Le Mans

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Le Mans

Le Mans ( in French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
) is a city in France

France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, located on the Sarthe River

Sarthe River

The Sarthe is a river in western France. Together with the river Mayenne River it forms the river Maine , which is a tributary to the river Loire River....
. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine

Maine (province)

Le Maine is one of the traditional Provinces of France of France . It corresponds to the old county of Maine, with its center, the city of Le Mans....
, it is now the préfecture
Prefecture

Prefecture indicates the office, seat, territorial circumscription of a Prefect. The term prefecture is also used to refer to offices analogous to prefectures....
(capital) of the Sarthe

Sarthe

Sarthe is a France departments of France, named after the Sarthe River....
département, and is furthermore the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Its inhabitants are called Manceaux and Mancelles. It has been host to the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a sports car racing endurance racing held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and runs on a Circuit de la Sarthe containing closed public roads that are meant not only to test a car and dr...
sports car race since 1923.

t mentioned by Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Claudius Ptolemaeus , known in English as Ptolemy , was a Roman Greek mathematics, Greek astronomy, geographer and astrologer. He lived in History of Roman Egypt, and was probably born there in a town in the Thebaid called Ptolemais Hermiou; he died in Alexandria around 168 AD....
(Geography 2.8.8), the Roman

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
city Vindinium was the capital of the Aulerci, a sub tribe of the Aedui

Aedui

Aedui, Haedui or Hedui , are Gallic people of Gallia Lugdunensis, who inhabited the country between the Arar and Liger , in today's France....
.

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History

First mentioned by Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Roman Empire

Aedui

Aedui, Haedui or Hedui , are Gallic people of Gallia Lugdunensis, who inhabited the country between the Arar and Liger , in today's France....
. Le Mans is also known as Civitas Cenomanorum (City of the Cenomani

Cenomani

The Cenomani or Aulerci Cenomani were a Gaul people, a branch of the Aulerci in Gallia Celtica, whose territory corresponded generally to Maine in the modern d?partment of Sarthe, west of the Carnutes between the Seine and the Loire....
). Their city lies in the ancient Roman province

Roman province

In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of the Italia ....
of Gallia Lugdunensis

Gallia Lugdunensis

Gallia Lugdunensis was a Roman province of the Roman Empire in what is now the modern country of France, part of the Celtic territory of Gaul....
. An amphitheatre

Amphitheatre

An amphitheatre is an open-air venue for spectator sports, concerts, rallies, or theatrical performances. There are two similar, but distinct types of amphitheatres: Ancient amphitheatres, built by the ancient Rome, were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used for spectator sports; these comp...
built in the 3rd century AD is still visible.

Gregory of Tours

Gregory of Tours

Saint Gregory of Tours was a Gallo-Roman History and Bishops of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of Gaul. He was born Georgius Florentius, later adding the name Gregorius in honour of his maternal great-grandfather....
mentions a Frankish

Franks

The Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic ethnic group first identified in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River....
sub-king Rigomer, who was killed by Clovis

Clovis I

Clovis was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Franks under one king. He succeeded his father Childeric I in 481 as King of the Salian Franks, one of the Frankish tribes who were then occupying the area west of the lower Rhine, with their centre around Tournai and Cambrai along the modern frontier between France and Belgium, in an...
in his campaign to unite the Frankish territories.

As the principal city of Maine, Le Mans was the stage for struggles in the 11th century between the counts of Anjou

Anjou

Anjou is a former county , duchy and Provinces of France centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day d?partement in France of Maine-et-Loire....
and the dukes of Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is situated along the coast of France south of the English Channel between Brittany and Picardy and comprises territory in northern France and the Channel Islands....
. When the Normans had control of Maine, William the Conqueror was able to successfully invade England

England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
; however in 1069 the citizens revolted and expelled the Normans, which led to Hugh V

Hugh V of Maine

Hugh V was the Count of Maine and titular count from 1069 until 1131. He was the son of Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan and Gersendis .In 1069, the citizens of Le Mans and some of the Manceaux barons revolted against Norman control....
being proclaimed count of Maine

List of Counts and Dukes of Maine

This is a list of counts and dukes of Maine , with their capital at Le Mans. In the thirteenth century it was annexed by France to the Crown lands of France....
.

