Belfonds

Commune in Normandy, France

(2020–2026) Jean-Pierre Rolland^[1]Area14.29 km² (5.52 sq mi)Population202 • Density14/km² (37/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal codeElevation170–245 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 has a total of seven water courses running through it, three rivers The Orne, La Senneviere and La Thouane. The other four watercourses are all streams, The Ponts Besnard, The Renardieres, The Iles & the Viverel.^[4]

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% 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[5]

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.^[6]
• Saint-Latuin Chapel is the former church, of Cléray whose commune was abolished in 1802.^[7] 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

• 
  Church of Saint-Latuin
• 
  Church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption
• 
  Chapel of Saint-Clair

See also

• Communes of the Orne department

References