Almenêches

Almenêches is a commune with 689 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Orne in Basse-Normandie region. It belongs to the community association Communauté de communes du Pays de Mortrée.

History

In 1025 Almenêches was mentioned as Almanniscus documentary, 1136 as Castrum Almaniscarum. The place name has evolved from Alemanniska (villa), " Alemannic village " developed. He is probably referring to Roman soldiers Alemannic descent, who settled under the Litus saxonicum the late 3rd century or early 4th century in what is now northern France with their families. North of Almenêches, near Caen, is the municipality of Fleury- sur- Orne, which was called until 1916 Allemagne, what underpins this thesis. Further evidence for this hypothesis are findings that were in the necropolis Caenebene as taken from the 4th century, Saint -Martin- de -Fontenay, Frénouville, Moult and Airan. In Frénouville Luc Buchet noted in 1978 that the numerical ratio of late antiquity (4th and 5th century) and early medieval ( 6th and 7th centuries ) burials could be explained only by immigration. Buchet added in 1996, that in the 4th century a rapid immigration would have to be done, which had enabled it to determine anthropological differences between the graves of migrant and resident individuals. Archaeological these graves were also distinguishable, because in the tombs of the immigrants themselves were Germanic grave goods. In the 6th and 7th centuries no differences were observed.

1102 used Duke Robert II of Normandy the monastery Almenêches to gather his soldiers before the campaign against Robert II de Bellême. Robert de Bellême reached then to the monastery and burned it down.

Demographics

From 1962, only residents with a primary residence

Attractions

• Almenêches Abbey, convent of the Benedictines, 1060 rebuilt by Roger II de Montgomery, 1102 burnt down by his son Robert II de Bellême. The monastery no longer exists.
• The parish church dating from the 16th/17th. century

Personalities

• Opportuna of Montreuil († 770), abbess of Almenêches
• Louis -Guillaume Perreaux (1816-1889), inventor