Belfonds

Belfonds
The church in Belfonds
Location of Belfonds
Belfonds
Belfonds
Coordinates: 48°36′41″N 0°07′07″E / 48.6114°N 0.1186°E / 48.6114; 0.1186
CountryFrance
RegionNormandy
DepartmentOrne
ArrondissementAlençon
CantonSées
IntercommunalityCC des Sources de l'Orne
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jean-Pierre Rolland[1]
Area
1
14.29 km2 (5.52 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)[2]
212
 • Density14.8/km2 (38.4/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
61036 /61500
Elevation170–245 m (558–804 ft)
(avg. 215 m or 705 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Belfonds (French pronunciation: [bɛlfɔ̃] ) is a commune in the Orne department in northwestern France.

Geography

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, Guichaumont, Le Haut Condé, Condé-le-Butor, Le Roussillon, La Fosse, La Philippière, La Perrière, Saint-Clair, Haussepied, Les Petites Bruyères and Belfonds.[3]

It is 1,430 hectares (5.5 sq mi) in size. The highest point in the commune is 221 metres (725 ft).

Belfonds along with another 65 communes is part of a 20,593 hectare, Natura 2000 conservation area, called the Haute vallée de l'Orne et affluents.[4]

Belfonds has a total of seven water courses running through it, three rivers Orne, Senneviere and Thouane. The other four watercourses are all streams, The Ponts Besnard, The Renardieres, The Iles & the Viverel.[5]

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 292—    
1975 250−2.19%
1982 213−2.26%
1990 207−0.36%
1999 218+0.58%
2009 172−2.34%
2014 205+3.57%
2020 204−0.08%
Source: INSEE[6]

Notable buildings and places

National heritage sites

The Commune has two buildings and areas listed as a Monument historique.

  • Cléray Manor a sixteenth century manor house, that was listed as a monument in 2016.[7]
  • Saint-Latuin Chapel is the former church, of Cléray whose commune was abolished in 1802.[8] It is believed that Latuinus, first bishop of Sées took refuge here to escape the hatred of the wife of the governor of Sées, jealous of his miracles.[8] The bishop stopped at the edge of a fountain and built a cell and an oratory. The fountain is believed to have healing powers and on the last Sunday of June each year a pilgrimage is taken from the center of Belfonds.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Belfonds · 61500, France". Belfonds · 61500, France.
  4. ^ "INPN - FSD Natura 2000 - FR2500099 - Haute vallée de l'Orne et affluents - Description". Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  5. ^ Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - L'Orne (I2--0200)".
  6. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  7. ^ "Manoir de Cléray à Belfonds - PA00110739". monumentum.fr.
  8. ^ a b "Ancienne église de Clairay à Belfonds - PA00110980". monumentum.fr.
  9. ^ "La fontaine Saint Latuin et son eau miraculeuse". Ouest-France.fr. 4 August 2016.