Laval () is a town in 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 ...

, about west-southwest of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, and the capital of 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 I ...

department. Its inhabitants are called ''Lavallois''. The commune of Laval proper, without the metropolitan area, is the 7th most populous in the

Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire (; ; br, Broioù al Liger) is one of the 18 regions of France, in the west of the mainland. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful of "balancing metropolises" (). ...

region and the 132nd in France.Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017
INSEE A part of the traditional

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

before the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, which now split between two departments, Mayenne and Sarthe, Laval also lies on the threshold of

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

and is not far from

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

and

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duke ...

. It was thus an important stronghold in northwestern France during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. Laval became a city during the 11th century, and was the cradle of the House of Laval, one of the most powerful families in Maine and Brittany. The counts of Laval developed a textile industry around 1300 and made Laval a significant centre for the French Renaissance a century later. The

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

industry remained the principal activity in Laval until the 20th century, when milk processing became more profitable. Laval developed around a promontory, on which the castle was built, and along the river

. The Laval metropolitan area is a small economic centre in western France, particularly active in the industrial sector, dairy production, electronics and chemicals. Laval is economically oriented towards

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine departme ...

, the administrative capital of the region of Brittany, and located only west of Laval. Laval proper covers and has a population of 49,573 inhabitants, while c. 144,000 live in its

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually ...

(). The

Laval Agglomération Laval Agglomération is the ''communauté d'agglomération'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Laval. It is located in the Mayenne department, in the Pays de la Loire region, western France. It was created in 2001 as the ''Com ...

intercommunality is made up of 34 communes covering with 113,000 inhabitants. Laval is notably the birthplace of Henri Rousseau, a major

Naïve Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may ...

painter, and the town has a museum dedicated to him and other Naïve artists. Laval also enjoys a significant architectural heritage, with its castle, portions of city walls, medieval houses, old bridges and churches.

Toponymy

Laval is a relatively new foundation in comparison to other

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

cities. That is to say that the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

was not officially mentioned prior to the 11th century. According to legend glorifying the Counts of Laval, mediaeval chroniclers portrayed the citizens of Laval as being the offspring of

Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...

's grandson

Wala of Corbie Wala (c. 755 – 31 August 836) was a son of Bernard, son of Charles Martel, and one of the principal advisers of his cousin Charlemagne, of Charlemagne's son Louis the Pious, and of Louis's son Lothair I. He succeeded his brother Adalard as abbot ...

. By virtue of the chroniclers' accounts, ''Laval'' should be a synonym for "Vala" or "Valla"—the two spelling variants of "Wala". Etymologically spoken, however, the name of ''Laval'', in all likelihood, merely stands for "the valley" in

("la vallée" in contemporary language), to capture the lush valley of the

river, wherein ''Laval'' is situated. This name commonly appears in other French location names, sometimes with a second word, such as in '' Laval-d'Aurelle'' (

Ardèche Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Laval-sur-Doulon'' (

Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; oc, Naut Léger or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche, ...

). The first mention of the town was the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

''Vallis Guidonis'', meaning "Guy's valley", because the counts of Laval were all called ''Guy''. On its side, the castle was usually named ''Castrum Guidonis'' or ''Aula Guidonis'' ("Guy's castle" and "Guy's palace"). During the 11th century, Laval is also called ''Castrum Vallis'' or simply ''Vallis''; and ''Lavallis'' appears in 1080. Other Latin names include ''Valles'' and ''Castrum de Valibus''. ''Lavallum Guidonis'' is first written in 1239. After the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

, ''Lavallis'' and ''Lavallium'' are both commonly used by the clergy and the scholars. As in Latin, the name evolved in French from ''Laval-Guion'' or ''Laval-Guyon'' to ''Laval'' in one single word. Laval is one of the few cities in the world to have a

palindrome A palindrome is a word, number, phrase, or other sequence of symbols that reads the same backwards as forwards, such as the words ''madam'' or ''racecar'', the date and time ''11/11/11 11:11,'' and the sentence: "A man, a plan, a canal – Pana ...

as a name, as ''Laval'' can be read the same way in either direction.

Geography

Location

Laval is located at the geographical centre of the

department, on the road which connects

, between

and

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...

. The town is situated on the middle course of the

, a river which has its source in

and runs towards the

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhôn ...

crossing the

department from North to South. Laval is located approximately from

, from

and

Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...

, from

Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...

, from

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...