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, Le Mans was liberated by the US 5th Armored Division

U.S. 5th Armored Division

The 5th Armored Division was a division of the United States Army that consisted of Armoured warfare and Mechanized infantry which was in active service during World War II....
on August 8, 1944 following their breakout from the Normandy beachheads

Battle of Normandy

The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Western Allies forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord in World War II....
.

Points of interest

Le Mans has a well-preserved old town (Cité Plantagenêt, also called Vieux Mans) and a cathedral
Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop. It is a Religion building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Anglicanism, Orthodox Christian and some Lutheranism churches, which serves as a bishop's seat, and thus as the central church of a dioc...
: Cathédrale St-Julien, dedicated to St Julian of Le Mans, who is honoured as the city's first bishop.
There are remnants of a Roman
Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC....
wall in the old town and Roman baths by the river.
Arboretum de la Grand Prée
Arboretum de la Grand Prée

The Arboretum de la Grand Pr?e is an arboretum located at 2 impasse Petit Pavillon, Le Mans, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France. It is open by appointment....
Jardin des Plantes du Mans
Jardin des Plantes du Mans

File:Etan jardin des Plantes Le Mans.JPGFile:Vue statue jardin des plantes le mans.JPGThe Jardin des Plantes du Mans , also known as the Jardin d'Horticulture du Mans, is a botanical garden located at 4 Rue de Sinault, Le Mans, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France....

Demographics

At the 1999 French census, there were 293,159 inhabitants in the metropolitan area (aire urbaine
Aire urbaine

The aire urbaine is an INSEE statistical region comprising a couronne p?riurbaine commuter belt around a contiguous p?le urbain . As it is specifically defined by statistical criteria, it is similar--though not identical--to the more general term of "metropolitan area" used in English....
) of Le Mans, with 146,105 of these living in the city proper (commune).

source : http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/docs_ffc/psdc.htm

Transportation

Le Mans inaugurated a new light rail system on November 17, 2007.

Sport

Motorsport

The city is best known for its connection with motorsports. There are actually two separate racing tracks at Le Mans, though they share certain portions. The smaller is the Bugatti Circuit

Bugatti Circuit

The Bugatti Circuit is a race track located in Le Mans, France, named after Ettore Bugatti. The circuit uses a part of the circuit used for the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race and a separate, purpose-built section....
(named after Ettore Bugatti

Ettore Bugatti

Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was an Italy automobile designer and manufacturer.He came from a notably artistic family with its roots in Milan....
, founder of the car company

Bugatti

Bugatti was founded in Molsheim, France, as a car maker by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian people man described as an eccentric genius.The original company is legendary for producing some of the most exclusive cars in the world as well as some of the fastest....
bearing his name), a relatively short permanent circuit which is used for racing throughout the year. The longer and more famous Circuit de la Sarthe

Circuit de la Sarthe

The Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a non-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race....
is composed partly of public roads, which are closed to the public when the track is in use for racing, and has been host to the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans

Sports car racing

Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
since 1923. Boutiques and shops are set up during the race selling merchandise and promoting products for cars. The first French Grand Prix

French Grand Prix

The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
took place here in 1906

1906 French Grand Prix

The 1906 French Grand Prix was the first Grand Prix motor racing and took place at Le Mans on 26 June 1906....
. The "Le Mans start" takes its name from the way racers lined up across the street from their cars and ran across the street and jumped into their cars to begin.

Basketball

Le Mans Sarthe Basket
Le Mans Sarthe Basket

Le Mans Sarthe Basket is a professional basketball club based in Le Mans, France. The club plays in the Ligue Nationale de Basketball and the Euroleague....

