Morannes-sur-Sarthe is a town of Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire region, which merged on 1 January 2017 with the neighboring town of Daumeray. Formerly called Morannes, she had already absorbed in January 2016 the town of Chemiré-sur-Sarthe.
The entire new entity now has nearly 4,000 inhabitants (2000 for Morannes, 250 for Chemiré and more than 1,500 for Daumeray).
Located 35 km north-east of Angers, on the borders of the departments of Sarthe and Mayenne, Morannes is since ancient times a crossroads of communication and becomes in the Middle Ages a possession of the bishop of Angers who establishes a residence. A prosperous seigneur whose seneschal does justice in the name of the bishop, the city is then located on a road to Saint-Jacques and retains its rank of crossroads between the major cities of western France on the banks of the Loire.
Morannes, however, pays a heavy tribute to the wars of religion and during the Revolution, Morannes as Daumeray are fiefs of the chouannerie.
Rich with a built heritage of quality in a preserved green environment, Morannes-sur-Sarthe and Daumeray constitute a pleasant tourist stage.
Discover the architectural heritage of the new town, its villages and hamlets in the form of a walk, can begin with the church of the parish of Morannes which was dedicated to Saint Aubin when a relic of the saint was offered to the priest in the seventeenth. century. The building was remodeled while retaining foothills of the twelfth. Note on the west facade gate ogive and Romanesque door south side.
In Morannes always, where we can still see old winegrowers huts on the hillsides and houses of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the old city center, we continue with the manor of Grignons, built around 1460. Tower, porch, watchtower, moat... The defensive vocation of the site remains obvious. Chosen as a summer residence by a bishop of Angers in the 17th century, the mansion was a strategic place during the Chouans' revolt.
The domain of the Panne and the home of the Black Head, dating from the middle of the 15th century, were in turn seigniorial buildings, inns and farms. In particular, we have preserved amazing masks and a frame that proves a technical feat.
To see again, the manor of Gennetay (fifteenth to the seventeenth century) where there are also residential and defensive elements and the former Priory of Juigne (XI). The medieval housing estate has been preserved. This is also the case of the Asnerie, a seigniorial residence of the sixteenth century whose facades, roofs, staircase with wooden balusters, are certainly worth seeing.
All these sites are public. Visits and information at +33 2 41 76 37 26.
Still on Morannes, the castle of Roches rebuilt in the nineteenth century on the bases of a castle of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries is however private. An amazing chapel is inserted in the main building. Visit by reservation only at +33 6 30 86 56 42.
On the former town of Daumeray, we admire the Church of St. Martin, a building of the eleventh century and its bell tower of the eighteenth in the heart of the village. In the nineteenth century, an imperial style gendarmerie was erected, backed by the church. Nearby still, an old abbey testifies to the rich local history.
Several hamlets also offer a notable heritage: this is the case of the old village of Saint Germain with its chapel of the eleventh century and the home of Bellefontaine, dated XIV with a superb carved door. On the hamlet of Doucé, the Romanesque chapel of the eleventh century is remarkable.
We will not forget the castle of La Roche-Jacquelin (15th century, remodeled in the 18th century) and the manor of Chandemanche (15th century), which houses a chapel decorated with polychrome paneling.
All of the historic sites, on Morannes and Daumeray, are connected via trails and interpretive trails to walk or cycle. Documentation and information on +33 2 41 42 21 08 or +33 2 41 76 37 26.
Other hiking trails include mills, mariners houses and paths bordering the Sarthe or the surrounding countryside ecosystem singular, since the Sarthe Valley is floodable, which induces a specific fauna and flora... Information on +33 2 41 76 37 26.
For athletes, you can book a tennis court (covered or open air) at Morannes +33 2 41 42 29 25 or indulge in the "game of ball Fort", a very local variant of petanque... Information +33 6 86 69 83 47.
In this region rich in rivers and ponds, fishermen can know the developed sites and the regulations to be respected by contacting +33 2 41 87 88 37.
On the cultural level, artistic exhibitions are regularly offered at Morannes in the circle of Father King. Information on +33 2 41 77 47 21.
In Daumeray, do not miss the show proposed from mid-January to mid-February by the Theater Rouget le Braconnier, which has been tracing for forty years with a success never denied the life of a poacher of the nineteenth century. Information and reservation at +33 2 43 92 60 49.
The first weekend of May, in Morannes, spring market.
The 3rd Saturday of June, Daumeray, feast of associations.
August 15, in Morannes, floral corso and fireworks in the evening.
Finally, note that a market is held every Thursday morning at Morannes, Place De Gaulle. An opportunity to discover the riches of the regional terroir.
