Alençon

Alençon is a common French located in the department of the Orne and the area Basse-Normandie. Its Urban community includes several communes located in the department of the the Sarthe on which it is immediately bordering.

Its inhabitants is called Alençonnais.

Geography

The town of Alençon is located at the junction of the river the Sarthe and the river Briante which goes down from the forest of Écouves. This city has a basement Calcaire: limestones with Nérinées in the east and limestones oolitic to the west, both of Jurassic age. The Granite of Alençon is more in-depth, but it levels with the Cop-on-Sarthe, in the west of the city, where it was exploited until worms 1985. The city was built with this granite of good quality (low in iron).

Localities and variations

Communes bordering

Administration

See also: List of the mayors of Alençon

Heraldic

Demography

History

Origins of the settlement with Alençon and in its surroundings

The most recent research makes it possible to include/understand how the site of the town of Alençon was occupied. Old periods: in the surroundings of the city, the archeologists studied sites going up with the Neolithic , as with Saint-Germain-of-Corbéis the where it is about a career of schist extraction intended for the manufacture of jewels, or with Cerisé where vestiges of habitats were excavated. The Bronze Age is also represented in Cerisé with the existence of funerary circles. The Age of Iron is very present in the countryside alençonnaise, would be this only through many names of communes and localities. There exist also many indigenous farms, term indicating the Gallic farms before the romanisation.
All these periods, are not represented on the site even a town of Alençon. The Gallo-Roman period is also present with many sites. When the archeologists take stock of the data, the sites concentrate in the shape of two crowns surrounding Alençon. They deduce from it that these sites, with agricultural vocation, made live a center more populated. Is it of a villa or a Vicus? The main issue is that no trace of Gallo-Roman occupation is known within the current limits of Alençon. On the other hand, there exist traces of a passage. Several currencies were found through the city: street of the Large Potteries, Main street, old Bridge of the Sarthe, street of the Firebrands.

The name of Alençon originates in the association of a Roman prefix and a Gallic suffix: Al-uncus . The significance is literally “in the meander”. In fact, Alençon, according to this direction, is founded in a meander of the river the Sarthe, that is to say the current district of Montsort. Indeed, the Gallo-Roman ones preferred to settle in healthy places, as the end of the calcareous plate which Montsort constitutes, and not in the marshy cashing where Alençon developed from.

The Christianisation of Normandy starts in the middle of. First of all Gallo-Roman aristocrats, living at the same time in urban centres and having rural vast domains, import this new religion. At this period, we are in the Second Lyons but, as from years 380, this province is cut into two. The capitals are respectively Tours and Rouen, under the authority of two bishops, former servicemen: Martin and Victrice. Moreover, the west of Gaulle profits from a relative stability. Saint Victrice maintains the relations supported with Ambroise of Milan. In 396, holy Ambroise offers relics to Victrice saint, in particular those of Saint Gervais and Saint Protais. Relics of the two saints are brought to Sées this same year, devoting the cathedral. From there, the Gallo-Roman aristocrats will allow Christianity to penetrate of advantage the campaigns, to make move back paganism. The area which corresponds more or less to current Normandy is called with the Tractus Armoricus , division military and administrative. It is indeed necessary to prevent the invasions of the Saxons by the sea. The Tractus Armoricus functions during all it. The authority is held by the bishops. The countries, pagi, are used as framework with évêchés. Thus, the pagus oxismensis , the country of Exmes, corresponds to the évêché of Sées. It is divided into four centenae including one in Alençon for administrative chief town: pagus novaciensis with Neuvy-with-Houlme the, pagus saginsis with Sées, pagus corbonnensis with Corbon, pagus alencionnensis with Alençon. It is the first mention of Alençon, late bus of, but these divisions are installation at.

During late Antiquity and the period mérovingienne, Alençon is Montsort. “Montsort” is a late name, as for the name “Alençon”, it is collected with following a displacement of the center of the capacities on northern bank of the Sarthe. The village mérovingien of Alençon corresponds to the Saint-Pierre parish is Montsort. It is massed on the end of the plate on southern bank of the Sarthe. Saint-Pierre indicates a funerary church of. The parish is imposed in kind by the bishop of Mans with oil and wax intended for the lighting of the cathedral and a third of penny mérovingien. The the Sarthe is the limit between the évêchés of Mans and Sées. Alençon is the chief town of a centenie mérovingienne then of a Carolingian vicarie, which is an equivalent division.

At the Carolingian period, Alençon is in the ducatus cenomannensis , the duchy of Mans, which is part of the Neustrie. The area undergoes the raids Vikings. The invaders penetrate the area by going up the course of the Flowering ash towards the south, or north while following the the Loire, the Maine and the Sarthe. In 911, the Traité Saint-Clearly-on-Epte stipulates that the Carolingian king yields a vast territory to Rollon, Viking chief. This territory is a kingdom between the Seine and the Loire, too vast so that the men, that from now on the Norman ones are called, can invest it. A progressive taking possession is installation, évêché after évêché. In 924, Sées is asserted by the Norman ones. They arrive until the southernmost limit, that is to say the Sarthe. A new center is created on northern bank, to compete with the village of southern bank (Montsort-Alençon), and to affirm the new capacity. While waiting to assert évêché of Mans, from the pacts passed with the noble ones of the sector, widening the orbit Norman. The family of Bellême is the most important authority on the southernmost walk of Normandy, of Mortagne to Domfront. This seigniory of Bellême is a vast buffer zone between the Perche, the Anjou, the Brittany and the Normandy. Alençon is consequently in an advantageous position.

