The town of Alençon, once the seat of the Dukes of Normandy and today the capital of the Orne, has been famous for its unique lace pattern since the 17th century. It also boasts a rich architectural and cultural heritage.
Alençon's old quarter, a source of inspiration for famous French novelist Honoré de Balzac, is dotted with half-timbered houses and mansions with wrought-iron balconies, making it a lovely place to explore. Among the must-see places of interest are Notre-Dame church with its superb early 16th-century Flamboyant Gothic-style porch; the Maison d'Ozé, the Duke of Alençon's former residence, with its conservation orchard; the Château des Ducs and its machicolated towers; and the birth house of St Theresa of Lisieux and its chapel. Another leading attraction in the town is the fine art and lace museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle) housed in the old Jesuit college and home to sumptuous collections of lace and paintings.
A colourful market selling delicious produce takes place every Thursday and Saturday morning on Place de la Magdeleine at the foot of Notre-Dame church.
At the junction of the Regional Parks of Perche and Normandy-Maine, Alençon draws its features between rural district, preserved nature and urbanization. Located at the confluence of the Sarthe and the Briante, the city has gone from a simple ford in antiquity to a city of importance, prefecture of the Orne, world famous for its lace at the point of Alençon, but the history has been turbulent: a fortified town in the 11th century, Alençon enjoyed radiant hours with Marguerite de Lorraine in the 15th century. The Reformation finds its cradle in the city and the Catholics flee from the city. It was in 1665 that Colbert founded the royal lace factories. The legend was born. During the 19th century, the city turned towards industrialization and took off economically. It was also during this period that many famous people left their mark on the city. Starting with Baudelaire who had his "Fleurs du Mal" printed at Alençon in 1857. Then Balzac stayed there to write two of his works: "Le cabinet des antiques" and "La Vieille Fille". Finally, Alençon saw the birth of Thérèse Martin, better known as Sainte-Thérèse-de-Lisieux.
You will have a program loaded at Alençon. Among the must-sees, you absolutely must visit the Lace Museum of Alençon. Inspired by the Point of Venice, the Point of Alençon is a know-how inscribed on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2010. This technique requires hours of patience. It takes between 7 and 15 hours of work to create a surface equivalent to a postage stamp. An emblematic figure of Alençon, Sainte-Thérèse-de-Lisieux was born in the city and her birthplace can be visited. Another place steeped in history to discover absolutely, the Notre-Dame d'Alençon basilica. Of Gothic architecture, the imposing building listed as a Historic Monument sits proudly in the town centre.
Alençon has 31 Listed Monuments. You can choose to discover them on guided tours or go for a walk through the streets of the city. Among them are to be seen absolutely, the Jesuit church adjoining the college founded by the Jesuits in 1620, the Café de la Renaissance whose interior is truly divine and offers a quite exceptional second renaissance decor, the hall at the wheat, a circular building topped by an impressive glass dome, the castle of the Dukes of Alençon which is actually the entrance pavilion to the castle, and the house of Ozé, a medieval residence built in 1450. To visit Alençon, you can also opt for the bike. Many routes are available. And for fun, treat yourself to a tour of the city in a horse-drawn carriage. This type of tour is available in July and August.
Sports facilities are not lacking in the city. You can thus, according to your desires, play a round of golf on the green of the hippodrome golf course or enjoy a dip in the swimming pools of the aquatic center of Alençon. You will have something to distract you!
Throughout the year, various markets are held in the town of Alençon:
- Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: weekly market on Place de la Paix.
- Thursdays and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: weekly markets on the Place de la Magdeleine.
- Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: weekly market on Place du Point du Jour.
At the beginning of March, the Alençon Ornexpo fair invites itself for 4 consecutive days. You will be able to browse different stands in fields as diverse and varied as wine, habitat and gastronomy among others.
In June, the 24 hours of biodiversity take place. On the program, walks and discoveries in the city.
In July, the world folklore festival takes place with many artists from different countries as well as the Echappées Belles festival with a range of varied live shows at attractive prices.
Exposition : Rotulus, un Patrimoine Médiéval à Dérouler
- From 5 february to 28 april 2024
- 6 Avenue de Basingstoke
- An interdisciplinary project funded between 2019 and 2022 by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche and led by the Université - De Lorraine, Rotulus has launched dozens of researchers in search of medieval scrolls - or rotuli - preserved - In heritage collections. - Alongside the panel exhibition produced by the research team at the end of their study program, the Archives départementales de l ? Orne invite you to discover their original parchment scrolls and numerous medieval documents that provide a better understanding of their form and uses. Most of these documents come from the archives of Orne ? S abbeys. - Why the scroll form ? How is it made ? What information does it contain ? From the cartulary roll, - A security copy of important deeds, to inventory scrolls, not forgetting legal procedure scrolls, come and discover a wealth of information on the uses of writing and the manufacture of these media. - Facsimiles of rotuli and a codex, the manuscript made up of sheets assembled into notebooks, as well as digital copies that will allow you to physically or virtually manipulate the rolls. - In a lecture, Thomas Roche, head curator of the French National Archives, will present the study he has carried out on the scroll-cartulary of the priory of Saint-Martin-du-Vieux-Bellême, with a view to its publication. - Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday, 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Tordre la Lumière - Exposition Temporaire au Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle
- From 5 march to 26 may 2024
- 12 Rue du Capitaine Charles Aveline
- Twisting light - Temporary exhibition at the Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle. - To create her modular sculptures, Isabelle senly lets the curvature of rattan, the crinkling of resin-coated paper and the diffusion of delicately colored light through the opacity and transparency of the material express themselves. This apparent serendipity is mastered by the artist, who weaves, stretches, sews, folds and gives birth to forms inspired by nature, concealing genuine plant and textile inlays. Her work inevitably echoes lace, with its interplay of light and shadow, transparency and folds, and the ornamental vocabulary drawn from nature. What's more, the combination of shapes sometimes gives rise to costume pieces, veritable portable sculptures that allow us to inhabit space.
