Le Mans (, ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in northwestern

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 ...

on the

Sarthe River The Sarthe () is a river in western France. Together with the river Mayenne it forms the river Maine, which is a tributary to the river Loire. Its source is in the Orne department, near Moulins-la-Marche. It flows generally southwest, through ...

where it meets the

Huisne The Huisne () is a long river in France. It is a left tributary of the river Sarthe, which it meets in Le Mans. Its source is near the town of Pervenchères, in the Orne department. The Huisne flows through the following departments and towns: ...

. Traditionally the capital of the province of

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 north ...

, it is now the capital of the

Sarthe Sarthe () is a department of the French region of Pays de la Loire, and the province of Maine, situated in the '' Grand-Ouest'' of the country. It is named after the river Sarthe, which flows from east of Le Mans to just north of Angers. It ha ...

department and the seat of the Roman Catholic

diocese of Le Mans The Catholic Diocese of Le Mans (Latin: ''Dioecesis Cenomanensis''; French: ''Diocèse du Mans'') is a Catholic diocese of France. The diocese is now a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo but had previously been suffragan ...

. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

. Its inhabitants are called ''Manceaux'' (male) and ''Mancelles'' (female). Since 1923, the city has hosted the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's oldest active endurance sports car race.

History

First mentioned by

Claudius Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importa ...

, the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

city ''Vindinium'' was the capital of the

Aulerci The Aulerci were a group of Gallic peoples dwelling in the modern region of Normandy, between the Loire (Liger) and the Seine (Sequana) rivers, during the Iron Age and the Roman period. They were divided into the Cenomani, the most powerful of ...

, a sub tribe of the

Aedui The Aedui or Haedui (Gaulish: *''Aiduoi'', 'the Ardent'; grc, Aἴδουοι) were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the modern Burgundy region during the Iron Age and the Roman period. The Aedui had an ambiguous relationship with the Roman Republic a ...

. Le Mans is also known as ''Civitas Cenomanorum'' (City of the

Cenomani The Gaulish name Cenomani can refer to: * Aulerci Cenomani, an ancient Gallic tribe dwelling around modern Le Mans * Cenomani (Cisalpine Gaul) The Cenomani (Greek: , Strabo, Ptol.; , Polyb.), was an ancient tribe of the Cisalpine Gauls, who ...

), or ''Cenomanus''. Their city, seized by the Romans in 47 BC, was within the ancient

Roman province The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...

Gallia Lugdunensis Gallia Lugdunensis (French: ''Gaule Lyonnaise'') was a province of the Roman Empire in what is now the modern country of France, part of the Celtic territory of Gaul formerly known as Celtica. It is named after its capital Lugdunum (today's Lyon) ...

. A 3rd-century

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

is still visible. The ''

thermae In ancient Rome, (from Greek , "hot") and (from Greek ) were facilities for bathing. usually refers to the large imperial bath complexes, while were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed in great numbers throughout ...

'' were demolished during the

crisis of the third century The Crisis of the Third Century, also known as the Military Anarchy or the Imperial Crisis (AD 235–284), was a period in which the Roman Empire nearly collapsed. The crisis ended due to the military victories of Aurelian and with the ascensio ...

when workers were mobilized to build the city's defensive walls. The ancient wall around Le Mans is one of the most complete circuits of

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...

city walls to survive. As the use of the French language replaced late

Vulgar Latin Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal Register (sociolinguistics), registers of Latin spoken from the Crisis of the Roman Republic, Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve ...

in the area, ''Cenomanus'', with

dissimilation In phonology, particularly within historical linguistics, dissimilation is a phenomenon whereby similar consonants or vowels in a word become less similar. In English, dissimilation is particularly common with liquid consonants such as /r/ and ...

, became known as ''Celmans.'' ''Cel-'' was taken to be a form of the French word for "this" and "that", and was replaced by ''le'', which means "the". As the principal city of

, Le Mans was the stage for struggles in the eleventh century between the counts of

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 the dukes of

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 ...

. When the Normans had control of Maine,

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

successfully invaded England and established an occupation. In 1069 the citizens of Maine revolted and expelled the Normans, resulting in

Hugh V Hugh V may refer to: * Hugh V of Lusignan (died 1060) * Hugh V, Count of Maine, ruled 1069–1072 * Hugh V, Viscount of Châteaudun (died 1180) * Hugh V, Duke of Burgundy Hugh V (1294 – 9 May 1315) was Duke of Burgundy between 1306 and 13 ...

being proclaimed count of Maine.

Geoffrey V of Anjou Geoffrey V (24 August 1113 – 7 September 1151), called the Handsome, the Fair (french: link=no, le Bel) or Plantagenet, was the count of Anjou, Touraine and Maine by inheritance from 1129, and also Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144. Hi ...

married

Matilda of England Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...

in the

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 ...