, from

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. It is also far from

Le Mont-Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and is ...

and the surrounding sea resorts, located on the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...

. Elevation varies between 42 and 122 meters

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance ( height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as '' orthometric heights''. Th ...

. Laval is, in fact, a hilly town, marked by a rocky promontory dominating the valley of the Mayenne river. The castle was built on this promontory and the medieval centre spreads around. The promontory and the slightly hilly landscape around Laval are traces of the Armorican Massif, an old range of mountains that forms the Breton peninsula. The town is surrounded by agricultural land essentially made of large fields. The traditional

bocage Bocage (, ) is a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture characteristic of parts of Northern France, Southern England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in regions where pastoral farming is the dominant land use. ''Bocage'' may a ...

with its old hedgerows is still partially visible. Laval is also surrounded by several forests, such as the ''Forêt de Concise'', with c. 600 hectares, and the ''Bois de l'Huisserie'', with 254 hectares. Both are located south of the town.

Metropolitan area

The commune of Laval is bordered by seven other communes. These are, clockwise, Changé,

Bonchamp-lès-Laval Bonchamp-lès-Laval (, literally ''Bonchamp near Laval'') 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 Fr ...

, Forcé,

Entrammes Entrammes () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. It is located about west of Parné-sur-Roc and about south of Laval Entrammes Airport in Laval. History Entrammes owes its location to a major ford across the ri ...

L'Huisserie L'Huisserie () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. It boards the Jouanne river. Gallery Image:LHuisserie Hotel de Ville.jpg, Town Hall See also *Communes of the Mayenne department The following is a list of th ...

Montigné-le-Brillant Montigné-le-Brillant () 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 ...

and

Saint-Berthevin Saint-Berthevin () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. Population Sights * 11th century Saint-Berthevin church. * Lime kilns at Les Brosses, listed as a Historic Monument. * High rock, named the Chair of Saint-Berth ...

. Saint-Berthevin forms part of the agglomeration, and Changé and Bonchamp-lès-Laval are well integrated, but the other communes remain rural areas with villages and hamlets. 26 other communes situated farther form with them the Communauté d'agglomération

. They unite c. 113,000 inhabitants.

Climate

Laval enjoys a very mild climate because of its proximity with the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

and the

, giving it an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

. Winters are usually wet, with scarce frosts and snowfalls, and summers are warm and sunny, although rainfalls are common.

Urban morphology

The oldest streets and buildings in Laval are located around the promontory where the castle stands. The urban structure there dates back from the Middle Ages and is limited to the western bank of the

Mayenne river The Mayenne () is a long river in western France, principally located in the French region of Pays de la Loire. Together with the river Sarthe and its tributary the Loir it forms the Maine, which is a tributary to the Loire. Geography Its sou ...

. This old core is today the main shopping area, with several pedestrian streets and little shops. Several medieval half-timbered houses are still visible, but most of the buildings are dating from the 18th and 19th centuries and are made of

tufa Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of water in unheated rivers or lakes. Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar (but less porous) carbonate deposits, which are known as travertin ...

. The suburb of Avesnières, located one kilometer () south of the castle, is a former commune which merged with Laval in 1863. Founded in 1073, it still comprises several old houses and a medieval basilica. Other large medieval hamlets absorbed by the town include Le Bourg Hersend and Saint-Martin. The eastern bank of the Mayenne was also settled in the Middle Ages, along the street that leads to the bridge crossing the river, but it was mostly developed during the second half of the 19th century when the train station was built there. The old

faubourg "Faubourg" () is an ancient French term historically equivalent to " fore-town" (now often termed suburb or ). The earliest form is , derived from Latin , 'out of', and Vulgar Latin (originally Germanic) , 'town' or 'fortress'. Traditionally, t ...

s surrounding the town centre date from the same period and are mainly composed of individual houses. The 20th-century suburbs comprise some council estates but individual houses are much more common. Some shopping centres and several industrial areas are located on the outskirts of the town. Laval is encircled by a small ring road and the

highway bypasses the town by the North. Until the 20th century, Laval had had a port on the Mayenne river, which was surrounded by several factories, mainly

manufactures. The old industrial areas were redeveloped after 1970 and the river has since become a recreational area. File:LDROUSSEAU.jpg, Aerial view of the Lycée Douanier Rousseau on the eastern bank of the Mayenne river. File:Laval Town 2007 05.jpg, The medieval town is still encircled by several portions of city walls. File:Vue de Laval.jpg, View on the Mayenne river and on the

of Avesnières, south of the centre.

