Domfront - Petite Cité de Caractère

Standing on its rocky outcrop, the town of Domfront acts as a lookout against a bocage horizon.

The city of kings.

The region has been sparsely populated since prehistoric times.

In the 6th century, the monk Saint Front evangelized the region and gave it his name. Domfront was founded by the Lords of Bellême, who built a castle around 1010, under whose shadow the town grew. Domfront?s history is directly linked to the Dukes of Normandy, then to the Kings of England and France. More recently, Domfront was a sub-prefecture until 1926. It remains the administrative center of the canton. The town was one of the first in France to have electric street lighting. It was also animated by major agricultural fairs. One market was attended by almost 10,000 head of cattle.

In June 1944, three of the town?s districts were destroyed by American bombing raids, but the medieval town was spared those tragic hours. The town has remained very lively ever since.

The medieval town features a collection of buildings from different periods and in a variety of styles, from the late Middle Ages to Art Deco, dominated by local sandstone and granite. Timber-framed and chestnut-battened houses remain. Private mansions and boutiques alternate along streets, alleys and courtyards. Masonry is sometimes built directly on rock outcrops. Eleven towers from the old ramparts are still visible, either integrated into more recent buildings, or separately. The southern edge of the old ramparts has given way to terraced gardens, overlooked by aristocratic mansions and remnants of the fortifications.

The town hall is housed in a vast 19th-century building and houses a curious museum. Saint-Julien church was built in 1926 by Guilbert. Its originality is due to the use of concrete and its centered plan. Its bell tower dominates the whole town, offering a remarkable view. It has been listed since 1993.

The main features of the medieval town and its surroundings are protected as Monuments Historiques: Notre-Dame-sur-l?Eau church, remains of the keep, towers and ramparts?

Not to be missed.

The commune boasts several MH and ISMH listed buildings:

- The Romanesque church of Notre-Dame-sur-l?Eau, the neo-Byzantine church of Saint-Julien in reinforced concrete, the church of Saint-Front

- Remains of the château (medieval keep, curtain wall, Saint-Symphorien chapel)

- The Cour Marie-du-Rocher

- The 11 towers and gates of the old town

The old courthouse and town hall

Charles Léandre Museum

Half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, creative gardens and courtyards

Tertre Sainte-Anne (natural rocky site, signposted)