Castle-of-Dormouse

Castle-of-Dormouse is a common French, located in the department of the the Sarthe and the area Pays of the Loire.

Its inhabitants is called Castéloriens.

Geography

Town of 6000 inhabitants (16 000 H in a radius of 10 km) in valley of the Dormouse, economic pole of the south-east of the the Sarthe and north of the Indre-et-Loire, to 40 km of the Mans.
Common bordering

The communes bordering are: Flée, Luceau, Montabon, Nogent-on-Dormouse, Vouvray-on-Dormouse.

History

At the borders of the historical Anjou, and Maine, Castle-of-Dormouse is located at the limit of the Country of the Maine angevin, close to the Touraine. The privileged geographical location of the canton attracted many covetousnesses throughout the history. The kings of France and England disputed this fortified town, chief town of a seneschalsy of 78 parishes, (deanery attached to the diocese of Mans), until in 1789.

This importance was due especially to its geographical location which was worth to him to be victim of the competition of the and crowns of France England.

When the last lord of Castle-of-Dormouse did not have any more a male descent towards 1095, the châtellenie of Castle-of-Dormouse was had successively by Geoffroi Beautiful the known as Plantagenêt (line angevine) which died in 1151 and by the kings of England whose Geoffroi was the stock, since Henri II until Jean without Ground.

The city was taken again by Philippe-Auguste in 1161 and was given to Guillaume of the Rocks, seneshal of Anjou, lord of Longué-Binoculars and of Sablé-sur-Sarthe, in 1219 founded the abbey of Bonlieu.

The queen Berengere, widow of Richard Lion-hearted, to which Philippe-Auguste had yielded the County of Maine, in exchange of the possessions which constituted its field located in Normandy, yielded to the seneshal Anjou, Guillaume of the Rocks, all its rights like countess Douairière of the Maine, as well with Castle-of-Dormouse as in the forest of Rocked.

From succession in succession, Castle-of-Dormouse goes several times to the Crown: in May 1337 with Philippe de Valois who buys it 31.000 books with the count of Dreux and declares it baronnie of as good condition as the county of Maine . Given in prerogative to Louis 1st, duke of Anjou, it is one second time joined together with the crown under Louis XI.

The Guerre One hundred Year old will not save the strengthened city which was plundered and destroyed by the English. At the 16th century, Castle-of-Dormouse will take again a new rise and will become an important center, for the time, of manufacture of fabrics, spinning mills and tanneries.

Lastly, one can evoke Castle-of-Dormouse without recalling only at the time brilliant of the Renaissance, the men of the Pleiad met there, Ronsard having been prior with the Saint-Guingalois church of 1569 with 1585.

During the creation of the General information of Turns at the 16th century, Castle-of-Dormouse, of share its geographical location and history closely related on Anjou and the Maine; becomes the seat of a particular government with a governor and a lieutenant of the king, Castle-of-Dormouse was before 1789 the chief town of a Seneschalsy which extended its jurisdiction on 78 parishes, of an election from which 83 parishes depended, of a control of water, Grenier with salt, receipt of the sizes, warehouse of Tabac which did of them one of the frontier cities most important between the provinces of Maine and Anjou.

In 1790, during the creation of the French departments, the commune of Castle-of-Dormouse, just like of other cities of the north of the Anjou, such as Lude and the Arrow, is attached to the new department of the the Sarthe.

At the time of the Revolution, Castle-of-Dormouse lost more than 50% of its population.

The French revolution marked the step of an unquestionable decline, which was completed at the 19th century with the appearance of the railroad and the creation of a railway deposit, returning to Castle-of-Dormouse and its neighborhoods a new economic strength and the creation of a new activity which will allow small industries and the craftsmen to develop their trade.

One cannot speak about the history of Castle-of-Dormouse without recalling that at the brilliant period Rebirth the men of letters of the Pleiad met there: Ronsard de Couture, which were prior of Saint-Guingalois (the church) of 1569 to 1585, Racan de Bueil, the Lazarre brothers, Antoine de Baïf de Mangé, Joachim of Bellay and even sometimes Jacques Peletier of Mans.

Administration

Demography

Religious heritage

Saint-Guingalois church, ex-convent of Récollets, one of the two parishes before the Revolution, the first, dedicated to Martin saint, having been sold like good national and having been destroyed.

Economy

3 large companies:

Aro: machines to be welded.
Harman Becker : loudspeakers for the car (in the past Audax).
Amada: folding presses and shears (in the past Promecam).

Famous characters

Guillaume of the Rocks born in 1165 or 1170 with Longué-Binoculars in Anjou.

Lord of Longué-Binoculars and Castle-of-Dormouse.

Seneshal of Anjou of 1199 to 1222

Constable of France and comrade in arms of Philippe Auguste

Holy Siméon Berneux, bishop martyr, died in Seoul in 1866.

Tourist monuments and places

Twinnings

, to see
, to see

See too

Common of the Sarthe

External bonds

Official site of the commune

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