Green areas

Laval is a small town and nature is not far away from the centre. The town manages 25 hectares of parks and gardens, and 200 hectares of green areas in total. The largest park is the ''Jardin de la Perrine'', located in the centre, at the top of a rocky promontory. Formerly a private garden, it encircles an 18th-century mansion and comprises a French and an English garden as well as a rose garden, an

orangery An orangery or orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences of Northern Europe from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, as a very lar ...

and a small menagerie. This park encompasses 4,5 hectares. Henri Rousseau, a major

artist born in Laval, is buried there. Apart from the Jardin de la Perrine, the main green areas in the centre are the ''Square de Boston'', refurbished in 2012, and the ''Square Foch'', located on the ''place du 11-Novembre'', which is the central point of the town. The commune of Laval owns the ''Bois Gamats'', a 25 hectares wood located on the southern hedge of the town. The neighbouring ''Bois de l'Huisserie'', much bigger, is managed by Laval Agglomération.

History

Heraldry

The coat of arms of Laval is: ''gules, a lion passant guardant''. The coat of arms were those of the House of Laval, and not to the city. Still, several members of the family permitted the town to use their arms, notably in 1211, when the direct branch died, and in 1464. The House of Laval had a motto, ''Eadem mensura'' ("of same measure"), which is sometimes associated with the town of Laval. In 1987, the municipality adopted a logotype, replaced in 2010 by a new one which uses the heraldic lion as well as the

as the two symbols of Laval. This logotype is made of "Laval" written in capital letters, with the final "L" held by the lion and reversed to suggest the palindrome.

Middle Ages

Before the construction of the castle during the 11th century, Laval did not exist. However, the site of the town was already a thoroughfare because it was located on the Roman road that connected

Corseul Corseul (; ; Gallo: ''Corsoeut'') is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. The town was a major Roman town and contains Roman ruins. The town hall contains a small archaeological museum. History Corseul ...

, a provincial capital in present-day

. Moreover, some parts of the city territory had been settled by the Gauls. For instance, a Gallic

stele A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...

has been unearthed in the suburb of Pritz, north of the centre. The chapel of Pritz was on its side first mentioned in 710. The body of

Tudwal Saint Tudwal (died c. 564), also known as Tual, Tudgual, Tugdual, Tugual, Pabu, Papu, or Tugdualus (Latin), was a Breton monk, considered to be one of the seven founder saints of Brittany. Life Tudwal was said to be the son of Hoel Mawr (Hoel ...

, a Breton Saint, is believed to have been brought to Laval in 870 or 878, during a Norman invasion in Brittany. Guy II de Laval

The site of Laval had a strategic importance because the travelers taking the Roman road had to cross there the Mayenne river on a ford. The western bank of the river was further dominated by a rocky promontory which could ensure a total control on the ford. During the 10th century, a first military structure was built on it, and a villa was mentioned there at the end of the century in a charter issued by the count of

. Around 1020,

Herbert I of Maine Herbert I (died 13 April 1035), called Wakedog (from French ''Eveille-chien'', Latinized as ''Evigilans Canis''), was the count of Maine from 1017 until his death. He had a turbulent career with an early victory that may have contributed to his l ...

offered the new barony of Laval to Guy I, who became the first lord of the town. Guy I of Laval built a new castle and the town slowly appeared around the Roman road and on the river banks. The castle built by Guy I was much wider than the present-day structure. It was encircled by an earthen wall and it spread from the present-day keep to the cathedral. A

motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to ...

built over the wall commanded the access to the top of the promontory, where the Lords lived, and the second motte was probably located inside the compound. The basilica in Avesnières, located several kilometers south of the castle, was founded in the 12th century by Guy III. Around 1200, the earthen wall was pulled down and the castle became smaller, taking its present-day appearance. The town developed on its side its own defense system. Beatrix of

Gavere Gavere () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of , Baaigem, , Gavere, and . In 2021, Gavere had a total population of 13,007. The total area is 31.35 km². Sports The ...

, the wife of

Guy IX de Laval Guy IX de Laval (c. 1270 – 22 January 1333) was a member of the House of Laval. He was Seigneur de Laval and d'Acquigny, of Beaumont-du-Gâtinais, Viscomte de Rennes, Comte de Caserte in Campania and Baron de Vitré. Family Guy IX was the son ...

