Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei

French commune
nomcommune=Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei
Bridge over the River Sarthe
at Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei
région=Basse-Normandie
département=Orne
arrondissement=Alençon
canton=Alençon 1
insee=61372
cp=61250
maire=Kenneth Tatham
mandat=2001–2008
intercomm=
longitude=-0.0513888888889
latitude=48.3808333333
alt moy=120 m
alt mini=115
alt maxi=193 m
km²=3.86
sans=122
date-sans=1999
dens=31
date-dens=1999|

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.

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.

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 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.

External links

* [http://www.saintceneri.org/ Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei website]