Le Mans
| Le Mans | ||
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Top row: left, Le Mans 24-hr automobile race in June; right, Le Mans Justice Department Office; Middle row: View of Sarthe River and historic area, including the Palais of Comtes du Maine; Bottom row: left, Le Mans Tramway in Gambetta Street; center, Facade built in Le Mans Commerce Center; right, Saint Julien Cathedral | ||
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  Le Mans | ||
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Location within Pays de la Loire region  Le Mans | ||
| Coordinates: 48°00′28″N 0°11′54″E / 48.0077°N 0.1984°ECoordinates: 48°00′28″N 0°11′54″E / 48.0077°N 0.1984°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Pays de la Loire | |
| Department | Sarthe | |
| Arrondissement | Le Mans | |
| Intercommunality | Le Mans | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2001–2008) | Jean-Claude Boulard | |
| Area1 | 52.81 km2 (20.39 sq mi) | |
| Population (2006)2 | 148,169 | |
| • Density | 2,800/km2 (7,300/sq mi) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 72181 / 72000 | |
| Dialling codes | (0)243 | |
| Elevation |
38–134 m (125–440 ft) (avg. 51 m or 167 ft) | |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
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Le Mans (pronounced: [lə mɑ̃]) is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.
Its inhabitants are called Manceaux and Mancelles. Since 1923, the city has hosted the internationally famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance sports car race.
History
First mentioned by Claudius Ptolemy,[1] the Roman city Vindinium was the capital of the Aulerci, a sub tribe of the Aedui. Le Mans is also known as Civitas Cenomanorum (City of the Cenomani), or Cenomanus. Their city, seized by the Romans in 47 BC, was within the ancient Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis. A 3rd-century amphitheatre is still visible. The thermae were demolished during the crisis of the third century when workers were mobilized to build the city's defensive walls. The ancient wall around Le Mans is one of the most complete circuits of Gallo-Roman city walls to survive.
As the use of the French language replaced late Vulgar Latin in the area, Cenomanus, with dissimilation, became known as Celmans. Cel- was taken to be a form of the French word for "this" and "that", and was replaced by le, which means "the".
Gregory of Tours mentions a Frankish sub-king Rigomer, who was killed by King Clovis I in his campaign to unite the Frankish territories.
As the principal city of Maine, Le Mans was the stage for struggles in the eleventh century between the counts of Anjou and the dukes of Normandy. When the Normans had control of Maine, William the Conqueror successfully invaded the island of England and established an occupation. In 1069 the citizens of Maine revolted and expelled the Normans, resulting in Hugh V being proclaimed count of Maine. Geoffrey V of Anjou married Matilda of England in the cathedral. Their son Henry II Plantagenet, king of England, was born here.
World War II
Soon after Le Mans was liberated by the U.S. 79th and 90th Infantry Divisions on 8 August 1944,[2] engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground outside of the town. The airfield was declared operational on 3 September and designated as "A-35". It was used by several American fighter and transport units until late November of that year in additional offensives across France; the airfield was closed.[3][4]
Main sights
- Le Mans has a well-preserved old town (Cité Plantagenêt, also called Vieux Mans) and the Cathédrale St-Julien, dedicated to St Julian of Le Mans, who is honoured as the city's first bishop.
- Remnants of a Roman wall are visible in the old town and Roman baths are located by the river. These walls are highlighted every summer (July and August) evening in a light show that tells the history of the town.
- Arboretum de la Grand Prée
- Part of the former Cistercian abbey de l' Epau, founded by Queen Berengaria and currently maintained in extensive grounds by the Département de la Sarthe.
- Jardin des Plantes du Mans
- Musée de la reine Bérengère, a museum of Le Mans history located in a gothic manor house.
- Musée de Tessé, the fine arts museum of the city, displaying painting (including artworks by Philippe de Champaigne, Charles Le Brun, François Boucher, John Constable, Ingres, Théodore Géricault and Camille Corot) and archaeological collections as well as decorative arts.
Climate
| Climate data for Le Mans (1981–2010 averages) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.2 (63) |
21.0 (69.8) |
24.9 (76.8) |
30.3 (86.5) |
32.4 (90.3) |
37.1 (98.8) |
40.4 (104.7) |
40.5 (104.9) |
34.6 (94.3) |
30.0 (86) |
22.2 (72) |
18.3 (64.9) |
40.5 (104.9) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 7.9 (46.2) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.7 (54.9) |
15.7 (60.3) |
19.5 (67.1) |
23.1 (73.6) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.4 (77.7) |
21.9 (71.4) |
17.0 (62.6) |
11.4 (52.5) |
8.2 (46.8) |
16.5 (61.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) |
1.8 (35.2) |
3.7 (38.7) |
5.6 (42.1) |
9.4 (48.9) |
12.4 (54.3) |
14.2 (57.6) |
13.8 (56.8) |
11.0 (51.8) |
8.6 (47.5) |
4.7 (40.5) |
2.5 (36.5) |
7.5 (45.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15.2 (4.6) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
1.6 (34.9) |
3.9 (39) |
3.2 (37.8) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−12.0 (10.4) |
−21.0 (−5.8) |
−21.0 (−5.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 67.2 (2.646) |
50.9 (2.004) |
54.3 (2.138) |
53.9 (2.122) |
63.0 (2.48) |
46.9 (1.846) |
56.8 (2.236) |
42.7 (1.681) |
52.9 (2.083) |
66.0 (2.598) |
62.7 (2.469) |
70.2 (2.764) |
687.5 (27.067) |
| Average precipitation days | 11.2 | 9.3 | 10.2 | 9.5 | 10.0 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 6.5 | 8.0 | 10.7 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 112.6 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 87 | 83 | 78 | 74 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 74 | 79 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 79.8 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 66.2 | 89.7 | 134.3 | 170.9 | 199.7 | 224.1 | 227.4 | 224.9 | 181.0 | 118.8 | 70.9 | 63.9 | 1,771.8 |
| Source #1: Meteo France[5][6] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: Infoclimat.fr (humidity, snowy days 1961–1990)[7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
At the 1999 French census, there were 293,159 inhabitants in the metropolitan area (aire urbaine) of Le Mans, with 146,105 of these living in the city proper (commune).