, who lived in the 13th century, is believed to be at the origin of the textile tradition of the town. Born in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

, she would have brought Flemish weavers with her, and would have encouraged

production. Linen weaving remained the main economic activity of the town until the 19th century. During the Hundred Years' War, the town was taken by the English in 1428, commended by John Talbot. It became French again a year later. The fighting occasioned great damages and the town was fully rebuilt afterwards. Thus all the half-timbered houses that still stand in the medieval centre were not built before the 15th century. During that period, the town's walls were completed by the addition of a powerful

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

fort in an innovative design, known as the ''Tour Renaise''. Around 1450, Guy XIV de Laval had the castle refurbished. New rooms and halls were built, and new Gothic windows were opened on the courtyard at the beginning of the 16th century.

Modern period

François Clouet - Guy XVII, Conde de Laval

Guy XVII built a

gallery in extension to the castle around 1542. The gallery was later slightly redecorated in 1747. Guy XVII was a member of the Court of

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

, one of the greatest kings of the

French Renaissance The French Renaissance was the cultural and artistic movement in France between the 15th and early 17th centuries. The period is associated with the pan-European Renaissance, a word first used by the French historian Jules Michelet to define th ...

. The House of Laval played a certain role in the development of the Renaissance arts in the region. Jean of Laval-Châteaubriant built for instance a large palace at the

château de Châteaubriant The Château de Châteaubriant is a medieval castle strongly modified during the Renaissance, located in the '' commune'' of Châteaubriant in the Loire-Atlantique ''département'' of France. The original castle was founded in the 11th century on t ...

, located in

. On his side, Guy XIX became a

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

. During the 17th century, Laval became very prosperous and the Counter-Reformation led to the foundation of many religious institutions. Large convents were opened, including

Ursulines The Ursulines, also known as the Order of Saint Ursula (post-nominals: OSU), is an enclosed religious order of consecrated women that branched off from the Angelines, also known as the Company of Saint Ursula, in 1572. Like the Angelines, they ...

, Benedictines and

Capuchins Capuchin can refer to: *Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from t ...

. All these convents were later sold and demolished during the

. During the 18th century, the town, which had kept its medieval appearance, started to expand. New

s appeared, and the local aristocracy built there many elegant hôtels particuliers, particularly around the ''place de Hercé'', which became the most fashionable area of Laval. In the middle of the 18th century, Laval had around 18,000 inhabitants and 3,525 households. It was the second most populous town in

, after

. It enjoyed several institutions, such as a

présidial The presidial courts (french: présidiaux; singular ) were judicial courts of the Kingdom of France set up in January 1551 by Henry II of France Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 u ...

, an office of the

ferme générale The ''ferme générale'' (, "general farm") was, in ''ancien régime'' France, essentially an outsourced customs, excise and indirect tax operation. It collected duties on behalf of the King (plus hefty bonus fees for themselves), under renewable ...

, a local jurisdiction, a hospital, a gendarmery and a city hall. Laval was also at the head of a

pays d'élection A ''pays d'élection'' () was one of the three types of '' généralité'', or fiscal and financial region, in France under the Ancien Régime. The representative of the royal government, the intendant, split up the ''impôts'' in each region wi ...

(fiscal region) encompassing 65 parishes in southern Maine. Because it was located close to the Breton border, Laval had a large salt storehouse, which controlled the collect of the

gabelle The ''gabelle'' () was a very unpopular tax on salt in France that was established during the mid-14th century and lasted, with brief lapses and revisions, until 1946. The term ''gabelle'' is derived from the Italian ''gabella'' (a duty), itself ...

, a tax on salt. Because Brittany was a large salt producer, it was exempted from gabelle, but people living in

, or other hinterland provinces, had to buy a certain amount of salt every year, thus paying the gabelle was compulsory for them. A salt storehouse such as the one in Laval was therefore a tax office and it had to deal with salt contraband. 26 fairs were held each year in the

, and three markets were held in the town. At that time Laval was made up of three parishes. Hôtel d'Argentré 4

The textile industry in Laval reached its zenith just before the

. The town had the right to produce eight sorts of cloth, including the ''royales'' and ''demi-Hollande'', which were among the finest

weaved in France. The neighbouring towns of

and

Château-Gontier Château-Gontier () is a former Communes of France, commune in the Mayenne Departments of France, department in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne. Geography It is about sout ...

