Country France Department Orne Time zone CET (UTC+1) Area 3.86 km² Population 122 (1999) | Region Normandy Canton Alençon 1 INSEE/Postal code 61372 /61250 Local time Tuesday 6:41 PM Arrondissement Alençon | |
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Weather 16°C, Wind SW at 21 km/h, 59% Humidity | ||
Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.
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Map of 61250 Saint-C%C3%A9neri-le-G%C3%A9rei, France
It lies on the River Sarthe 13 km (8.1 mi) from Alençon, the chef-lieu of the department, and some 200 km (120 mi) west of Paris.
History
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 Vikings in 903. The church was a dependency of the abbey of Saint-Evroult-en-Ouche.
The name le-Gérei comes from William Giroie, who built a castle here in 1044 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 his son in 1088.
During the Hundred Years' War, Ambroise de Loré managed to defend the stronghold against the king of England Henry V and, then his brother John Plantagenet until 1434.
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.
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.
Transport
Saint-Céneri lies within 10 to 15 km (9.3 mi) 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.