A Prieuré of the Abbaye of Lonlay is established in second half of the 12th century.

Set up in duchy in 1414, Alençon was definitively attached to the royal field in 1549, after the death of Marguerite de France (1492-1549) known as Marguerite of Angouleme , sister of the king François I {{er}}, widow in first weddings of the last duke Charles IV (death in 1525 at the time of the Bataille of Pavia).

After its widowhood, having established its court with Alençon and there being remained after its remarriage with the king de Navarre Henri II '' of Albret '', Marguerite of Angouleme (maternal grandmother of the future Henri IV) let the Calvinisme be established in the city. First city acquired with the ideas calvinists, Alençon quickly becomes a hearth of the Réforme. The small catechism of Luther is printed there as of 1529 by Simon Dubois. The Protestants seize the city, ransack the churches and prohibit the catholic worship. During the wars of religion, the Duke of Mayenne, chief of the League and Henri de Navarre, future Henri IV, disputes several cities of the duchy of Alençon which becomes the theater of hard confrontations. Alençon falls to the hands from the duke from Mayenne before being begun again by Henri IV which sells the duchy to the duke Frederic I {{er}} of Wurtemberg in 1605. Marie de Médicis repurchases to him in 1613. Preferring to flee rather than to have to undergo the Dragonnades, Alençonnais reformed leave an empty city to the troops of dragons. The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes involves a strong immigration towards the England, the Netherlands or the islands Anglo-Norman. Colbert founds in 1665 its famous manufactures of which that of the very famous point of France or not of Alençon created in 1650 starting from the point of Venice. Alençon employed, with the apogee of its art, to eight thousand lacemakers.

In 1636, during the recasting of the territorial administration of the kingdom by Richelieu, the duchy of Alençon is removed and replaced by a general information forming part, with those of Rouen and Caen, of the government of Normandy. Alençon was named, during this new cutting of the kingdom in tax elections, Généralité of the province of the Perche.

Economy

At the 15th century, the lace which will know its apogee later two centuries, begins in competition with the “point from Venice”.

See also: Lace of Alençon

Appeared as of the 16th century, printing works is quickly flourishing. The family Malassis will found a great line of printers.

The weaving of the fabric and the groundwork of hemp at the 17th century brings prosperity. Alençon manufactures at that time, a kind of fabric called “foil” or “blancard”. the city knows a beginning of industrial revolution to which the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes will carry a fatal blow by causing the escape of the industrial Huguenot S towards the England and the Holland.

At the 19th century, Alençon knows an industrial revival thanks to the opening of several factories. Networks of road transport and railway develop, but the decision to make pass the Paris-Brest railway line by Mans instead of Alençon condemns it, in spite of a flourishing typographical industry, with the decline until the end of the Second world war.

At the 20th century, Alençon becomes one of the bastions of Moulinex (industrial company of electric household appliances). The factory Moulinex d' Alençon, created in 1937 by Jean Mantelet, from which leaves in particular famous “mill-vegetables”, becomes the industrial heart of the city. The permanent closure of the factory, in 2002, still counting at the time close to: 1000 employees and ensuring of work many subcontractors, is a shock for the city and the department. Today, the Seb group sub-contracted the manufacture of the vegetable mill at the company Adiamix (40 paid), opened on the old site of Moulinex.

The shortly after the closing of Moulinex, the municipality launched the plane Phoenix , whose slogan is 1000 employment in 1000 days.

Created in 1983, the Institute of higher learning of plasturgie of Alençon (ISPA) contributed, while forming with the trades of the Plasturgie, with the establishment of new companies, specialized in particular in the plasturgie.

The opening of the A28, between Alençon and Mans in June 2001, and between Alençon and Rouen in October 2005, made it possible, moreover, to disenclose the city.

Alençon is the seat of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Alençon.

Industries

  • Cheese dairies Rich Mounts : 200 paid;
  • M.P.O. Fenestrate (Plastic Joinery of the West): 150 paid.