also had the right to produce linen, but in only three or four kinds of cloth. The ''royales'' and ''demi-Hollande'' were the best linen of Laval, as well as the most expensive. A ''demi-Hollande'' could cost up to 700 pounds, and a ''toile forte'', the cheapest one, had a worth of 50 pounds. The other sorts of linen made in Laval were also cheap and of a low quality, but they represented the largest share of the total production. The linen of Laval were sold mainly in France, but also abroad. The rustic ''non-battues'' were only made for the Spanish market, some of the best linen were sold in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

and the stronger clothes were exported to the French colonies in America. The ''royales'' and the ''demi-Hollande'' were usually sold in

Troyes Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...

Senlis Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...

and Beauvais, three towns located around Paris, which were renowned for their markets. Laval also produced a specific kind of linen, the ''pontivy'', for the French army. In the 18th century, the old medieval centre was still encircled by city walls, and its narrow plots and streets forbade any large urban transformation. However, the authorities planned to build a large thoroughfare bypassing the centre by the north. That involved the construction of a new bridge on the Mayenne river, because at that time Laval only had one, which was small and very old. The project was validated in 1758, but works did not start before 1804. The idea of a new axis was important not only for the town, but also for the whole region, because Laval was on the road between

and

. Every traveler taking that road had to cross the Mayenne river on the old bridge, and to cross the insalubrious and narrow walled town. The

War in the Vendée The war in the Vendée (french: link=no, Guerre de Vendée) was a counter-revolution from 1793 to 1796 in the Vendée region of France during the French Revolution. The Vendée is a coastal region, located immediately south of the river Loir ...

, which opposed French revolutionaries and Royalist Catholics during the last decade of the 18th century, started in the ''département'' of

Vendée Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.

, located south of the

, but it quickly spread in

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France * County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duk ...

and

, which were Catholic strongholds. Laval, which had been under the control of the revolutionaries since 1789, was seized by the Royalists 22 October 1793. The town was on their itinerary to the

, where they were waiting for reinforcement. However, the expedition to

was a total failure, and they were defeated there by the Republican army. The Royalists came back to Laval 25 December 1793, but they lost a siege in

and were definitely defeated in 1794.

Contemporary period

After the

, the local authorities decided to achieve the master plan planned in the 18th century. The new bridge was completed in 1824 and the new East-West axis, bypassing the old centre by the North, was developed during the 1820s and 1830s. A new town centre emerged on the axis, and a new square was built close to the bridge. Several official buildings were constructed around, including a new city hall, the

préfecture In France, a prefecture (french: préfecture) may be: * the ''chef-lieu de département'', the commune in which the administration of a department is located; * the ''chef-lieu de région'', the commune in which the administration of a region is ...

and a theatre. Around the new bridge, the Mayenne river was deviated to form a straight waterway, and new quays were built between 1844 and 1863. After 1850, major works were carried in the medieval centre: several new streets were built and the square in front of the castle was enlarged. In 1855, Laval obtained a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

and a railway station. That year, trains coming from Paris had their terminus in Laval, but the line was further extended towards

in 1856. Laval experienced a significant demographic growth throughout the 19th century. It had 15,000 inhabitants around 1800, and that figure rose to 21,293 in 1861. Two years later, the neighbouring

communes An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...

of Avesnières and Grenoux were absorbed into Laval, together with parts of Changé. As a consequence of this amalgamation, Laval counted 27,000 inhabitants by 1863. In 1866, the town numbered 30,627 inhabitants, but then it experienced a slight decline which lasted until the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. This decline was due to both socio-economical and geopolitical factors: * the decline of the textile industry: At the beginning of the 19th century, linen prices dropped, and the region stopped to produce flax. Instead, the factories in Laval imported

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

, but process costs were too high for the activity to be profitable. * the invasions by

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and ensuing costs caused by these invasions, both in terms reparations and the human misery. At the beginning of the 20th century, Laval had several institutions, such as courts of justice, a chamber of commerce, a board of trade-arbitrators, a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

and a secondary school for boys. The declining textile industry was still employing 10,000 hands in Laval and its suburbs. Other activities included metal-founding, flour-milling, tanning, dyeing, the making of boots and shoes, and the sawing of marble. During the

, Laval was occupied by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. The town was bombed several times by the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

in June and July 1944. The train station and the surrounding area, as well as the viaduct and some streets in the centre were heavily damaged.

General Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

's troops arrived in Laval 6 August 1944. The German occupiers did not surrender immediately, and they destroyed the bridges before leaving the town at around 3pm. After the war, Laval experienced a quick industrialisation. Most of the old cloth factories were closed down and the town developed instead a large food processing sector, particularly dairies. It also developed plastics processing and car manufacturing. During that period, the town quickly expanded and several new institutions were built, such as a campus and a new hospital.

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Laval proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Laval absorbed the former communes of Notre-Dame-d'Avenières and Grenoux (partly) in 1863.

Education

The city counts 27

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

s (écoles primaires), 8

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

s (collèges) and 7

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

s (lycées). Some institutions also provide higher education in Laval like : * ESTACA *

ESIEA (university) The École supérieure d'informatique, électronique, automatique (ESIEA) is a French engineering school. Its five-year general engineering program focuses on the fields of Science and Technology relating to computing, electronics and automation. ...

* Le Mans University *

Catholic University of the West The Catholic University of the West (UCO; French: Université catholique de l'Ouest), known colloquially to its students as «''la Catho''», is a university located in Angers, France. History Early in the 11th century this school became famou ...

Economy

The town is historically a manufacturer of fine

s, but there are also

foundries A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

. Laval is also home to the Laval and Mayenne

Technology Park A science park (also called a "university research park", "technology park”, "technopark", “technopole", or a "science and technology park" (STP)) is defined as being a property-based development that accommodates and fosters the growt ...

, where firms working in

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and development of both hardware and software. Computing has scientific, e ...

and

peripherals A peripheral or peripheral device is an auxiliary device used to put information into and get information out of a computer. The term ''peripheral device'' refers to all hardware components that are attached to a computer and are controlled by the ...

, food technology,

veterinary Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...

pharmaceuticals,

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...

, audiovisual productions, patents, marketing and a resource centre are all to be found in modern buildings. It is also an important centre for the dairy industry and produces cheeses,

ultra-high-temperature processing Ultra-high temperature processing (UHT), ultra-heat treatment, or ultra-pasteurization is a food processing technology that sterilizes liquid food by heating it above – the temperature required to kill bacterial endospores – for 2 ...

milk, and

yoghurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bact ...

. It is the headquarters of

Lactalis Lactalis is a French multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. The company's former name was Besnier SA. Lactalis is the largest dairy products group in the world, and is the sec ...

. There is a market in the town centre every Tuesday and Saturday, held near the former ''Palais de Justice''.

Transport

Railway

The Laval railway station offers regional connections with

, and

with

TER Pays de la Loire TER Pays de la Loire is the regional rail network serving Pays de la Loire, France. TER Network The rail and bus network as of May 2022:Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...

with

TGV The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...

Roads

The motorway A81 passes just in the north of Laval, linking the city to Paris and

. Several other main roads cross in Laval which gives the city direct roads to Rennes, Le Mans, Angers, Tours and Nantes.

Public transport

The bus network operating in Laval is called TUL (Transports Urbains Lavallois). It is made of 17 urban lines for the city of Laval and its close suburb, including 4 which work from Monday to Sunday. Laval also has a bicycle-sharing system called Vélitul.

Administration

Cantons

Since the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015, the town of Laval is subdivided into three

cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...

: * The canton of Laval-1 is composed of part of Laval (19,538 inhabitants in 2014); * The canton of Laval-2 is composed of part of Laval (16,377 inhabitants); * The canton of Laval-3 is composed of part of Laval (14,158 inhabitants).

Agglomeration

The urban area of

covers 34

Mayors of Laval

* See list of mayors The following are the most recent mayors. *

François d'Aubert François d'Aubert (born 31 October 1943, in Boulogne-Billancourt) is a French politician. He is an auditor at the Court of Audit. From 2002, he was minister delegate to research in Jean-Pierre Raffarin's government. From 26 July 2007 to 16 ...

(1995–2004) (left the mayoralty on entering the Ministry for Research) * Roland Houdiard (2004–2005) *

(2005–2008) (returned as mayor following a change of government) * Guillaume Garot (2008-2012) * Jean-Christophe Boyer (2012-2014) *

François Zocchetto François Zocchetto (born 14 December 1958) is French lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Senate of France from 2001 until 2017, representing the Mayenne department. He is a member of the Centrist Alliance and caucuses with the C ...