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1962 | 132,181 | — |
| 1968 | 143,246 | +1.35% |
| 1975 | 152,285 | +0.88% |
| 1982 | 147,697 | −0.44% |
| 1990 | 145,502 | −0.19% |
| 1999 | 146,105 | +0.05% |
| 2006 | 148,169 | +0.20% |
| Source: http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/docs_ffc/psdc.htm | ||
Transportation
The Gare du Mans is the main railway station of Le Mans. It takes 1 hour to reach Paris from Le Mans by TGV high speed train. There are also TGV connections to Lille, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes and Brest. Gare du Mans is also a hub for regional trains. Le Mans inaugurated a new light rail system on 17 November 2007.[8]
Sport
Motorsport
Since the 1920s, the city has been best known for its connection with motorsports. There are two official and separate racing tracks at Le Mans, though they share certain portions. The smaller is the Bugatti Circuit (named after Ettore Bugatti, founder of the car company bearing his name), a relatively short permanent circuit, which is used for racing throughout the year and has hosted the French motorcycle Grand Prix. The longer and more famous Circuit de la Sarthe is composed partly of public roads. These are closed to the public when the track is in use for racing. Since 1923, this route has been used for the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race.
The first French Grand Prix took place on a 64-mile (103 km) circuit based at Le Mans in 1906. The "Le Mans start" was formerly used in the 24-hour race: drivers lined up across the track from their cars, ran across the track, jumped into their cars and started them to begin the race. The 1955 Le Mans disaster was a large accident during the race that killed eighty-four spectators. Boutiques and shops are set up during the race, selling merchandise and promoting products for cars.
Basketball
Football
Cycling
Notable people
Le Mans was the birthplace of:
- Henry II of England, born 1133
- Geoffroy V d'Anjou, born 1113
- Geoffrey de Goreham or Gorron, became Abbot of St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK, in 1119
- Dom Louis Le Pelletier, born 1663, linguist of the Breton language
- Gilles-François de Beauvais, born 7 July 1693, was a Jesuit writer and preacher.
- Basil Moreau, born 1799, a priest of Le Mans, founded the Congregation of Holy Cross. Beatified in Le Mans in 2007.
- Christine and Lea Papin, whose murder (1933) of their employers inspired Jean Genêt's The Maids.
- Jean Françaix, born in 1912, composer
- Jean Rondeau, born in 1946, racecar driver and constructor
- François Fillon, born in 1954, Former Prime Minister of France.
- Emmanuel Moire, born 1979, French singer
- Sébastien Bourdais, born 1979, racecar driver
- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, born 1985, professional tennis player.
- Guillaume Loriot, footballer
- Leslie, born 4 February 1985, French singer
Notable residents include:
- Gilles Villeneuve, lived temporarily in Le Mans in 1973.
- David Jason, English actor, lived in Le Mans between 1965–1968 and 1999–2001.
- Andy Wallace, born 1961, racecar driver
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Le Mans is twinned with:
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Gastronomy
The culinary specialty of Le Mans is rillettes, a shredded pork pâté.
Landmarks
Located at Mayet near Le Mans, the Le Mans-Mayet transmitter has a height of 342 m and is one of the tallest radio masts in France.
Representation in popular culture
- Le Mans has been a setting for numerous feature films that feature its famous race.
See also
References
- ↑ Geography 2.8.8
- ↑ Blumenson, Martin, Breakout and Pursuit, Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C., 1989, pp. 436–8
- ↑ Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
- ↑ Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- ↑ "Données climatiques de la station de Le Mans" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- ↑ "Climat Pays de la Loire" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- ↑ "Normes et records 1961-1990: Le Mans - Arnage (72) - altitude 51m" (in French). Infoclimat. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
- ↑ "Le Mans light rail takes off". Railway Gazette International. 6 January 2008.
- ↑ "British towns twinned with French towns". Archant Community Media Ltd. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
- ↑ Town Twinning, bolton.gov.uk, retrieved 22 January 2010
- ↑ officially since 1967, traditionally since 836 (oldest partnership of its kind).
- ↑ Lelièvre, Jean; Balavoine, Maurice (1994). Le Mans-Paderborn, 836-1994: dans l'Europe, une amitié séculaire, un sillage de lumière. Le Mans: M. Balavoine. pp. 1–42. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ↑ "The Origins of Town Twinning" (PDF). Inverness: The City of Inverness Town Twinning Committee. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
- ↑ "Twinnings" (PDF). Central Union of Municipalities & Communities of Greece. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Le Mans. |
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Le Mans. |
- Official website (French)
- Le Mans d'Antan (French)
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