Ancenis

Ancenis
Part of Ancenis-Saint-Géréon
From top to bottom, left to right: The Château d'Ancenis, the flags above the town hall, the town hall, the Ancenis Bridge, St. Peter's Church, the Halles in Ancenis, and a panoramic view of Ancenis.
From top to bottom, left to right: The Château d'Ancenis, the flags above the town hall, the town hall, the Ancenis Bridge, St. Peter's Church, the Halles in Ancenis, and a panoramic view of Ancenis.
Coat of arms of Ancenis
Coat of arms
Location of Ancenis
Ancenis is located in France
Ancenis
Ancenis
Ancenis is located in Pays de la Loire
Ancenis
Ancenis
Coordinates: 47°22′24″N 1°17′37″W
Country France
Region Pays de la Loire
Department Loire-Atlantique
Arrondissement Châteaubriant-Ancenis
Canton Ancenis-Saint-Géréon
Commune Ancenis-Saint-Géréon
Area
1
 20.07 km2 (7.75 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
7,656
 • Density 380/km2 (990/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal code
44150
Elevation 5–41 m (16–135 ft)
(avg. 13 m or 43 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Ancenis (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃s.ni]; Breton: Ankiniz) is a former commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Ancenis-Saint-Géréon. It is a former sub-prefecture of the department, and was the seat of the former arrondissement of Ancenis.

It played a great historical role as a key location on the road to Nantes (23 miles to the southwest), the historical capital of Brittany. It was named "the key of Brittany" and the door of Brittany.

Population

Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1793 3,295 —    
1800 2,923 −11.3%
1806 2,945 +0.8%
1821 3,888 +32.0%
1831 3,749 −3.6%
1836 3,667 −2.2%
1841 3,802 +3.7%
1846 3,824 +0.6%
1851 3,689 −3.5%
1856 4,198 +13.8%
1861 4,628 +10.2%
1866 4,148 −10.4%
1872 4,358 +5.1%
1876 5,177 +18.8%
1881 5,361 +3.6%
1886 5,544 +3.4%
1891 5,141 −7.3%
1896 5,048 −1.8%
Year Pop. ±%
1901 5,199 +3.0%
1906 4,998 −3.9%
1911 5,013 +0.3%
1921 4,222 −15.8%
1926 3,942 −6.6%
1931 4,040 +2.5%
1936 4,149 +2.7%
1946 4,815 +16.1%
1954 5,050 +4.9%
1962 5,102 +1.0%
1968 5,648 +10.7%
1975 6,997 +23.9%
1982 7,076 +1.1%
1990 6,896 −2.5%
1999 7,009 +1.6%
2006 7,407 +5.7%
2009 7,543 +1.8%

Sights

  • Château d'Ancenis, a medieval and Renaissance castle
  • The Loire river on which Ancenis is located (on the north bank)
  • Church of Saint Peter, 15-16-17th century
  • Chapel of the Ursulines
  • Chapel Notre-Dame de Délivrance
  • Old quarter with mediaeval houses
  • Dolmen at Pierre-Couvretière

Sport

The soccer team is called RCA 44, (Racing Club D'Ancenis 44)

Personalities

Twin towns

Ancenis is twinned with both the town of Kirkham in Lancashire, UK and Bad Brückenau, a spa town in Bad Kissingen district, northern Bavaria which is situated in the Rhön Mountains in Germany.

See also