Azincourt

Azincourt (French pronunciation: ​[azɛ̃kuʁ]; historically, Agincourt /ˈæʒɪnkʊər/ in English) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.

This article is about the commune (town). For the novel by Bernard Cornwell, see Azincourt (novel).

Azincourt
Commune
Site of the battle of Agincourt
Coat of arms
Location of Azincourt
Azincourt
Azincourt
Coordinates: 50°28′N 2°08′E
CountryFrance
RegionHauts-de-France
DepartmentPas-de-Calais
ArrondissementMontreuil
CantonAuxi-le-Château
IntercommunalitySept Vallées
Government
 • Mayor (2014-2020) Nicolas Poclet
Area
1
8.46 km2 (3.27 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
307
 • Density36/km2 (94/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
62066 /62310
Elevation100–142 m (328–466 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The Battle of Agincourt (1415) took place nearby.

Geography

Situated 12 miles (19 kilometres) north-west of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise on the D71 road between Hesdin and Fruges

Etymology

The toponym is attested as Aisincurt in 1175, derived from a Germanic masculine name Aizo, Aizino and the early Northern French word curt 'farm with a courtyard' (Late Latin cortem). It has no etymological connection in French with Agincourt, Meurthe-et-Moselle (attested as Egincourt 875), which is derived from another Germanic male name *Ingin-.[2] The battle was named after a nearby castle called Azincourt. The modern settlement has in turn been named after the battle in the 17th century.

History

Azincourt is famous as being near the site of the battle fought on 25 October 1415 in which the army led by King Henry V of England defeated the forces led by Charles d'Albret on behalf of Charles VI of France, which has gone down in history as the Battle of Agincourt. According to M. Forrest, the French knights were so encumbered by their armour that they were exhausted even before the start of the battle.[3]

Later on, when he became king in 1509, Henry VIII is supposed to have commissioned an English translation of a Life of Henry V[4] so that he could emulate him, on the grounds that he thought that launching a campaign against France would help him to impose himself on the European stage. In 1513, Henry VIII crossed the English Channel, stopping by at Azincourt.

The battlefield today

The battle, as was the tradition, was named after a nearby castle called Azincourt. The castle has since disappeared and the settlement now known as Azincourt adopted the name in the seventeenth century.[5]

John Cassell wrote in 1857 that "the village of Azincourt itself is now a group of dirty farmhouses and wretched cottages, but where the hottest of the battle raged, between that village and the commune of Tramecourt, there still remains a wood precisely corresponding with the one in which Henry placed his ambush; and there are yet existing the foundations of the castle of Azincourt, from which the king named the field."[6]

Population
Historical population
YearPop.±%
2005286—    
2006290+1.4%
2007291+0.3%
2008297+2.1%
2009302+1.7%
2010307+1.7%
2011305−0.7%
2012303−0.7%
2013303+0.0%
2014302−0.3%
2015301−0.3%
2016303+0.7%

Sights

The original battlefield museum in the village featured model knights made out of Action Man figures. This has now been replaced by the Centre historique médiéval d'Azincourt (CHM)—a more professional museum, conference centre and exhibition space incorporating laser, video, slide shows, audio commentaries, and some interactive elements.[7] The museum building is shaped like a longbow similar to those used at the battle by archers under King Henry.

Since 2004 a large medieval festival organised by the local community, the CHM, The Azincourt Alliance,[8] and various other UK societies commemorating the battle, local history and medieval life, arts and crafts has been held in the village.[9] Prior to this date the festival was held in October, but due to the inclement weather and local heavy clay soil (like the battle) making the festival difficult, it was moved to the last Sunday in July.

Commemorative monument near to the battlefield

International relations
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Twin towns/sister cities

Azincourt is twinned with:

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See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Albert Dauzat and Charles Rostaing, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieux en France, éditions Larousse 1968. p. 4.
  3. The House of Commons: 1509 – 1558, Volume 4; Stanley T. Bindoff, John S. Roskell, Lewis Namier, Romney Sedgwick, David Hayton, Eveline Cruickshanks, R. G. Thorne, P. W. Hasler (Boydell & Brewer, 1982)
  4. Henry VIII; J. J. Scarisbrick, p. 23
  5. John Cassell's Illustrated History of England, vol. 1 (1857), p. 532.
  6. John Cassell's Illustrated History of England, vol. 1 (1857), p. 534.
  7. "Azincourt Centre Historique". 20 February 2018.
  8. "Azincourt Alliance Home Page". Archived from the original on 4 December 2000.
  9. "Videos from Azincourt" at Azincourt Alliance Archived 3 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "British towns twinned with French towns [via WaybackMachine.com]". Archant Community Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
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