Sept-Forges
| Sept-Forges | ||
|---|---|---|
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| local community | Juvigny Val d'Andaine | |
| region | Normandy | |
| Department | Orne | |
| Arrondissement | Alencon | |
| Coordinates | 48 ° 30 ′ N , 0 ° 32 ′ W | |
| Post Code | 61330 | |
| Former INSEE code | 61469 | |
| Incorporation | January 1, 2016 | |
| status | Commune déléguée | |
 Church Saint-Aignan |
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Sept-Forges is a village and a former French commune with 251 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Orne department in the Normandy region . It belonged to the Arrondissement of Alençon and the canton of Bagnoles-de-l'Orne .
With effect from January 1, 2016, the previous municipalities of Juvigny-sous-Andaine , La Baroche-sous-Lucé , Beaulandais , Loré , Lucé , Saint-Denis-de-Villenette and Sept-Forges became a Commune nouvelle with the name Juvigny Val d'Andaine and have the status of a Commune déléguée in the new municipality . The administrative headquarters are in Juvigny-sous-Andaine.
geography
The place Sept-Forges is six kilometers southwest of La Chapelle-d'Andaine and in the extreme south of the Orne department. The river Mayenne , which runs along the southern and eastern edge of the municipality, forms the border with the neighboring Mayenne department . In addition to the core town, which is located directly on the river bank, there are several hamlets on the municipality's territory. The area is shaped by the Bocage landscape.
Until 2016, the neighboring municipalities of Sept-Forges were Saint-Denis-de-Villenette in the north, Juvigny-sous-Andaine in the northeast, Geneslay in the east, Rennes-en-Grenouilles in the southeast, Le Housseau-Brétignolles in the south and Loré in the west.
history
The name of the place literally means "seven forges" and is derived from a corresponding number of such businesses; In the Middle Ages these represented an essential branch of the economy.
At the time of the Roman occupation, an important traffic and trade route ran through what is now the municipality. In its current form, the village was first mentioned in the 10th century. At that time it belonged to the Duchy of Normandy and was administered by the castellany of Domfront ; however, it was right on the border with the Maine Territory . During the Huguenot Wars at the end of the Middle Ages, it became the scene of conflicts between the French and the English. The decline of an important local branch of the economy began in the 17th century with the blacksmiths that were once named. Nevertheless, a large number of local businesses and small businesses have survived to this day.
In 1832, part of the previously independent municipality of Étrigée was incorporated into Sept-Forges, while the other part fell to Saint-Denis-de-Villenette. For Étrigée, this also meant moving from the Mayenne department to the Orne department.
Population development
| year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2011 |
| Residents | 425 | 394 | 363 | 317 | 250 | 265 | 298 |
During the French Revolution, the population was 906 in 1793. It then remained more or less constant before it received a boost in 1832 through the incorporation of part of the former municipality of Étrigée and in 1836 a historic high of 971 inhabitants was registered. This was followed by a continuous slight decline, so that in 1901 only 713 people were counted. The two world wars in particular resulted in a further significant decrease, down to 465 people who were registered in 1954. In 1990, the historic low was reached with 250 inhabitants, after which a slight increase began.
Culture and sights
In the center of the village there is a beech-covered hill that served as an observation post from the 11th century and was intended to secure the border between Normandy and the neighboring region of Maine. The parish church of Saint-Aignan , the Mairie and a public garden are adjacent to the 35 meter long and 30 meter wide cluster . The church was built in the 14th century. Two centuries later, the bell tower was built, with buttresses at its four corners and a protruding point in the middle.
Another religious building is the Saint-Joseph chapel, which was built in the late 16th century and is located at the current cemetery. The starting point for the naming is a legend, according to which Saint Joseph showed the local pastor the way out of a snowstorm and thus saved his life. The formerly independent district of Étrigé (formerly Étrigée ) has a Notre-Dame chapel dating back to the 12th century . It was rebuilt in the 17th century and restoration work began in 1969. It has been classified as a monument historique since 1997 .
The preserved Manoir de Mebzon is also located in Étrigé and is a mansion built in the 15th century. In earlier times it had its own chapel, of which only small remains exist. In feudal times it was on the side of the Maine region, but was right on the border with Normandy. Despite this location and the French Revolution that began in 1789 , the main part of the building survived the historical development.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Decree NOR 1111-15-00059 the prefecture on the formation of the commune nouvelle Juvigny Val d'Andaine of 28 December 2015 .
- ↑ Mairie de Sept-Forges , annuaire-mairie.fr
- ↑ a b Sept-Forges , cdcdupaysdandaine.fr
- ↑ Sept-Forges , cassini.ehess.fr
- ↑ Le patrimoine de Sept-Forges , cdcdupaysdandaine.fr