Tourouvre au Perche
Tourouvre au Perche 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 commune is listed as a Village étape.
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. The site measures 3670 hectares and is home to fifteen species protected Flora and Fauna.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.
The source of the river Avre is within this commune.
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
- Réserve Naturelle Régionale de la Clairière Forestière de Bresolettes: a 780 hectare local nature reserve.
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.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.
- Bivilliers Church - 12th century church, added as a monument in 2006.
- Saint-Evroult Church - 11th century church, added as a monument in 1965. 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.
- Notre-Dame Church - built in the Middle Ages, added as a monument in 1875.
- Bellegarde Manor - a 15th century manor house, added as a monument in 1978.
- 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.