La Ferté-Bernard

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La Ferté-Bernard
The church of Notre-Dame des Marais
The church of Notre-Dame des Marais
Coat of arms of La Ferté-Bernard
Location of La Ferté-Bernard
La Ferté-Bernard is located in France
La Ferté-Bernard
La Ferté-Bernard
Coordinates: 48°11′15″N 0°39′19″E / 48.1875°N 0.6553°E / 48.1875; 0.6553Coordinates: 48°11′15″N 0°39′19″E / 48.1875°N 0.6553°E / 48.1875; 0.6553
CountryFrance
RegionPays de la Loire
DepartmentSarthe
ArrondissementMamers
CantonLa Ferté-Bernard
Intercommunality
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Didier Reveau
Area
1
14.96 km2 (5.78 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2018)[1]
8,852
 • Density590/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Fertois, Fertoise
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
72132 /72400
Elevation79–146 m (259–479 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

La Ferté-Bernard (French pronunciation: ​[la fɛʁte bɛʁnaʁ]) is a commune in the Sarthe department in the Pays de la Loire region in north-western France.

Twin towns[]

It is twinned with Louth in Lincolnshire.

History[]

La Ferté-Bernard owes its origin and name to a stronghold (fermeté) built about the 11th century and afterwards held by the family of Bernard. In 1424 it did not succumb to the English troops until after a four months' siege. It belonged in the 16th century to the family of Guise and supported the League, but was captured by the royal forces in 1590.[2]

La Ferté-Bernard was involved in the 1906 Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France, the world's first motoring Grand Prix. The D97 towards Le Mans and the D1 towards Vibraye and Saint-Calais formed two sides of the triangular course.

Notable people[]

Louise du Pierry, astronomer, was born here[3] on 7/30/1746 or 8/1/1746 as Elisabeth Louise Felicite Pourra de la Madeleine.

Local folklore[]

La Ferte-Bernard is connected with a mythical dragon called the Peluda, which is said to have terrorized the town in medieval times.

See also[]

  • Communes of the Sarthe department

References[]

  1. ^ "Populations légales 2018". INSEE. 28 December 2020.
  2. ^  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "La Ferté-Bernard". Encyclopædia Britannica. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 68.
  3. ^ Bernardi, Gabriella (2016-03-14). The Unforgotten Sisters: Female Astronomers and Scientists before Caroline Herschel. ISBN 9783319261270.



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