Essay, Orne
Commune in Normandy, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Essay (French pronunciation: [ɛsɛ] ⓘ) is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. The town is mainly known nowadays for its motorsports tracks, and hosted a round of the 2011 European Rallycross Championship.
Essay | |
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The church in Essay | |
 Location of Essay | |
  Essay  Essay | |
| Coordinates: 48°32′30″N 0°14′52″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Orne |
| Arrondissement | Alençon |
| Canton | Écouves |
| Intercommunality | Sources de l'Orne |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Pascale Leroy[1] |
Area 1 | 15.99 km2 (6.17 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 556 |
| • Density | 34.8/km2 (90.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 61156 /61500 |
| Elevation | 141–206 m (463–676 ft) (avg. 160 m or 520 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Notable buildings and places
- Le circuit des Ducs - is a racing circuit that was built in 1975.[3] The circuit that has been used to stage a round of the French rallycross championship and Fol'Car races.[4][5]
National heritage sites
The commune has two buildings/areas listed as a Monument historique.[6]
- Domaine de Beaufossé is an 18th-century house and estate, declared as a Monument historique in 2001.[7] The gardens of the estate were landscaped by Henri and Achille Duchêne.[7] The estate grounds are shared with the neighbouring commune of Boitron.[8]
- Chapel of the Dukes of Alençon is a 12th-century chapel that was part of a castle originally built by William of Bellême in 1088.[9] It was listed as a monument in 1975.[9]
Notable people
- Marie d'Alençon (1373 – 1417) a French noblewoman, a Princess of the Blood, and the wife of Jean VII of Harcourt was born here.[10]
- John I, Duke of Alençon (1385 – 1415), a French nobleman was born here.[11]
- François Robichon de La Guérinière (1688–1751) was a French riding master and one of the most influential writers on the art of dressage, was born here.[12]
