Aubigné-Racan (French pronunciation: [obiɲe ʁakɑ̃]) is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire in north-western France.
Aubigné-Racan | |
|---|---|
 The ruins of the theatre | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Aubigné-Racan  | |
  Aubigné-Racan  Aubigné-Racan | |
| Coordinates: 47°41′29″N 0°16′07″E / 47.6914°N 0.2686°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Pays de la Loire |
| Department | Sarthe |
| Arrondissement | La Flèche |
| Canton | Le Lude |
| Intercommunality | CC Sud Sarthe |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Nicolas Mourier[1] |
| Area 1 | 32.03 km2 (12.37 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 2,103 |
| • Density | 66/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 72013 /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. | |
Population edit
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 1,858 | — |
| 1975 | 1,942 | +0.63% |
| 1982 | 1,923 | −0.14% |
| 1990 | 2,103 | +1.12% |
| 1999 | 2,100 | −0.02% |
| 2007 | 2,077 | −0.14% |
| 2012 | 2,144 | +0.64% |
| 2017 | 2,120 | −0.22% |
| Source: INSEE[3] | ||
Sights edit
In the surrounding countryside, one can find prehistoric standing stones, or dolmens ("dolmen de la Pierre" and "dolmen du Colombier").
Aubigné-Racan is also 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.
The town has a Romanesque church from the 11th century.
People edit
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 edit
References edit
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
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