Aubigné-Racan

Aubigné-Racan

The ruins of the theatre
Aubigné-Racan

Coordinates: 47°41′29″N 0°16′07″E / 47.6914°N 0.2686°E / 47.6914; 0.2686Coordinates: 47°41′29″N 0°16′07″E / 47.6914°N 0.2686°E / 47.6914; 0.2686
Country France
Region Pays de la Loire
Department Sarthe
Arrondissement La Flèche
Canton Mayet
Intercommunality Aune et Loir
Government
 • Mayor (2001–2008) Michel Royer
Area1 32.03 km2 (12.37 sq mi)
Population (2006)2 2,114
 • Density 66/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code 72620 / 72800
Elevation 37–118 m (121–387 ft)
(avg. 31 m or 102 ft)

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.

Aubigné-Racan is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.

Sights

The town has a Romanesque church from the 11th century.

Aubigné-Racan is the site of the archeological excavation of Cherré, a Gallo-Roman complex of 20 hectares from the 1st to the 3rd centuries. The site was likely a rural centre of commercial and religious activity before the Roman conquest. Excavations in 1977 by C. Lambert and J. Rioufreyt discovered an ancient theatre, two temples, Roman thermae, a forum and an aqueduct.

In the surrounding countryside, one can also find prehistoric standing stones, or dolmens ("dolmen de la Pierre" and "dolmen du Colombier").

People

Aubigné-Racan is the birthplace of the 17th century poet and dramatist Honorat de Bueil, seigneur de Racan. His birthplace, the Manoir de Champmarin, is still standing.

See also

References

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