Domfront en Poiraie
Commune in Orne, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 | |
| 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 (2023)[2] | 4,113 |
| • Density | 62.80/km2 (162.7/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
The 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 Égrenne and The Sonce are the four rivers, flowing through this commune.[10][11][12]
Population
Population data refer to the area corresponding with the commune as of January 2025.
| 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% |
| 2023 | 4,113 | −0.52% |
| Source: INSEE[13] | ||
Points of interest
National heritage sites
The Commune has eight buildings and areas listed as a Monument historique.[14]
- 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.[15] 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.[16]
- Saint-Julien Church a twentieth century church, decorated internally by Jean Gaudin, it was registered as a Monument historique in 1993.[17]
- 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.[18] Today there are 14 remaining towers.[18] The walls were registered as a monument in 1929.[18]
- Lyvonnières Manor a seventeenth century manor house, registered as a Monument historique in 2005.[19]
- Manoir de la Guyardière a sixteenth century manor house, registered as a Monument historique in 1992.[20]
- Manoir de la Palue a sixteenth century manor house, registered as a Monument historique in 2004.[21]
- Sausserie Manor a fourteenth century fortified house, registered as a Monument historique in 1955.[22]
Sport
- Hippodrome de la Croix des Landes - Is a Race course that every has Harness racing in the last Sunday of every July.[23][24]
Notable people
- 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.[25]
- Émile Deshayes de Marcère - (1828 – 1918) a French politician, was born here.[26]
- 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.[27][28]
- Gabriel Bablon - (1905 - 1956) a French army officer and Compagnon de la Libération was born here.[29]
- Chantal Jourdan - a member of the French National Assembly was born here.[30]
