Tourouvre au Perche explained

Tourouvre au Perche
Commune Status:	Commune
Arrondissement:	Mortagne-au-Perche
Canton:	Tourouvre au Perche
Insee:	61491
Postal Code:	61190
Mayor:	Franck Poirier^[1]
Term:	2020 - 2026
Intercommunality:	CC Hauts Perche
Coordinates:	48.59°N 0.652°W
Area Km2:	93.76

Tourouvre au Perche (pronounced as /fr/) is a commune in the department of Orne, northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 by merger of the former communes of Autheuil, Bivilliers, Bresolettes, Bubertré, Champs, Lignerolles, La Poterie-au-Perche, Prépotin, Randonnai and Tourouvre (the seat).^[2]

The commune is listed as a Village étape.^{[3] [4]}

Geography

Tourouvre au Perche along with the communes of Feings, Longny les Villages, Le Mage, Moutiers-au-Perche and Charencey shares part of the Forets, etangs et tourbieres du Haut-Perche a Natura 2000 conservation site.^[5] The site measures 3670 hectares and is home to fifteen species protected Flora and Fauna.^[6]

In addition the Commune along with another 70 communes shares part of a 47,681 hectare, Natura 2000 conservation area, called the Forêts et étangs du Perche.^[7]

Points of interest

• Les Muséales de Tourouvre: this site houses two museums - The Museum of French Emigration to Canada and The Museum of Commerce and Brands^[8]
• Réserve Naturelle Régionale de la Clairière Forestière de Bresolettes: a 780 hectare local nature reserve.^[9]

Wattway

On 22 December 2016, the world's first solar-panel road - the Wattway on the RD5 road - was inaugurated. It was covered with 2,800 square meters of electricity-generating panels. The panels are covered with a resin containing fine sheets of silicon, making them tough enough to withstand all traffic. The project cost 5m Euros. On 22 July 2019 it was reported to be a colossal failure.^[10]

National Heritage sites

The Commune has a total of 5 buildings and areas listed as a Monument historique.

• Tourouvre Church - 15th century church, added as a monument in 1991.^[11]
• Bivilliers Church - 12th century church, added as a monument in 2006.^[12]
• Saint-Evroult Church - 11th century church, added as a monument in 1965.^[13] According to legend the church was built after Hugh the Great had pillaged the Abbey of Saint-Evroul in 944, when his jesters started mocking the holy objects they were struck by lightning, and the church built on the location of this event.^[13]
• Notre-Dame Church - built in the Middle Ages, added as a monument in 1875.^[14]
• Bellegarde Manor - a 15th century manor house, added as a monument in 1978.^[15]
• La Gagnonniere - historical site that was once an inn run by Barnabé Gagnon. His 3 grandsons were recruited to help build New France, otherwise known as Quebec. Barnabé is the first recorded Gagnon ancestor.

See also

• Communes of the Orne department

Notes and References

1. Web site: Répertoire national des élus: les maires. data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022. fr.
2. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/arrete/2015/12/21/INTB1600629A/jo/texte Arrêté préfectoral
3. Web site: A Tourouvre, le label village étape c'est bon pour le tourisme. 24 September 2021. actu.fr.
4. Web site: Tourouvre – Les Villages Étapes.
5. Web site: INPN - FSD Natura 2000 - FR2500106 - Forets, etangs et tourbieres du Haut-Perche - Description.
6. Web site: Forêts, étangs et tourbières du Haut-Perche. Ministère de la Transition écologique.
7. Web site: INPN - FSD Natura 2000 - FR2512004 - Forêts et étangs du Perche - Description.
8. Web site: Les muséales de Tourouvre, Tourouvre, autre - infos et adresse. leparisien.fr.
9. Web site: Clairière forestière de Bresolettes | Reserves Naturelles de France. www.reserves-naturelles.org.
10. https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2019/07/22/en-normandie-le-fiasco-de-la-plus-grande-route-solaire-du-monde_5492044_3244.html
11. Web site: Eglise à Tourouvre au Perche - PA00110991. monumentum.fr.
12. Web site: Eglise à Tourouvre au Perche - PA61000051. monumentum.fr.
13. Web site: Eglise à Tourouvre au Perche - PA00110768. monumentum.fr.
14. Web site: Eglise Notre-Dame à Tourouvre au Perche - PA00110735. monumentum.fr.
15. Web site: Manoir de Bellegarde à Tourouvre au Perche - PA00110962. monumentum.fr.