Chailland () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Ille-et ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in north-western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It is classed as a

Petites Cités de Caractère Petites Cités de Caractère is a label awarded to towns or villages that meet a set of criteria as set by the Petites Cités de Caractère de France. As of 2021 there are more than 200 communes listed as a Petites Cités de Caractère. History Th ...

.Chailland
Petites Cités de Caractère The rivers

Ernée Ernée () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. It is named after the river Ernée, which runs through the town and is situated about halfway between the towns of Laval and Fougères. Ernée is home to a purpose-built m ...

and Vaumourin run through the commune. It borders the communes of Saint-Hilare-du-Maine,

La Baconnière La Baconnière () is a commune in the Mayenne department in northwestern France. Population See also *Communes of Mayenne The following is a list of the 240 communes of the Mayenne department of France. The communes cooperate in the follow ...

Saint-Germain-le-Guillaume Saint-Germain-le-Guillaume () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. See also *Communes of the Mayenne department The following is a list of the 240 communes of the Mayenne department of France. The communes coopera ...

La Bigotière LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

Placé Placé () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. See also *Communes of Mayenne The following is a list of the 240 communes of the Mayenne department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunali ...

and Montenay. In the village there are 2 statues looking over the village centre - statues of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

and the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

. Nestled in the valley of the verdant Ernée Valley and lined with spectacular rocky escarpments, Chailland retains traces of its industrial past. Backed by a protective and reassuring rock face, Chailland has been able to take advantage of its privileged position since prehistoric times. The Ernée, a river that generates energy, flows at its feet and the rich and verdant forest provides wood. The village took shape in the XIth century around the imposing Romanesque church, with domain, mill and manor. But the history of this city is especially deeply marked by the forges which, from 1550 & for the following three centuries, became the beating heart of the city employing up to five hundred workers. explaining the presence of the opulent buildings, which borrow some interesting architectural elements infrequent in boroughs of this size. The Bourgeoiserie is an example with its roof Mansart. The imposing Hawke neo-Gothic granite church is another. The small houses, all identical, aligned along the river reveal the importance of the working class community. The wash houses and the mills tell of their daily life. But to embrace all this history, you need to climb to the terraced gardens and to the heights of the Virgin on its rock. There are many interesting & safe walks in Chailland including the walk along the old tram lines into the forest where no cars are permitted.