Les Multiples Visages du Patrimoine Français en Photos
- From 13 march to 22 may 2024
- Rue Honoré de Balzac
- As part of its membership of the Ville et Métiers d ? Art network, Alençon invites you to discover the many facets of French heritage. - This exhibition is based on the photographic exhibition by France. Patrimoines et Territoires d ? exception, an association that federates national networks such as Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, Les Sites et Cités remarquables de France, Les Petites Cités de Caractères de France, Ville et Métiers d ? Art, and others. - Of all the photographs presented for the 1st time by the Senate, on the gates of the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris from March 5 to July 3,2022,17 have been selected. They focus in particular on arts and crafts and exceptional know-how : Baccarat crystal, Calais-Caudry lace, Longwy enamels, Aubusson tapestry, and more. - The exhibition is rounded off by five photographs of Alençon stitch lace, which has been inscribed on unesco ? S Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since November 16,2010. - Parc Simone Veil, 61000 Alençon
Le Printemps de la Chanson - Baltik
- On 19 march 2024
- 15 Rue Antoine Jullien
- As part of the Festival Le printemps de la chanson, discover Baltik ! - Marginalist, perfectionist and reserved, Baltik offers us an enlightened look at the world around us. His haunting, suave and raspy voice, syncopated phrasing and carefully crafted, inspired lyrics are the undeniable qualities of this offbeat artist.
Moulage de Protections Auditives
- On 20 march 2024
- 171 Rue de Bretagne
- La Luciole and Earcare Developpement, in partnership with Agi-son and its regional representative Norma, offer a group molding session for custom hearing protectors with acoustic filters. - The event is part of Agi-son ? S national hearing risk prevention campaign, and aims to offer customized hearing protectors at negotiated prices, combined with advice on prevention and use : 89 ? Incl. VAT for a pair of molded plugs instead of 175 ? Incl. VAT individual price. - These hearing protectors are made from soft silicone and feature specific acoustic filters for listening to music and/or working in industrial and noisy environments, available in 6 attenuation levels (choose from -10, -15, -17, -20, -26 and -27 dB). - This session will also enable you to purchase In Ear Monitors and benefit from special prices on the Relief audio range. You can now consult the various recommendations and technical data sheets on our website : https://www.earcare.fr/participer-session-bouchons-moules - Practical information : - venue : La Luciole 171 Rue de Bretagne 61000 Alençon - Date : Wednesday March 20,1pm to 7pm - registration required via this link : https://www.earcare.fr/event/200324-la-luciole-alencon-61-933/register - Contact : infos@laluciole.org ? 02 33 32 83 33 - For further product information : contact@earcare.fr
L'Orne Fête le Printemps Avec ses Producteurs
- On 23 march 2024
- 27 Boulevard de Strasbourg
- Farmers' market, educational farm, entertainment and Irish concert.
The Exploited + Hot Action Waxing
- On 23 march 2024
- 171 Rue de Bretagne
- The Exploited are a punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in June 1979. Although absent from the early days of punk in 1977, The Exploited quickly assimilated the basics of this musically "gentle" punk, taking it in the direction of a more aggressive, faster, metal-oriented punk, music that would influence the trash movement and, in particular, the New York scene (Anthrax, Nuclear Asault). - The brutality and speed of the tracks are combined with anarchic-political-social lyrics. War, corruption, unemployment, police brutality and the denunciation of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party policies are the themes that have permeated their songs for over 25 years. - Hot Action Waxing : - Waxing is a lifestyle ! Five men meet in 2021 in a dark room with the aim of conquering the limelight. With influences from punk, blues and rock ? N ? roll, they create a solid punk rock that makes everyone agree.
Spectacle "Le Monte-Plats"
- On 26 march 2024
- Cours Georges Clemenceau
- Two men in shirtsleeves, Ben and Gus, - Await their mission in a basement. - Who will be their next target ? - It's written like a film noir script, with a slight - With a hint of Beckett ? S absurdism. - Harold Pinter takes theater back to its most basic - A cellar, characters left to their own devices, unpredictable dialogue that exposes - Of submission and domination. - A dull, implacable tension insinuates itself between the - protagonists. But irony transforms this expectation into - Anthology. - A founding text of Pinter ? S theater, where survival - Survival sometimes lies in silence. - Author Harold Pinter is represented by L ? Arche, - Agence Théâtrale http://www.arche-editeur.com - Translator Eric Kahane - Director Alice Safran - Set designer Olivier Meynard - With Adrien Meynard, Victor Robert - Production Théâtre de l ? Oiseau-Tonnerre
Promenons-Nous Dans les Bios
- On 27 march 2024
- 171 Rue de Bretagne
- Why do all bios look the same ? How can we eradicate the "singular universes", the "bewitching melodies" and the "disarmingly effective choruses" ? - To answer these existential questions, there's nothing like a little brainwashing and bios workshop. Find out more about the speaker : http://www.geoffreysebille.fr - As part of the Wednesday program
Visite la Cité des Ducs d'Alençon au XIe et au XVIe Siècle
- On 29 march 2024
- Place de la Magdeleine
- Discover the history and stories of Alençon's neighborhoods and streets by immersing yourself directly in the world of Frédéric Reynen's models. A unique opportunity to bring the Cité des Ducs back to life for a few moments.