Football

Le Mans UC72
Le Mans UC72

Le Mans UC72 is a France football club, based in Le Mans. It was founded in 1985, having gone under its full name of Le Mans Union Club 72 since their foundation in 1902....

Births

Le Mans was the birthplace of:

Henry II of England
Henry II of England

Henry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France....
, born 1133
Geoffroy V d'Anjou, born 1113
Geoffrey de Goreham or Gorron, became Abbot of St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK, in 1119
Dom Louis Le Pelletier, born 1663, linguist of the breton language
Breton language

The Breton language is a Celtic languages spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany in France....
Gilles-François de Beauvais
Gilles-François de Beauvais

Gilles-Fran?ois de Beauvais was a France Jesuit writer and preacher.Born at Le Mans, France, de Beauvais entered the Society of Jesus in 1709, and taught belles-lettres, rhetoric, and philosophy....
, born 7 July 1693, was a Jesuit writer and preacher.
Jean Rondeau
Jean Rondeau

Jean Rondeau was a French race car driver and constructor, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1980, in a car bearing his own name, an achievement which remains unique in the history of the race....
, born in 1946, racecar driver and constructor
François Fillon
François Fillon

Fran?ois Fillon is the current Prime Minister of France, having been appointed to that office by President of the French Republic Nicolas Sarkozy on 17 May 2007....
, born in 1954, Prime Minister of France.
Julien Cottereau, born 1969, actor and clown - Cirque du Soleil, now in his own show Imagine Toi.
Sébastien Bourdais
Sébastien Bourdais

S?bastien Olivier Bourdais is a France Formula One race car driver. He is one of the most successful drivers in the history of the Champ Car, having won four successive championships from 2004 Champ Car World Series season to 2007 Champ Car World Series season....
, born 1979, racecar driver
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Petsonga is a France professional tennis player. Tsonga's career high ranking of No. 6 was achieved on November 17, 2008, which was ranking before falling seven spots after he fell prior to the finals in the 2009 Australian Open, thus losing a significant number of his ranking points....
, born 1985, professional tennis player.

Sister Cities

- Bolton

Bolton

Bolton is a large town in Greater Manchester, in the North West England region of England.Situated close to the West Pennine Moors, north west of the city of Manchester, it is the largest and most populous settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, the former county borough of Bolton has a population of 139,403, though this figure d...
, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
- Haouza

Haouza

Haouza or Hawza is a town in Western Sahara. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 8,769 people....
, Western Sahara

Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a territory of North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west....
- Paderborn

Paderborn

Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn . The name of the city derives from the river Pader River, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St....
, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
- officially since 1967, traditionally since 836 (oldest partnership of its kind in Europe). - Rostov-on-Don

Rostov-on-Don

Rostov-on-Don is the types of inhabited localities in Russia and the administrative center of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia, located on the Don River , just 46 km from the Sea of Azov....
, Russia

Russia

Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
- Suzuka

Suzuka, Mie

is a cities of Japan located in Mie Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 197,437 and the population density of 1,010 people per square kilometer....
, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
- Volos

Volos

Volos is a coastal port city situated at the center of the Greece mainland, about 326 km north from Athens and 215 km south from Thessaloniki. It is the capital of the Magnesia Prefectures of Greece....
, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....

Others

The culinary specialty of Le Mans is rillettes
Rillettes

Rillettes is a preparation of meat similar to p?t?. Originally made with pork, the meat is cubed or chopped, salted heavily and cooked slowly in fat until it is tender enough to be easily shredded, and then cooled with enough of the fat to form a paste....
, a shredded pork pâté.

At Mayet, near Le Mans, and with a height of 342 m, the Le Mans-Mayet transmitter is one of the tallest radio masts in France.

Le Mans

History

Points of interest

Demographics

Transportation

Sport

Motorsport

Basketball

Football

Births

Sister Cities

Others

External links