Domfront en Poiraie (French pronunciation: [dɔ̃fʁɔ̃ ɑ̃ pwaʁɛ], literally Domfront in Pear Orchard) is a commune in the department of Orne, northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 by merger of the former communes of Domfront (the seat), La Haute-Chapelle and Rouellé.[3] Its seat, Domfront, is classed as a Petites Cités de Caractère.[4]
Domfront en Poiraie | |
|---|---|
 The town hall of Domfront | |
Location of Domfront en Poiraie  | |
  Domfront en Poiraie  Domfront en Poiraie | |
| Coordinates: 48°35′38″N 0°39′00″W / 48.594°N 0.650°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Orne |
| Arrondissement | Argentan |
| Canton | Domfront en Poiraie |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Bernard Soul[1] |
| Area 1 | 65.49 km2 (25.29 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 4,155 |
| • Density | 63/km2 (160/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 61145 /61700 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Geography
editThe commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, Le Châtellier, Buais, La Guerdais, Rouellé, L'Hargrinière, La Pichellerie, La Croix Pavée, Saint-Front, Collière and Domfront.[5]
It is 6,550 hectares (25.3 sq mi) in size. The highest point in the commune is 187 metres (614 ft).
The commune is within the Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park.[6] Domfront en Poiraie along with the communes of Perrou, Les Monts d'Andaine, Juvigny Val d'Andaine, Dompierre and Champsecret shares part of the Bassin de l'Andainette a Natura 2000 conservation site.[7] The site measures 617 hectares and is home to creatures such as the Bullhead, Brook lamprey and white-clawed crayfish.[8]
Domfront en Poiraie also shares another Natura 2000 protected area, Landes du Tertre Bizet et Fosse Arthour, which it shares with two other communes Lonlay-l'Abbaye and Saint-Georges-de-Rouelley.[9]
The Andainette, The Varenne, The Egrenne and The Sonce are the four rivers, flowing through this commune.
Population
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 4,936 | — |
| 1975 | 5,169 | +0.66% |
| 1982 | 5,291 | +0.33% |
| 1990 | 5,202 | −0.21% |
| 1999 | 5,085 | −0.25% |
| 2007 | 4,761 | −0.82% |
| 2012 | 4,571 | −0.81% |
| 2017 | 4,243 | −1.48% |
| Source: INSEE[10] | ||
Points of interest
editNational heritage sites
editThe Commune has eight buildings and areas listed as a Monument historique.[11]
- Château de Domfront are the remains of a castle which was first constructed in the 11th century, which was registered as a monument in 1875.[12] The castle was the birthplace of Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile, daughter of Henry II, King of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine.<[citation needed]
- Church of Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau an eleventh century church, registered as a Monument historique in 1840.[13]
- Saint-Julien Church a twentieth century church, decorated internally by Jean Gaudin, it was registered as a Monument historique in 1993.[14]
- City walls of Domfront, the walls were first constructed in 1014 by William of Bellême, and later improved on by Robert II, Count of Artois who added 24 enclosure towers.[15]Today there are 14 remaining towers.[15] The walls were registered as a monument in 1929.[15]
- Lyvonnières Manor a seventeenth century manor house, registered as a Monument historique in 2005.[16]
- Manoir de la Guyardière a sixteenth century manor house, registered as a Monument historique in 1992.[17]
- Manoir de la Palue a sixteenth century manor house, registered as a Monument historique in 2004.[18]
- Sausserie Manor a fourteenth century fortified house, registered as a Monument historique in 1955.[19]
Notable people
edit- Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile - (c. 1161 – 1214), Queen of Castile and Toledo as wife of Alfonso VIII of Castile, was born here.[citation needed]
- Claude Duval - (1643 - 1670) a French highwayman in Restoration England, was born here.[20]
- Émile Deshayes de Marcère - (1828 – 1918) a French politician, was born here.[21]
- Auguste Chevalier - (1873 – 1956) a French botanist, taxonomist, and explorer of tropical Africa was born here, and later buried here at the Croix des Landes cemetery.[22][23]
- Gabriel Bablon - (1905 - 1956) a French army officer and Compagnon de la Libération was born here.[24]
Twin towns – sister cities
edit
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ Arrêté préfectoral 21 December 2015 (in French)
- ^ "(Tourisme) Domfront a décroché le label Petite cité de caractère". actu.fr. 27 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Domfront en Poiraie · 61700, France". Domfront en Poiraie · 61700, France.
- ^ "rapport de charte" (PDF), parc-naturel-normandie-maine.fr/
- ^ "INPN - FSD Natura 2000 - FR2500119 - Bassin de l'Andainette - Description".
- ^ "Bassin de l'Andainette" (PDF). Ministère de la Transition écologique.
- ^ "INPN - FSD Natura 2000 - FR2500076 - Landes du Tertre Bizet et Fosse Arthour - Description".
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
- ^ "Les Monuments Historiques en Orne - 61". monumentum.fr.
- ^ "Château à Domfront en Poiraie - PA00110791". monumentum.fr.
- ^ "Eglise Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau ou Notre-Dame-sous-l'Eau à Domfront en Poiraie - PA00110792". monumentum.fr.
- ^ "Eglise Saint-Julien à Domfront en Poiraie - PA00125312". monumentum.fr.
- ^ a b c "Enceinte de la ville à Domfront en Poiraie - PA00110793". monumentum.fr.
- ^ "Manoir de Lyvonnières à Domfront en Poiraie - PA61000038". monumentum.fr.
- ^ "Manoir de la Guyardière à Domfront en Poiraie - PA00111000". monumentum.fr.
- ^ "Manoir de la Palue à Domfront en Poiraie - PA00110794". monumentum.fr.
- ^ "Manoir de la Sausserie à Domfront en Poiraie - PA00110821". monumentum.fr.
- ^ Connelly, Charlie (20 January 2022). "Claude Duval: The archetypal dandy highwayman and embodiment of the English Restoration". The New European.
- ^ "Emile Deshayes de Marcère - Base de données des députés français depuis 1789 - Assemblée nationale". www2.assemblee-nationale.fr.
- ^ "Chevalier, Auguste Jean Baptiste (1873-1956) on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org.
- ^ "61 - PATRIMOINE FUNERAIRE DE L'ORNE : Etat des lieux - Cimetières de France et d'ailleurs". www.landrucimetieres.fr.
- ^ "Gabriel BABLON". Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération.
- ^ "24 jumelages franco-allemands dans l'Orne". Ouest-France.fr. 21 January 2013.
- ^ "A Domfront, la passion du vélo a consolidé leur amour". actu.fr. 9 February 2023.
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