0.33% 1886 841 −1.59% 1891 856 0.35% 1896 857 0.02%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 805 −1.24% 1906 802 −0.07% 1911 740 −1.60% 1921 651 −1.27% 1926 662 0.34% 1931 662 0.00% 1936 633 −0.89% 1946 616 −0.27% 1954 585 −0.64% 1962 512 −1.65% 1968 546 1.08% 1975 863 1.21% 1982 638 1.03% 1990 696 1.09% 1999 779 1.26% 2007 985 2.98% 2012 1,115 2.51% 2017 1,262 2.51%
Source: EHESS and INSEE

Distribution of Age Groups

The population of the town is younger than the departmental average.

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Ardoix and Ardèche Department in 2017

	Ardoix		Ardèche
Age Range	Men	Women	Men	Women
0 to 14 Years	26.3	24.3	17.7	16.1
15 to 29 Years	15.4	14.7	14.4	13.0
30 to 44 Years	20.7	23.3	17.3	16.9
45 to 59 Years	18.7	19.9	21.6	20.7
60 to 74 Years	13.7	12.8	19.7	19.7
75 to 89 Years	4.8	4.5	8.5	11.2
90 Years	0.3	0.5	0.9	2.4

Source: INSEE

Sites and Monuments

Calvary in the Ay Gorges between Sarras and Ardoix

• The Tower of Oriol
• The Chateau of Manoha
• The Chateau of Muñás
• The Oratory of Our Lady of Cormes
• The Church contains many items which are registered as historical objects:
  • The Rostrum Balustrade (19th century)
  • A Baptismal font (19th century)
  • 2 Confessionals (19th century)
  • A Crucifix (19th century)
  • A Pulpit with supports (19th century)
  • A Stations of the Cross (19th century)
  • 4 Statues and Commemorative Plaques (19th century)
  • Decor of the Chapel of the Virgin
  • Decor of the Chapel of the Sacred Heart

Ardoix Picture Gallery

• 
  The Church
• 
  The Church interior
• 
  The Tower of Oriol
• 
  The Chateau of Manoha

See also

• Communes of the Ardèche department

External links

• Ardoix official website (in French)
• Val d'Ay Tourism website
• Ardoix on the National Geographic Institute website (in French)
• Ardoix on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (in French)
• Ardoix on the 1750 Cassini Map