Barzy-en-Thiérache
Barzy-en-Thiérache (, literally "Barzy in Thiérache") is a commune in the department of Aisne in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. Geography. Barzy-en-Thiérache is located some 40 km south by southeast of Cambrai and 40 km northeast of Saint-Quentin. The Route Nationale D1043 from Bergues-sur-Sambre to Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache passes through the southern tip of the commune but does not provide direct access. Access to the village and the commune is by road D261 running north-east from the D1043 continuing north-east as the D262. The D664  also runs north from the village to "Le Rejet-du-Moulin". The eastern border of the commune is also the border between Aisne and Nord departments. There are four hamlets in the commune other than the village: La Justice, Etreux, Mon Idee, and La Haie Long Pre. The rest of the commune is entirely farmland. The Sambre river runs from east to west through the commune and the village fed by the "Ruisseau du Vivier Bare". The Sambre river continues west to join the Sambre–Oise Canal. History. In 1153 the name of the village was "Villa que dicitur Baisis . It then became Barisis" in 1227. The first name was given as "Baisse" for the neighborhood. The second name was "Barri" then became "Barrié" then "Barrière". This tends to demonstrate the frontier character of the village with the Sambre running through it. The part of the village north of the Sambre was under the stewardship of the Landrecy family (County of Hainaut). The southern part of the village was under the stewardship of Laon and the lordship of Lesquielles (Thiérache-Picardy). In 1956 the name of the commune was "Barzy" which then changed to "Barzy-en-Thiérache". On 7 Thermidor  Year 2 (August 1794) the enemy invaded the village and there was one civilian casualty - Joseph Licking. Towards the end of the First World War, on 5 November 1918, the advance of French and British troops was stopped in a bloodbath 500 metres from the village (25 soldiers and 2 civilians were killed). On 6 November, after a violent French bombardment, the 73rd Infantry Regiment and the 59th Algerian Riflemen liberated the commune at 5.30am and released nearly a thousand inhabitants and refugees. For these events, the village was decorated with the Croix de Guerre 1914-1918. Administration. List of  Successive Mayors of Barzy-en-Thiérache Culture and heritage. Civil heritage. The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: Religious heritage. The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: