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Le Mans

Coordinates:48°00′28″N0°11′54″E/ 48.0077°N 0.1984°E/48.0077; 0.1984
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the city in France. For the sportscar endurance race, see24 Hours of Le Mans.For racecar type, seeLe Mans Prototype.For other uses, seeLe Mans (disambiguation).

Le Mans
Prefectureandcommune
Top row: left, Le Mans 24-hr automobile race in June; right, Le Mans Justice Department Office; Middle row: View of Sarthe River and historic area, including the Palais of Comtes du Maine; Bottom row: left, Le Mans Tramway in Gambetta Street; center, Facade built in Le Mans Commerce Center; right, Saint Julien Cathedral
Top row: left, Le Mans 24-hr automobile race in June; right, Le Mans Justice Department Office; Middle row: View of Sarthe River and historic area, including the Palais of Comtes du Maine; Bottom row: left, Le Mans Tramway in Gambetta Street; center, Facade built in Le Mans Commerce Center; right, Saint Julien Cathedral
Coat of arms of Le Mans
Coat of arms
Location of Le Mans
Map
Le Mans is located in France
Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is located in Pays de la Loire
Le Mans
Le Mans
Coordinates:48°00′28″N0°11′54″E/ 48.0077°N 0.1984°E/48.0077; 0.1984
CountryFrance
RegionPays de la Loire
DepartmentSarthe
ArrondissementLe Mans
CantonLe Mans-1,2,3,4,5,6and7
IntercommunalityLe Mans Métropole
Government
• Mayor(2020–2026)Stéphane Le Foll[1]
Area
1
52.81 km2(20.39 sq mi)
Population
(2021)[2]
145,004
• Density2,700/km2(7,100/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Manceau(masculine)
Mancelle(feminine)
Time zoneUTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+02:00(CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
72181/72000
Dialling codes(0)243
Elevation38–134 m (125–440 ft)
(avg. 51 m or 167 ft)
1French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2(0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Le Mans(/ləˈmɒ̃/,French:[ləmɑ̃]ⓘ) is acityin northwesternFranceon theSarthe Riverwhere it meets theHuisne.Traditionally the capital of the province ofMaine,it is now the capital of theSarthedepartmentand the seat of the Roman Catholicdiocese of Le Mans.Le Mans is a part of thePays de la Loireregion.

Its inhabitants are calledManceaux(male) andMancelles(female). Since 1923, the city has hosted the24 Hours of Le Mans,the world's oldest active endurance sports car race. The event is among the most attended andprestigious motor sports eventsin the world.

History

[edit]
See also:Timeline of Le Mans

First mentioned byClaudius Ptolemy,[3]theRomancityVindiniumwas the capital of theAulerci,a sub tribe of theAedui.Le Mans is also known asCivitas Cenomanorum(City of theCenomani), orCenomanus.Their city, seized by the Romans in 47 BC, was within the ancientRoman provinceofGallia Lugdunensis.A 3rd-centuryamphitheatreis still visible. Thethermaewere demolished during thecrisis of the third centurywhen workers were mobilized to build the city's defensive walls. The ancient wall around Le Mans is one of the most complete circuits ofGallo-Romancity walls to survive.[4]

As the use of the French language replaced lateVulgar Latinin the area,Cenomanus,withdissimilation,became known asCelmins.Cel-was taken to be a form of the French word for "this" and "that", and was replaced byle,which means "the".

As the principal city ofMaine,Le Mans was the stage for struggles in the eleventh century between the counts ofAnjouand the dukes ofNormandy.When the Normans had control of Maine,William the Conquerorsuccessfully invaded England and established an occupation. In 1069 the citizens of Maine revolted and expelled the Normans, resulting inHugh Vbeing proclaimedcount of Maine.Geoffrey V of AnjoumarriedMatilda of Englandin thecathedral.Their sonHenry II Plantagenet, king of England,was born here. In 1154, during the reign of his uncle King Stephen, Henry landed in England with an army, intent on challenging Stephen for the throne. Some of the members of that feudal force were known by the surname 'del Mans' (Latin for of Mans, as the city was then known.) In medieval records pertaining to the history of Gloucester is a reference to one such man, Walter del Mans, and beside his name 'Cenomanus' was added by the medieval scribe, so that there is no doubt as to Walter's origin. In the English censuses down to the twentieth century the surname Mans (latterly often spelled Manns) was virtually confined to the counties of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire and their borderlands, reflecting the original settlement patterns in the Welsh Marches of the original followers of Henry's from Le Mans in 1154. A John Mans/Manns was escheator of Hereford 1399–1400. One family from [Le] Mans held the manor of Dodenham, Worcestershire. (Calendar of the Records of the Corporation of Gloucester, Item 96, ca.1200; Fine Roles Henry III, 23 August. 1233 [Hereford];'Parishes: Doddenham', A History of the County of Worcester, volume 4 (1924), pp. 260–62.) Intercourse between England and Le Mans continued throughout the Angevin period.

In the 13th century Le Mans came under the control of the French crown. It was subsequently invaded by England during theHundred Years' War.[5]

Industrialization took place in the 19th century which saw the development of railway and motor vehicle production as well as textiles and tobacco manufacture.[5]

Wilbur Wrightbegan official public demonstrations of the airplane he had developed with his younger brotherOrvilleon 8 August 1908, at the Hunaudières horse racing track near Le Mans.[6]

World War II

[edit]

Soon after Le Mans was liberated by the U.S.79thand90thInfantry Divisions on 8 August 1944,[7]engineers of theNinth Air ForceIX Engineering Command began construction of a combatAdvanced Landing Groundoutside of the town. The airfield was declared operational on 3 September and designated as "A-35".It was used by several American fighter and transport units until late November of that year in additional offensives across France; the airfield was closed.[8][9]

Main sights

[edit]
[edit]
  • Le Palais des Comtes du Maine[n 1]
    Le Palais des Comtes du Maine[n 1]
  • Gallo-Roman walls
    Gallo-Roman walls
  • Organ in the cathedral
    Organ in the cathedral
  • A street in the old town
    A street in the old town
  • Manhole cover depicting the city's coat-of-arms
    Manhole cover depicting the city's coat-of-arms
  • Effigy of Berengaria of Navarre in the chapter house of Épau abbey.
    Effigy of Berengaria of Navarre in the chapter house of Épau abbey.

Climate

[edit]

Le Mans has a temperateoceanic climate(Cfb) influenced by the mild Atlantic air travelling inland. Summers are warm and occasionally hot, whereas winters are mild and cloudy. Precipitation is relatively uniform and moderate year round.

Climate data for Le Mans (1991–2020 averages)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.2
(63.0) 		21.8
(71.2) 		25.6
(78.1) 		30.3
(86.5) 		32.4
(90.3) 		39.7
(103.5) 		41.1
(106.0) 		40.5
(104.9) 		35.0
(95.0) 		30.0
(86.0) 		22.2
(72.0) 		18.3
(64.9) 		41.1
(106.0)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 14.4
(57.9) 		16.2
(61.2) 		20.4
(68.7) 		24.8
(76.6) 		28.2
(82.8) 		32.4
(90.3) 		33.9
(93.0) 		34.0
(93.2) 		29.2
(84.6) 		23.5
(74.3) 		17.6
(63.7) 		14.3
(57.7) 		35.4
(95.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 8.4
(47.1) 		9.7
(49.5) 		13.3
(55.9) 		16.6
(61.9) 		20.1
(68.2) 		23.6
(74.5) 		26.0
(78.8) 		26.0
(78.8) 		22.2
(72.0) 		17.2
(63.0) 		11.9
(53.4) 		8.8
(47.8) 		17.0
(62.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.5
(41.9) 		5.9
(42.6) 		8.7
(47.7) 		11.3
(52.3) 		14.9
(58.8) 		18.2
(64.8) 		20.3
(68.5) 		20.1
(68.2) 		16.7
(62.1) 		13.0
(55.4) 		8.6
(47.5) 		5.9
(42.6) 		12.4
(54.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.7
(36.9) 		2.2
(36.0) 		4.0
(39.2) 		6.0
(42.8) 		9.7
(49.5) 		12.9
(55.2) 		14.6
(58.3) 		14.3
(57.7) 		11.2
(52.2) 		8.8
(47.8) 		5.2
(41.4) 		2.9
(37.2) 		7.9
(46.2)
Mean minimum °C (°F) −6.1
(21.0) 		−5.1
(22.8) 		−3.0
(26.6) 		−0.6
(30.9) 		2.7
(36.9) 		6.8
(44.2) 		8.8
(47.8) 		7.7
(45.9) 		4.5
(40.1) 		0.8
(33.4) 		−2.8
(27.0) 		−5.2
(22.6) 		−8.0
(17.6)
Record low °C (°F) −18.2
(−0.8) 		−17.0
(1.4) 		−11.3
(11.7) 		−4.9
(23.2) 		−3.7
(25.3) 		1.6
(34.9) 		3.9
(39.0) 		3.2
(37.8) 		−0.5
(31.1) 		−5.4
(22.3) 		−12.0
(10.4) 		−21.0
(−5.8) 		−21.0
(−5.8)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 65.9
(2.59) 		49.1
(1.93) 		52.2
(2.06) 		51.1
(2.01) 		63.2
(2.49) 		55.1
(2.17) 		49.4
(1.94) 		49.0
(1.93) 		50.8
(2.00) 		65.5
(2.58) 		67.1
(2.64) 		75.0
(2.95) 		693.4
(27.29)
Average precipitation days 11.0 9.6 9.4 9.0 9.5 7.9 7.3 7.1 7.7 10.6 11.3 11.6 112
Averagerelative humidity(%) 87 83 78 74 75 73 72 74 79 86 88 88 79.8
Mean monthlysunshine hours 65 94 139 180 207 221 233 226 185 118 75 67 1,810
Source 1:Meteo France[10]
Source 2: Infoclimat (humidity 1961–1990)[11]

Demographics

[edit]

As of 2018,there were 367,082 inhabitants in the metropolitan area (aire d'attraction) of Le Mans, with 143,252 of these living in the city proper (commune).[12]In 1855 Le Mans absorbed four neighbouring communes.[13]The population data for 1851 and earlier in the table and graph below refer to the pre-1855 borders.

Historical population of Le Mans
YearPop.±% p.a.
179318,855—
180018,081−0.60%
180619,030+0.86%
182118,881−0.05%
183119,792+0.47%
183623,164+3.20%
184125,189+1.69%
184627,461+1.74%
185127,059−0.29%
185634,664+5.08%
186137,209+1.43%
186645,230+3.98%
187246,981+0.64%
187650,175+1.66%
188155,347+1.98%
188657,591+0.80%
189157,412−0.06%
189660,075+0.91%
YearPop.±% p.a.
190163,272+1.04%
190665,467+0.68%
191169,361+1.16%
192171,783+0.34%
192672,867+0.30%
193176,868+1.07%
193684,525+1.92%
1946100,455+1.74%
1954111,891+1.36%
1962132,181+2.10%
1968143,246+1.35%
1975152,285+0.88%
1982147,697−0.44%
1990145,502−0.19%
1999146,105+0.05%
2007144,164−0.17%
2012143,599−0.08%
2017142,946−0.09%
Source: EHESS[13]and INSEE (1968–2017)[14]

Transportation

[edit]

TheGare du Mansis the main railway station of Le Mans. It takes 1 hour to reach Paris from Le Mans byTGVhigh speed train. There are also TGV connections to Lille, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes and Brest. Gare du Mans is also a hub for regional trains. Le Mans inaugurated a newlight rail systemon 17 November 2007.[15]

Sport

[edit]

Motorsport

[edit]
Dunlop Curve
Handprints and signatures from the winners of the 1992 edition of the24 Hours of Le Mans,Mark Blundell,Derek Warwick,andYannick Dalmas,at Le Mans

The firstFrench Grand Prixtook place on a 64-mile (103 km) circuit based at Le Mansin 1906.

Since the 1920s, the city has been best known for its connection with motorsports. There are two official and separate racing tracks at Le Mans, though they share certain portions. The smaller is theBugatti Circuit(named afterEttore Bugatti,founder of thecar companybearing his name), a relatively short permanent circuit, which is used for racing throughout the year and regularly hosts theFrench motorcycle Grand Prix.The longer and more famousCircuit de la Sartheis composed partly of public roads. These are closed to the public when the track is in use for racing. Since 1923, this route has been used for the famous24 Hours of Le Manssports car endurance race.Boutiques and shops are set up during the race, selling merchandise and promoting products for cars.

The "Le Mans start"was formerly used in the 24-hour race: drivers lined up across the track from their cars, ran across the track, jumped into their cars and started them to begin the race.

The1955 Le Mans disasterwas a large accident during the race that killed eighty-four spectators.

Basketball

[edit]

The city is home toLe Mans Sarthe Basket,2006 Champion of theLNB Pro A,France's top professional basketball division.

The team plays its home games at theAntarès,which served as one of the host arenas of the FIBAEuroBasket 1999.

Football

[edit]

Cycling

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]
See also:List of 24 Hours of Le Mans fatalities

Le Mans was the birthplace of:

Basil Moreau around 1860

Notable residents include:

Died in Le Mans:

International relations

[edit]
See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Le Mans istwinnedwith:[16]

Gastronomy

[edit]

The culinary specialty of Le Mans isrillettes,a shredded porkpâté.

Landmarks

[edit]

Located at Mayet near Le Mans, theLe Mans-Mayet transmitterhas a height of 342 m and is one of the tallest radio masts in France.

Panorama of Le Mans, facing north-west
[edit]
  • Le Mans has been a setting for numerous feature films that feature its famous race.[17]
  • Le Mans is a setting for sections of the 2020 novel,The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,by V.E. Schwab.[18]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^birthplace ofHenry II of England(now part of the Town Hall and not open to the public)

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Répertoire national des élus: les maires".data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises(in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^"Populations légales 2021"(in French).The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.28 December 2023.
  3. ^Geography2.8.8
  4. ^Butler, R. M. (1958). "The Roman Walls of le Mans".The Journal of Roman Studies.48(1/2): 33–39.doi:10.2307/298210.JSTOR298210.S2CID162544388.
  5. ^ab"Le Mans | History, Geography, & Points of Interest | Britannica".11 June 2023.
  6. ^Combs, Harry (1979).Kill Devil Hill: Discovering the Secret of the Wright Brothers.Englewood: TernStyle Press, Ltd. pp. 266–281.ISBN0940053020.
  7. ^Blumenson, Martin,Breakout and Pursuit,Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D.C., 1989, pp. 436–8
  8. ^Johnson, David C. (1988),U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day;Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
  9. ^Maurer, Maurer.Air Force Combat Units of World War II.Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983.ISBN0-89201-092-4.
  10. ^"Données climatiques de la station de Le Mans"(PDF)(in French). Meteo France.Retrieved10 September2023.
  11. ^"Normes et records 1961–1990: Le Mans – Arnage (72) – altitude 51m"(in French). Infoclimat.Retrieved9 January2016.
  12. ^Comparateur de territoire: Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 du Mans (034),INSEE
  13. ^abDes villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui:Commune data sheet Le Mans,EHESS(in French).
  14. ^Population en historique depuis 1968,INSEE
  15. ^"Le Mans light rail takes off".Railway Gazette International.6 January 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 16 June 2011.Retrieved5 March2010.
  16. ^"Les jumelages".lemans.fr(in French). Le Mans.Retrieved14 November2019.
  17. ^"The 5 Best 24 Hours of le Mans Movies".14 June 2016.
  18. ^"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: Recap & Summary".The Bibliofile.5 October 2020.Retrieved15 February2022.

Bibliography

[edit]
See also:Bibliography of the history of Le Mans
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toLe Mans.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forLe Mans.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Le_Mans&oldid=1242628652"