Civil inheritance

  • the Castle of the Dukes : the existing buildings account for only 10% of the unit. There remains the châtelet, a curtain, the crowned tower and a postern; the law courts dating from Ier Empire are at side.
  • the Town hall (Foch place): frame in the shape of arc of circle of 1783 with 1788 by the Delarue architect.
  • the House of Ozé (14th century): the alderman Jean de Mesnil made it modify in 1450. Charles de Valois, duke of Alençon and his wife, Marguerite de Navarre lived there and there would have even invited the future Henri IV in 1576. She shelters the Tourist bureau today.
  • the Hotel of Own way : built starting from 1630, out of pink bricks with granite chainings of Hertré in a pure style Louis XIII, it is used as prefecture since 1800.
  • the Corn exchange : dating from the beginning of the 19th century (built 1811 with 1819), its dome of iron and glass was added later by Croquefer. This circular monument is used today as room for various exposures and events.
  • the Library : old Saint-Joseph church of the college of the Jesuits, built at the 17th century. Its roof with imperial is equipped with a bell-tower at the XVIIIe century for the courses of astronomy. Its cupboards in oak carved of the 18th century coming from the Abbey of the Valley God contain, inter alia, of the rare editions going up until the 16th century and of the medieval manuscripts.
  • the Museum of the Art schools and Lace : located in the rehabilitated buildings of the old college of the Jesuits.
  • the Bankruptcy court : with its polygonal turret, this elegant construction of the middle of the 16th century described by Balzac in the Cabinet of the Antiques was the seat of the office of finances as from 1640.
  • the district Saint-Léonard or district of the Marshes: district of old Alençon to the evocative names (street of the Castle, street Cap, street of Lombards, street of Juiverie) going back to the Middle Ages.

Public transport

The network of the Urban community of Alençon Alto includes/understands 10 lines, and a service of Transport to the request. It serves 10 communes: Alençon, Arçonnay, Cherry, the Cop-on-Sarthe, Damigny, Chevain, Pacé, Saint-Germain-of-Corbéis the, Saint-Benevolent and Valframbert. The Alto park is composed of 21 vehicles almost all of Heuliez mark. Since 1993 the buses of the network Alto run to the Diester to fight against atmospheric pollution.

Religious heritage

  • the Church Notre-Dame : nave of the 15th century, blazing porch, beginning. Following a fire, the chorus and the bell-tower were rebuilt in the middle of.
  • the Church Saint-Léonard : style Gothic blazing of 15th, pillars of the tower of Romance style, very altered.
  • Vault Notre-Dame de Lorette : built towards 1680 in the district of Montsort.

Museums

The Museum of the Art schools and the Lace of Alençon, contiguous to the library, is devoted, in addition to lace, at the schools of French, Italian and Scandinavian painting of and with arts of the Kampuchea. Temporary exhibitions, in particular on famous dressmakers, are organized there regularly.

Files

  • parochial Registers and of civil statue since:
  • genealogical Examinations:
  • municipal Deliberations since:

Events

  • Ornexpo (March)
  • Alencon-Médavy: pedestrian race (April)
  • Festival from here and besides (June)
  • beautiful escapes: spectacles in the open air (be)
  • National meetings of the blog citizen
  • regional Forum on the Dematerialization *Septembre of the Flowering ash: festival of classical music (26th edition in 2008)

Natives of Alençon

Reference books

  • Louis Duval, State of the general information of Alençon under Louis XIV , Alençon, Rent-Fountain, 1890
  • Pierre-Joseph Odolant-Desnos, historical Memories on the town of Alençon and its lords. Preceded by an essay on the people which in the past lived the Duchy of Alençon & the County of the Pole, & on the old state of these countries , Alençon, J.Z. Malassis, 1787

Literature

  • Marguerite de Navarre, Heptaméron (new I), 1542
  • Pierre-Crow Blessebois, Adventures of the Park of Alençon , 1668
  • Blessebois Pierre-Crow, Rut or extinct decency , 1676
  • Blessebois Pierre-Crow, the Crow of Miss de Sçay , 1678
  • Honore de Balzac, the Old maid , 1837
  • Honore de Balzac, the Cabinet of the Antiques , 1838
  • Janine Montupet, the Lacemaker of Alençon , Robert Laffont, Paris, 1984. ISBN 2221046269
  • Jean-Louis Vigla, Crime thoroughbred with Alençon , Corlet, Condé-sur-Noireau 1999. ISBN 2854807197

Sentences

Alençon
Small town, great reputation,
Dress of velvet and belly of sound
(Pierre Corneille de Blessebois)

Alençon

Small town, great reputation,
Autant of whores of than of houses
And if they were well counted
As much as chimneys
(Canel, popular Blason of Normandy , T. 1, p. 114)

Twinning

The town of Alençon is twinned with the cities of:

Gastronomy

Brotherhoods

  • Commanderie of the Goustiers ends of the Duchy of Alençon

Specialities

  • Andouillette of Alençon
  • Stoppers of Alençon
  • Stones of Notre-Dame (or “old paving stones”) of Alençon
  • Sanguette d' Alençon
  • Goose in stew of Alençon
  • Pears Deanery of Alençon

Markets

  • Market days: Tuesday (gone of Perseigne), Thursday (gone of the center town), Saturday (center town) and Sunday (gone of Courteille)

Tourist guides

  • Flowering ash , Guides Gallimard
  • Normandy , Guides Blue, Hatchet

Mineralogy

  • Diamond of Alençon
  • Granite of Alençon
  • Kaolin of Alençon

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