(2014-2020) * Florian Bercault (since 2020)

Main sights

* Medieval Château de Laval (tower and building) * Significant remains of the town walls and of a town gate. The town came together around the foundation of the castle in 1020 in its position in the

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...

, the border lands between France and Brittany. It was built for Guy I of Dénéré who became a vassal of the Count of Maine. at the end of the 12th century, local troubles combined with the town's position on the road into

led the lord of Laval to build a great round keep which still has its original

hoarding Hoarding is a behavior where people or animals accumulate food or other items. Animal behavior ''Hoarding'' and ''caching'' are common in many bird species as well as in rodents. Most animal caches are of food. However, some birds will a ...

. At first the town was composed of scattered settlements such as the ''bourg cheverel'' and the ''bourg hersent''. However, from the time of the new castle, it grew rapidly. It was enclosed in ramparts from the 13th century. There were five gates in the walls of which the sole one remaining is the ''porte Beucheresse'' or gate of the woodcutters. *

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

of the

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

(''La Trinité''). Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque characteristically, it has rich wall paintings and figurative stone carving but the general architectural style of the buildings is restrained. In Laval, that architectural sobriety was retained through the early

Gothic period Gothic art was a style of medieval art that developed in Northern France out of Romanesque art in the 12th century AD, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, and much of Northern Europe, North ...

. The painting can be seen well in the calendars in ''Notre-Dame de Pritz, Saint-Martin'', and ''Saint-Pierre-le-Potier''. The architecture shows best at ''Grenoux'', and ''Avesnières''; while the stone carving is well displayed in the zoomorphic column capitals at ''Avesnières''. The early Gothic, what in England would be called Early English but in Laval is Angevin Gothic, is to be seen in ''la Trinité''. Here we are close to Anjou, the home of the Angevin kings of England beginning with Henry II. In the Cathedral, on the effigy

tomb A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immureme ...

of the bishop Louis Bougaud (1888), the following inscription may be read: :HEIC IN PACE QVIE SCIT :LUDOVICVS BOVGAVD EPISCOPUS VALLEGVIDONENSIS DECESSIT VII IDVS NOVEMB AN MDCCCLXXXVIII (1888) :ANNOS NATVS LXV.M.V.III.D.VII :VIVAS IN DEO *The '' Jardin botanique de la Perrine'', a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

and park

Arts

The town has obtained the label Ville d'Art et d'Histoire from the fact of its rich heritage. As a response to the Douanier Rousseau's having been born in Laval, there is a biennial festival of

naive art Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may ...

, the ''Biennale Internationale d'Art naïf de Laval''. It seeks to explore the course of modern primitivism. Pictures are brought from all round Europe.

Sport

Stade Lavallois Stade Lavallois Mayenne Football Club (), also referred to as Stade Laval or simply Laval, is a French association football club based in Laval in western France. The club was formed on 17 July 1902 and currently plays in Ligue 2, the second ...

, is the local professional football side. Lavallois plays its home matches at the

Stade Francis Le Basser Stade Francis Le Basser is a multi-use stadium in Laval, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Stade Lavallois Stade Lavallois Mayenne Football Club (), also referred to as Stade Laval or simply ...

located in the city of Laval, and is managed by

Denis Zanko Denis Zanko (born 13 April 1964) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He made over 250 league appearances for five different clubs during his playing career before becoming a coach in 1995. He we ...

Notable people

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang (born 18 June 1989) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Chelsea. He is renowned for his pace, finishing, and off-ball movement. Born in France, he is a former ...

, professional footballer *

Emmanuel Besnier Emmanuel Besnier (born 18 September 1970) is a French heir and businessman. He is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Lactalis. Early life Emmanuel Besnier was born on 18 September 1970 in Laval, Mayenne, France.Marie BordetBesnier, le milliar ...

, billionaire * Éric Boullier, motorsport engineer * Grégory Bourillon, professional footballer *

Francis Coquelin Francis Joseph Coquelin (; born 13 May 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Spanish club Villarreal. He has also featured for Valencia, Arsenal, Lorient, SC Freiburg and Charlton Athletic in his care ...

, professional footballer *

Odile Decq Odile Decq (born 1955 in Laval, France) is a French architect, urban planner and academic. She is the founder of the Paris firm, Studio Odile Decq and the architecture school, Confluence Institute. Decq is known for her unique, self-described g ...

