Saulges

Saulges is a commune of 300 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011 ) in the department of Mayenne in the Pays de la Loire.

General

The village lies on the edge of a rocky gorge of erve whose water has washed out some caves in the bluffs. The Canyon de Saulges and the Grottes de Saulges are typical karst formations. In these caves archaeological objects were uncovered, including a 500,000 years old human tooth from the Lower Palaeolithic. In the cave La Dérouine black painted depictions of horse, bison and mammoth are seen, which are counted in the Franco-Cantabrian cave art.

The wildlife is represented in the caves by the greater horseshoe bat and in the woods by the rare longhorn beetle, which is the largest of its kind in France. Therefore Saulges counts as a protected area Natura 2000.

Saulges also belongs to the Conseil national des villes et villages fleuris and the Pays d' art et d' histoire Coëvrons - Mayenne, this together with Mayenne, Évron, Sainte -Suzanne and Jublains.

Significant religious buildings are the former parish church Chapelle Saint- Pierre from the Carolingian period, the church of Notre -Dame, first mentioned in 1060 and a hermitage, founded by CENERE de Saulges.

History

The basic rule of Saulges was built in 1556 by Jean de Thévalle, Governor of Metz. 1592 the area was devastated by French Huguenots in the English service. Middle of the 17th century was the rule over by marriage to Louis II de Bourbon, prince de Condé, known as " Le Grand Condé ," said his son Henri III. Jules de Bourbon, prince de Condé and Grand Master of France followed.

Demographics

Gallery

Climbing in the canyon

Chapelle Saint Pierre

Hermitage St. CENERE

Lime Kiln 1834