Mortagne-au-Perche (French pronunciation: [mɔʁtaɲ o pɛʁʃ] ) is a commune in the Orne department in Normandy, northwestern France. It is classed as a Petites Cités de Caractère.
Contents
Geography
The Commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, La Grippé, Mortagne-au-Perche, Loisé, Le Moulin du Pré and Le Tuilot.
La Chippe is a watercourse that traverses through the commune.
Points of interest
Museums
Musée percheron is a Museum of France showcasing local and national history. It also features a collection of medals created by Jules-Clément Chaplain.
National heritage sites
The Commune has seventeen buildings and areas listed as a Monument historique.
Hôtel de Longueil a former 15th-century hotel, it was registered as a Monument historique in 1975.
convent of the Poor Clares of Saint-François a former sixteenth-century convent, registered as a Monument historique in 1920.
Saint-Nicolas hospital a former sixteenth-century hospital, registered as a Monument historique in 1997.
Collegiate church of Toussaint a former thirteenth-century church served by a college of canons, registered as a Monument historique in 1972.
Notre-Dame Church a fifteenth-century church, registered as a Monument historique in 1910.
Saint-Germain-de-Loisé Church a fifteenth-century church, registered as a Monument historique in 1972.
Hippodrome de Mortagne-au-Perche the three wooden grandstands at this racecourse are the oldest preserved examples in France; they were registered as a Monument historique in 1996. The stands are used Each year on the first Sunday in September, for the Orne departmental competition for conformation and gait of Percheron horses.
Hôtel a former eighteenth-century building, it was registered as a monument in 1975.
Hôtel de Fontenay an eighteenth-century hotel, still in operation, it was registered as a monument in 1975.
Hotel des Tailles an eighteenth-century hotel, still in operation, it was registered as a monument in 1971.
Notable people
Marie of Armagnac (c. 1420–1473), duchess of Alençon, died here in 1473
Marin Boucher (1587 or 1589–1671) pioneer of early New France, one of the most prolific ancestors of French Canada was born here.
Zacharie Cloutier (1590–1677), Québécois settler was born here.
Pierre Boucher (1622–1717), City of Boucherville founder was born here.
Gilles Hocquart (1694-1783), Intendant of New France was born here.
Joseph-Geneviève de Puisaye (1755–1827), born in Mortagne-au-Perche, representative of the percheronne nobility in the Généraux States of Versailles of 1789
Achille Giroux (1694-1783), a French painter and lithographer was born here.
Jules-Clément Chaplain (1839–1909), sculptor and medallist, was born here
Ernest Granger (1844–1914), French politician, was born here
Émile Chartier (1868–1951), philosopher and antimilitarist, born in Mortagne-au-Perche.
Marie Glory (1905–2009), an actress was born here.
Michel Fleury (1923–2002), historian, archivist and archaeologist, is buried here
Jean-Pierre Grivois, writer and music scholar, born in Mortagne-au-Perche
Jean-Claude Lenoir (born 1944), member of the National Assembly of France between 1993 and 2012, was born here
Sport
The commune has a swimming pool the Piscine intercommunale de Mortagne au Perche, which has been open since 2006. The pool features a 100 m² leisure area (pool, counter-current river, jets and massage bath), paddling pool and a 25 x 10 meter sports pool.
Twin towns – sister cities
Mortagne-au-Perche is twinned with:
Wietmarschen, Germany since 1989
Boucherville, Canada since 1965
Mopti, Mali since 1975