, architect * René Diehl, archaeologist *

Alain Gerbault Alain Jacques Georges Marie Gerbault (November 17, 1893 – December 16, 1941) was a French Sailor, writer and tennis champion, who made a circumnavigation of the world as a single-handed sailor. He eventually settled in the islands of south P ...

, sailor, writer, tennis champion *

Jean-Marie Guyau Jean-Marie Guyau (28 October 1854 – 31 March 1888) was a French philosopher and poet. Guyau was inspired by the philosophies of Epicurus, Epictetus, Plato, Immanuel Kant, Herbert Spencer, and Alfred Fouillée, and the poetry and literature of ...

, writer and philosopher * Géo Ham, illustrator and designer *

Alfred Jarry Alfred Jarry (; 8 September 1873 – 1 November 1907) was a French symbolist writer who is best known for his play ''Ubu Roi'' (1896). He also coined the term and philosophical concept of 'pataphysics. Jarry was born in Laval, Mayenne, France, ...

(1873–1907), writer * Charles Landelle, painter * Madeleine Laurain-Portemer (1917–1996), historian *

François de Laval Francis-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval, commonly referred to as François de Laval (30 April 1623 – 6 May 1708), was a French prelate of the Catholic Church. Consecrated a bishop in 1658, he led the Apostolic Vicariate of New France from 1658 to ...

(1623–1708), first bishop of Quebec *

Louis Lemercier de Neuville Louis Lemercier de Neuville or La Haudussière, real name Louis Lemercier, (2 July 1830 – 1918) was a French puppeteer, journalist, columnist, playwright and storyteller. He created the French ''Théâtre de Pupazzi''. Biography Louis was th ...

, dramatic author and puppeteer *

Thibault de Montalembert Thibault Charles Marie Septime de Montalembert (born 10 February 1962) is a French theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the television series '' The Tunnel'' (2013–2018) and '' Call My Agent!'' (2015� ...

, actor * Prosper Mortou, musician * Ambroise Paré, medical doctor considered one of the fathers of surgery and a pioneer in surgical techniques and battlefield medicine * François Pyrard, sailor * Henri Rousseau (1844–1910), known as le Douanier, painter * Lucienne de Saint-Mart (1866–1958), French painter * Anne Terrier Laffaille, composer *

Augustine Tuillerie Augustine Tuillerie (31 July 1833 – 8 July 1923) was a French writer best known under the pseudonym G. Bruno. She wrote instructional books and educational books aimed at the children of the Third Republic. Personal life Augustine Tuillerie was ...

, alias G.Bruno, writer *

Birds in Row Birds in Row is a French hardcore punk band that formed in 2009 in Laval and is composed of three members, "T.", "Q." and "B.". They signed to Deathwish Inc. in 2011 and released their debut album '' You, Me & the Violence'' in 2012. History Bi ...

, hardcore band

International relations

Laval is twinned with: *

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, United Kingdom *

Modesto Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton ...

, United States *

Chalkidiki Chalkidiki (; el, Χαλκιδική , also spelled Halkidiki, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos region co ...

, Greece. *

Gandia Gandia ( es, Gandía) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa del Azahar (or ''Costa dels Tarongers''), south of Valencia and north of Alicante. Vehicles can acc ...

, Spain *

Garango Garango is a city located in Boulgou Province of Burkina Faso. The main ethnic group is the Bissa. The population is 40,404. International relations Twin towns – Sister cities Garango is twinned with: * Laval, France * Ladenburg, Germany ...

, Burkina Faso * Laval, Canada *

Mettmann Mettmann () is a town in the northern part of the Bergisches Land, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Mettmann, Germany's most densely populated rural district. The town lies east of Düsseldorf ...

, Germany *

Lovech Lovech ( bg, Ловеч, Lovech, ) is a city in north-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the Lovech Province and of the subordinate Lovech Municipality. The city is located about northeast from the capital city of Sofia. Near ...

, Bulgaria *

Suceava Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. Klaus Pet ...

, Romania

References

External links

Official website

Laval Virtual
{{Authority control Communes of Mayenne Prefectures in France Maine (province)

Toponymy

Geography

Location

Metropolitan area

Climate

Urban morphology

Green areas

History

Heraldry

Middle Ages

Modern period

Contemporary period

Population

Education

Economy

Transport

Railway

Roads

Public transport

Administration

Cantons

Agglomeration

Mayors of Laval

Main sights

Arts

Sport

Notable people

International relations

See also

References

Further reading

External links