It was probably during the fourth century, while the area was being Christianised, that the city of Alençon was founded. In 1047, William Duke of Normandy, (William the Conqueror) laid siege to the town. The citizens insulted William by hanging animal skins from the walls, in reference to his ancestry as the illegitimate son of Duke Robert and a tanner's daughter.
On capturing the town, William had a number of the citizens' hands cut off in revenge. Alençon was occupied by the English during the Anglo-Norman wars of 1113 to 1203. The city became the seat of a dukedom in 1415, belonging to the sons of the King of France until the French Revolution.
The fabric industry gave birth to the famous point d'Alençon lace. The economic development of the nineteenth century and the industrial boom was generated by several factories (mills), and transport networks (roads and railways) developed. In the first half of the twentieth century the city developed a flourishing printing industry.
On 17 June 1940 the German Army took occupation of Alençon. On 12 August 1944 Alençon was the first French city to be liberated by the French Army under General Leclerc, after minor bomb damage.
We undertook the town’s “Discovery Tour” ...
... which included
The house of the Martin family - Alençon was home to Marie-Azélie Guérin Martin and Louis Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
La Halle aux Toiles (1827) which is where merchants sold the products of local weavers
La Halle au Blé (1801) which was a cornmarket. It is a circular building made of granite with an internal courtyard. In 1865 it was fitted with a glass dome.
Le Palais de Justice (1818-1824) was built following a visit by Napoleon 1st and L’Hôtel de Ville (1783).
L'Hôtel de Ville (1783) which was built by Jean-Baptiste Delarue with its famous concave facade ...
... and l'Apprentissage statue outside (the statue is the one on the right as you look at the photo!)
We also witnessed the Marbles Championships which were underway outside the cathedral
For more photos of our tour of Alençon click on Alençon Link
I also took time during our stay to tour the area by bike - a 40km circuit including ...
The Ecouves hills stretches almost 16km from east to west and 13km from north to south. These tree covered hills are the last geographical spur of the 'Massif Armoricain' range stretching eastwards towards the Parisian basin. The Ecouves forest looms nearly 200m over the farmland surrounding it, rising to 417m at its summit.
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