Bellême
Bellême (French pronunciation: [bɛlɛm] ⓘ) is a commune in the Orne department in northwestern France.[3] The musicologist Guillaume André Villoteau (1759–1839) was born in Bellême, as was Aristide Boucicaut (1810-1877), owner of Le Bon Marché, the world's first department store. This town is possibly the origin of the English and French surname Bellamy.
Bellême | |
|---|---|
 An aerial view of Bellême | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Bellême | |
  Bellême  Bellême | |
| Coordinates: 48°22′38″N 0°33′41″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Orne |
| Arrondissement | Mortagne-au-Perche |
| Canton | Ceton |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Rémy Tessier[1] |
| Area 1 | 1.71 km2 (0.66 sq mi) |
| Population | 1,455 |
| • Density | 850/km2 (2,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 61038 /61130 |
| Elevation | 162–230 m (531–755 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Location
At the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional du Perche, in the Orne Department, Bellême is on a hill that dominates the Perche area.
Population
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Heraldry
Arms of Bellême |
The arms of Bellême are blazoned : Sable, a triple-towered keep Or. or
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Sights
- Saint-Sauveur de Bellême Church 15th century, 16th century, rebuilt between 1675 and 1710.
- Crypt of the Saint-Santin Chapel, dating from the tenth century.
- Château gatehouse 15th century, and moat.
- Remains of the ramparts, bearing a plaque commemorating the capture of the château and the town by King Saint Louis and his mother, Blanche of Castile in 1229.
- 17th century and eighteenth century houses.
- 17th century Hôtel de ville.
- Sundials on rue du Château, place de la République and place Liègeard.
Landscape
- The town is built around the crest of a natural bowl, in which sits an outdoor lido (swimming pool), moto-cross circuit, stables and an expansive 18-hole golf course with adjacent hotel and holiday apartments.
Events
- Les Mycologiades internationales : Annual international wild mushroom festival.
International relations
Bellême is twinned with:
- Goring-on-Thames
United Kingdom since 1979. - Stühlingen
Germany since 1980.
Sports
- The town's football club, FC Pays Bellêmois, compete in the Ligue de Football Basse-Normandie and the Coupe de France, playing their home games at the town's Terrain Intercommunal.
- Moto Club Bellêmois hosts motocross events that welcome an international field of competitors.
References
- "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- "Populations légales 2020". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 29 December 2022.
- INSEE commune file
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bellême.
- Belleme Tourist Information (in French)
- Piscine à Bellême
- Moto Club Bellêmois
- Golf de Bellême
- FC Du Pays Bellêmois
- Goring and District Twinning Association
- Stuhlingen Web page (in German)
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