Carrouges () is a commune in the

Orne Orne (; or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.department in north-western France. The inhabitants are known as ''Carrougiens'' and ''Carrougiennes''. The town is home to a castle (

Château de Carrouges A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking reg ...

), built in the 14th century by

Jean de Carrouges Sir Jean de Carrouges IV (c. 1330s – 25 September 1396) was a French knight who governed estates in Normandy as a vassal of Count Pierre d'Alençon and who served under Admiral Jean de Vienne in several campaigns against the Kingdom of Eng ...

and restored after the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a c ...

Geography

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, Le Fay, L'Augrumière and Carrouges. It is in size. The highest point in the commune is . The commune is within the

Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park ( Fr.: ''Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine'') is a protected area of forest and bocage located in the French regions of Normandy and Pays de la Loire. Geography Spanning the departments of Orne, Manch ...

and

Forêt d'Écouves The Forêt d'Écouves (; eng. Écouves Forest) is a large area of woodland in the Normandy region of northern France. Location and topography The forest is located in the Orne département of France, north of Alençon, between the communes of Ca ...

. Carrouges along with another 65 communes is part of a 20,593 hectare,

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

conservation area, called the

Haute vallée de l'Orne et affluents Haute vallée de l'Orne et affluents translated as the Upper Orne Valley and tributaries is a Natura 2000 conservation area that is 20,593 hectares in size. The site is managed by CPIE Collines normandes. Geography The area is focused on the sou ...

. The commune has one river, the Udon, with four streams, Grand Pied, Moulin de Besnard, Noes Morins and Rohan, which are the only watercourses flowing through its borders.

History

In the Middle Ages, Carrouges was part of the

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

of Asnebec. In 1490, under King Charles VIII, Jean de Blosset, Lord of Carrouges and grand marshal of

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

, founded on his land, with its castle, a college (dedicated to Our Lady of Good Comfort) six canons payments the appointment of the lord who was also the collateur profits. These payments were estimated in 1698 to 200 pounds in ''Memory of the General Alençon'' by the intendant, M. de Pommereuil. It is also stated in 1698, that a court called "breadbasket tax" (related to

gabelle The ''gabelle'' () was a very unpopular French salt tax that was established during the mid-14th century and lasted, with brief lapses and revisions, until 1946. The term ''gabelle'' is derived from the Italian ''gabella'' (a duty), itself orig ...

paid on the salt) was located in Carrouges. During the French Revolution of 1789, the town was called "Carrouges-la-Montagne". In August 1944, occupied by German forces, the city was liberated by the troops of the 3rd U.S. armored division, following the deeds of Mayor Geslain, who after being released from the German soldiers who had arrested him, indicated the positions of the Germans to the Americans.

Notable buildings and places

La Ferme Ornée de Carrouges is a public garden in the style of a

Ferme ornée The term ''ferme ornée'' as used in English garden history derives from Stephen Switzer's term for 'ornamental farm'. It describes a country estate laid out partly according to aesthetic principles and partly for farming. During the eighteenth ce ...

, that is split into seven different gardens.

National heritage sites

The Commune has 2 buildings and areas listed as a

Monument historique () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...

. *Chapter is a set of buildings consisting of a 15th century dwelling and the chapel. *

is a 15th century chateau.

Notable people

(1330-1396), a 14th century knight was born here * Pierre Jean Launay (1900-1982), a French writer was born here * Michel Le Royer (1932-2022), a French TV and Film actor, who was born here * Philippe Tranchant (born 1956), retired professional footballer was born here

Twin town

* Carrouge,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

since 2000.

References

Communes of Orne Gardens in Orne Monuments historiques of Orne {{Alençon-geo-stub