Arcis-sur-Aube (, literally Arcis on Aube), commonly known as Arcis, is a commune in the Aube department in the Grand Est region of north-central France.
The commune has been awarded "three flowers" by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.
Arcis-sur-Aube is located some 27 km north of Troyes and 40 km east of Romilly-sur-Seine. Access to the commune is by the D441 road from Villette-sur-Aube in the west passing through the commune and the town and continuing to Vaupoisson. The D677 also comes from Mailly-le-Camp in the north intersecting the D441 in the town and continuing south to Voué. The D31 also goes south-west from the town to Les Grandes-Chapelles. The D10 road comes from Allibaudières in the north-west and passes through the north-west of the commune joining the D441 west of the town. A railway passes through the west of the commune from north to south with a station west of the town. The Aube river marks the northern boundary of the town flowing west but the commune covers both left and right banks of the river. The D677 passes over the river on a bridge.
The right bank and a small portion of the left bank of the Aube consists of forest and farmland. The urban area of the town extends south from the left bank and occupies about a quarter of the land area. The south of the commune is entirely farmland.
Saint Victor was a hermit and confessor at Arcis-sur-Aube in the 6th century. Around the same period a local coinage called Leudericus and Daovaldus was produced.
In 1546, François I authorized the construction of walls around the city.
Arcis was the scene of the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube, a bloody battle fought by Napoleon I on 1 March 1814 against the Austro-Russians: part of the city was burned. An erroneous claim has been made that Arcis-sur-Aube bears its name as a commemoration of the Cossacks from the Russian army a city in Ukraine (Artsyz) and a village in the southern Urals (Arsinski or ÃÂÃÂÃÂøýÃÂúøù). In reality, the town already bore the name since medieval times, as witnessed by three sources, including The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines, which names Hilduin II as "comes de Arceis et de Ramerut" (count of Arcis and Ramerurpt).
From 1790 to 1795 Arcis was the chief town of the arrondissement of Arcis-sur-Aube which was composed of 11 cantons and 89 communes. During the creation of arrondissements in 1800, Arcis became the capital of one of them, but this was abolished in 1926. The cantons of Arcis-sur-Aube and Ramerupt were attached to the Arrondissement of Troyes; the Canton of Méry-sur-Seine was attached to the Arrondissement of Nogent-sur-Seine, and the Canton of Chavanges was attached to the Arrondissement of Bar-sur-Aube. This was effective from 1801: 4 cantons and 93 communes.
List of mayors
During the 2026 French municipal elections, Arcis-sur-Aube received media and internet attention due to the names of its mayoral candidates: incumbent mayor Charles Hittler (whose surname is similar to Adolf Hitler) ran for re-election against Annie Soucat and Antoine Renault-Zielinski (whose surname is similar to Volodymyr Zelenskyy). Hittler was re-elected as mayor.
Arcis-sur-Aube has twinning associations with:
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arcisiens or Arcisiennes in French.
Besides many large farms producing different cereals, there is a major sugar plant there owned by Cristal Union.
The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:
The Church of Saint-ÃÂtienne (16th century) is registered as a historical monument. It was bombed in June 1940 and then restored. It houses two pentagonal chapels and a flamboyant portal. The church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:
Honoré de Balzac made Arcis-sur-Aube part of his novel Le Député d'Arcis (The Member for Arcis), left unfinished at his death and completed by Charles Rabbou. Arcis-sur-Aube was also the place of action in Une ténébreuse affaire (A murky affair) written in 1844.