Moncé-en-Belin
Commune in Pays de la Loire, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Moncé-en-Belin (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃se ɑ̃ bəlɛ̃]) is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire in north-western France.
Moncé-en-Belin | |
|---|---|
The church of Saint-Étienne, in Moncé-en-Belin | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Moncé-en-Belin | |
  Moncé-en-Belin Location within France  Moncé-en-Belin Location within Pays de la Loire | |
| Coordinates: 47°53′43″N 0°11′56″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Pays de la Loire |
| Department | Sarthe |
| Arrondissement | Le Mans |
| Canton | Écommoy |
| Intercommunality | CC de l'Orée de Bercé Bélinois |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Irène Boyer[1] |
Area 1 | 17.49 km2 (6.75 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 3,697 |
| • Density | 211.4/km2 (547.5/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Moncéen, Moncéenne |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 72200 /72230 |
| Elevation | 40–81 m (131–266 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
The commune is historically in the Haut-Maine part of the province of Maine.[3]
Toponymy
The suffix Belin expresses the belonging of the commune to the territory of Belinois.
During the French Revolution, the town bore the name of Moncé-lès-Le Mans, in reference to the nearby city of Le Mans.[4]
Geography
Moncé-en-Belin is located 12 km south of Le Mans, 10 km north-west of Écommoy, and about 8 km from the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit. The commune is a part of the community of communes of Orée de Bercé - Belinois,[5] in southern Sarthe.
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 1,205 | — |
| 1975 | 1,688 | +4.93% |
| 1982 | 2,056 | +2.86% |
| 1990 | 2,257 | +1.17% |
| 1999 | 2,463 | +0.98% |
| 2007 | 3,245 | +3.51% |
| 2012 | 3,440 | +1.17% |
| 2017 | 3,670 | +1.30% |
| 2023 | 3,697 | +0.12% |
| Source: INSEE[6] | ||
Local culture and heritage
The area around the town has several sites of notable historical value, including the following:
- Church of Saint-Étienne from the 11th century, containing a retable set,[7] a mural of the Virgin Mary,[8] a painting, and two statues, which have been given the designation of Monument historique
- Chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Bois from 1828
- War memorial
- Monument to the eight airmen (six Canadians, one English, and one Australian) who died on 23 May 1944, during World War II
- Castle mound of Vaux
- Roman camp
- Château de la Gourdinière
- Château de la Beaussonière
- Hattonnieres Castle
A Latin wayside cross in Roussard sandstone.
A cross from the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage.
The castle mound in the hamlet of Vaux.
The Notre-Dame-des-Bois chapel.
.JPG)
