Atrive in Avin-in-Hesbaye

A communication to BSI from Pol herman (e-mail of 20 November 2025) narrates the story of Avin and Atrive, "two rivalling villages on whose territory there were several castles. Each village with an ancient church, only 700 metres apart. Both buildings were demolished (1804/1910). A common church arose in 1908. Atrive, église Saint-Lambert (demolished in 1804). Atrive was referred to as "Alta Ripa" in a 13th-century charter, meaning "high banks" in Late Latin. In the 14th century, it appears as Autrerive, which later became Autrive and then Atrive. The spelling Atry was used in the 17th century. The Saint-Lambert chapel in Atrive is mentioned in 1028, at that time, it was a branch church of the parish of Avennes, along with that of Ciplet. A charter from 1034 records that Lord Lambert of Alta Ripa ceded the chapel of Atrive to the Bishop of Liège, who then donated it to the Abbey of Saint-Laurent. In 1561, following a papal bull of appointment from Pope Pius IV, Philip II created the Bishopric of Namur. On that date, the parish of Atrive was separated from that of Ciplet and passed to the diocese of
Namur. It was now independent. The two parishes of Avin and Atrive coexisted for nearly 140 years, but the church of Avin gradually gained prominence over that of Atrive, thanks to its powerful castle lords. In 1612, Avin and Atrive were ecclesiastically merged into a single parish dedicated to Saint Stephen. The church of Avin being preferred by the lords of its 3 castles, the Church of Saint Lambert in Atrive was
falling into ruin, despite the efforts of the local parishioners. In 1756, it was deconsecrated, much to the dismay of the parishioners of Atrive. Its liturgical objects and documents were transferred to the parish of Avin. Despite this, however, Mass continued to be celebrated occasionally at Atrive. In 1763, the Bishop of Namur forbade all religious services in the church of Atrive. A lawsuit was brought by the commoners of Atrive against those of Avin. Although Atrive had three times as many inhabitants as Avin, the people of Avin prevailed because they sided with the wealthy owners of the three castles, whose influence secured their victory. Twenty years after their church was condemned, the inhabitants of Atrive refused to give their bells to Avin. One night, a few men took them down from the tower and hid them in a private home. Then, trusting in the new revolutionary republican authority and certain of their rights, they addressed a petition to the sub-prefect of Huy. In 1804, the sub-prefect however concluded that the petitioners had no right to claim ownership of the bells, as they now belonged to the national heritage. At the end of 1804, the bells were found and transported to Avin, where they rang out a semitone off-key for several decades, as if they were protesting. The Atrive church was finally demolished in 1804. The reused materials were sold. With this money, the Avin church council immediately built the tower of the old Saint-Etienne church. But in the end, it was the inhabitants of Atrive who had the upperhand. A new municipal hall was built in its center. In 1907, the foundation stone of the new Saint-Etienne church was laid on land made available
by Madame Jean-Baptiste de Diest, in the middle of the village of Atrive. It was inaugurated in 1908. A neogothic limestone font stands in the new church; it is listed and illustrated in BALaT KIK-IRPA https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/10028948. No trace remains of the older font."