Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Commune of Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei |
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| Location | |
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Basse-Normandie |
| Department | Orne |
| Arrondissement | Alençon |
| Canton | Alençon 1 |
| Mayor | Kenneth Tatham (2001–2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 115 m–193 m (avg. 120 m) |
| Land area¹ | 3.86 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
122 |
| - Density | 31/km² (1999) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 61372/ 61250 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
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Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei is a village and commune in the Orne department and Basse-Normandie region of France. It lies on the River Sarthe 13 km from Alençon, the chef-lieu of the department, and some 200 km west of Paris.
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[edit] History
Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei was founded in 1044 by William Giroie, who built a castle here of which only parts of the walls remain today. In 1060 the castle came under siege from Duke William II of Normandy (the future King William I of England) before being taken by Robert Courteheuse in 1088. During the Hundred Years' War, Ambroise de Loré managed to defend the stronghold until 1434.
The place is named for Serenicus (or Genericus), an Italian hermit who lived here during the 8th century. When he died, a monastery was built, later destroyed by the Normans in 903. The church was a dependency of the abbey of Saint-Evroult-en-Ouche.
The beauty of the village's setting, in a wooded loop of the River Sarthe, has attracted and inspired many artists since the 19th century. The village even has its own festival which annually celebrates those painters who came to, or lived in, Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei.
[edit] Economy
Saint-Céneri's economy is largely based on tourism, its status as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ("France's Most Beautiful Villages") and its tranquil environment attracting many visitors to the village.
[edit] Transport
Saint-Céneri lies within 10 to 15 km of both the A28 motorway – linking Abbeville to Tours by way of Rouen and Le Mans – and the N12 trunk road from Paris to Rennes and Brest.
