Alençon

Alençon is the capital ( as of January 1, 2011 ) by and with 26,300 inhabitants also the largest city in the Orne in Basse- Normandie region of France. Alençon is one of the municipalities of the Regional Natural Park of Normandy Maine.

Some French kings bore the title of Duke of Alençon, since this title was given after 1549 to the third -born son of the king.

• 5.1 Local Products

• 6.1 Sons and daughters of the town
• 6.2 personalities who have worked here

Geography

Alençon in northern France on the southern edge of the department of Orne, named after the city landscape Campagne d' Alençon, about 90 kilometers south-east of Caen, capital of Basse -Normandie region, and 48 kilometers north of Le Mans on an average height of 140 meters above the sea level. The Mairie stands at a height of 136 meters. Neighboring communities of Alençon are Damigny the northwest, Le Chevain in the east, Saint- Paterne the southeast and Saint- Germain- du- Corbéis in the southwest. The municipality has an area of ​​1068 hectares. Alencon is located on the Sarthe and the Briante, a tributary of the Sarthe.

The municipality is one of the type Cfb climate zone ( Köppen and Geiger after ) assigned: Warm Temperate rain climate ( C ), fully wet ( f), the warmest month below 22 ° C, at least four months above 10 ° C ( b). There is a maritime climate with moderate summer.

History

In Gallo -Roman times Alençon was only a ford across the Sarthe. As a fortified market town of Alençon is first mentioned in the 11th century. The city grew, was appointed to the county and at the beginning of the 15th century the Duchy. In the 16th century influenced Margaret of Angoulême the city life. She promoted the Reformation and some residents known early Calvinism.

1665 a royal lace manufactory was founded, whose point d' Alençon, as the special design of the tip was called, was kept secret. In 2010, the point d' Alençon was added to the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

1793 Alencon received in the wake of the French Revolution ( 1789-1799 ) the status of a municipality and 1801 by the administrative reform in the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte ( 1769-1821) the right to local self-government.

During World War II (1939-1945) Alençon was occupied by the German Wehrmacht. On 12 August 1944, the city was blindée of the 2ème Division under General Leclerc freed.

The highest population of the city had in 1975.

Policy

Alençon is the seat of the municipal association Communauté urbaine d' Alençon, the prefecture of the department, the sub-prefecture of the arrondissement and the capital of three cantons.

Twin Cities

• Quakenbruck ( Germany )
• Koutiala (Mali)
• Basingstoke (England)

Culture and sights

Economy and infrastructure

Alençon is a location of textile and electrical industries.

There are three secondary schools, six professional schools, six Collèges as well as several private and public elementary schools in Alençon. The town has a railway station and a tourist and athletic used the airport.

Local products

The municipal area controlled designation of origin (AOC ) for Maine Anjou beef and protected geographical indications ( PGI ) for beef labeled boeuf du Maine, Pork ( Porc de Normandie ), poultry apply ( Volailles du Maine, de Loue and de Normandie), chicken eggs ( Œufs de Loue ) and Cidre de Normandie or normand.

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the town

• Léonard Bourdon (1754-1807), politician, President of the National Assembly of 1789
• Jacques Julien Houton de Labillardiere (1755-1834), naturalist and traveler
• Jacques -René Hébert (1757-1794), journalist, revolutionary and radical church opponents, executed
• Marie Anne Lenormand (1772-1843), Fortune Teller
• Celine Martin (1869-1959), Carmelite nun
• Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), Carmelite nun, canonized in 1925
• Louise Hervieu (1878-1954), painter and writer
• André Couder (1897-1979), astronomer, inventor of the telescope Coudron
• Guy Renaudin (1918-2002), racing cyclist
• Daniel Balavoine (1952-1986), singer
• Anne Consigny ( born 1963 ), actress
• Lorant German ( born 1975 ), actor and writer
• Benoît Treluyer (* 1976), race car driver
• Jonathan Cochet ( born 1977 ), race car driver
• Anthony Geslin ( b. 1980 ), cyclist

Personalities who have worked here

• Margaret of Angoulême (1492-1549), the older sister of the French king Francis I married the Duke of Alençon, Charles IV, and lived from 1509 to 1514 and from 1519 to 1525 in Alençon.