. Their son Henry II Plantagenet, king of England, was born here. In 1154, during the reign of his uncle King Stephen, Henry landed in England with an army, intent on challenging Stephen for the throne. Some of the members of that feudal force were known by the surname 'del Mans' (Latin for of Mans, as the city was then known.) In medieval records pertaining to the history of Gloucester is a reference to one such man, Walter del Mans, and beside his name 'Cenomanus' was added by the medieval scribe, so that there is no doubt as to Walter's origin. In the English censuses down to the twentieth century the surname Mans (latterly often spelled Manns) was virtually confined to the counties of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire and their borderlands, reflecting the original settlement patterns in the Welsh Marches of the original followers of Henry's from Le Mans in 1154. A John Mans/Manns was escheator of Hereford 1399–1400. One family from eMans held the manor of Dodenham, Worcestershire. (Calendar of the Records of the Corporation of Gloucester, Item 96, ca.1200; Fine Roles Henry III, 23 August. 1233 ereford'Parishes: Doddenham', A History of the County of Worcester, volume 4 (1924), pp. 260–62.) Intercourse between England and Le Mans continued throughout the Angevin period. In the 13th century Le Mans came under the control of the French crown. It was subsequently invaded by England during the Hundred Years' War. Industrialization took place in the 19th century which saw the development of railway and motor vehicle production as well as textiles and tobacco manufacture. Wilbur Wright began official public demonstrations of the airplane he had developed with his younger brother Orville on 8 August 1908, at the Hunaudières horse racing track near Le Mans.

World War II

Soon after Le Mans was liberated by the U.S. 79th and 90th Infantry Divisions on 8 August 1944, engineers of the

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground outside of the town. The airfield was declared operational on 3 September and designated as " A-35". It was used by several American fighter and transport units until late November of that year in additional offensives across France; the airfield was closed.

Main sights

* Le Mans has a well-preserved old town (''Cité Plantagenêt'', also called ''Vieux Mans'') and the

Cathédrale St-Julien Le Mans Cathedral ( French: ''Cathédrale St-Julien du Mans'') is a Catholic church situated in Le Mans, France. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Julian of Le Mans, the city's first bishop, who established Christianity in the area around the ...

, dedicated to St Julian of Le Mans, who is honoured as the city's first bishop. * Remnants of a

wall are visible in the old town and Roman baths are located by the river. These walls are highlighted every summer (July and August) evening in a light show that tells the history of the town. * Arboretum de la Grand Prée *

Notre-Dame de la Couture Notre-Dame de la Couture (''église de la Couture'') is a church in Le Mans. Formerly the abbey church of Saint-Pierre de la Couture Abbey, it is in the centre of the present-day town. It mainly dates to the 12th century - it shows many similaritie ...

, medieval church * Notre Dame de Sainte Croix, neogothic church * Part of the former Cistercian abbey de l'Epau, founded by Queen Berengaria and currently maintained in extensive grounds by the Département de la Sarthe. *

Jardin des Plantes du Mans The Jardin des Plantes du Mans (8 hectares), also known as the Jardin d'Horticulture du Mans, is a botanical garden located at 4 Rue de Sinault, Le Mans, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France. It is open daily without charge. The garden was created b ...

* Musée de la reine

Bérengère Bérengère is a feminine name in the French language. People with the given name * Bérangère Abba (born 1976), French politician * Bérangère Couillard (born 1986), French politician * Bérengère Dautun (born 1939), French actress * Béren ...

, a museum of Le Mans history located in a gothic manor house. * Musée de Tessé, the fine arts museum of the city, displaying painting (including artworks by

Philippe de Champaigne Philippe de Champaigne (; 26 May 1602 – 12 August 1674) was a Brabançon-born French Baroque era painter, a major exponent of the French school. He was a founding member of the Académie de peinture et de sculpture in Paris, the premier art ...

Charles Le Brun Charles Le Brun (baptised 24 February 1619 – 12 February 1690) was a French painter, physiognomist, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. As court painter to Louis XIV, who declared him "the greatest French artist of ...

, François Boucher, John Constable, Ingres,

Théodore Géricault Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault (; 26 September 1791 – 26 January 1824) was a French Painting, painter and Lithography, lithographer, whose best-known painting is ''The Raft of the Medusa''. Although he died young, he was one of the pi ...

and Camille Corot) and archaeological collections as well as decorative arts.

Gallery

File:Palais des comtes du Maine - Le Mans.jpg, ''Le Palais des Comtes du Maine''birthplace of

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

(now part of the Town Hall and not open to the public) File:Le Mans muraille Gallo Romaine nord-est.JPG, Gallo-Roman walls File:Organ in the cathedral.JPG, Organ in the cathedral File:Street Le Mans 2009 SK.jpg, A street in the old town File:LeMansCoatArms.JPG, Manhole cover depicting the city's coat-of-arms File:Yvre - Abbaye Epau RB 01.jpg, Effigy of Berengaria of Navarre in the chapter house of Épau abbey.

Climate

Le Mans has 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 ( ...

influenced by the mild Atlantic air travelling inland. Summers are warm and occasionally hot, whereas winters are mild and cloudy. Precipitation is relatively uniform and moderate year round.

Demographics

, there were 367,082 inhabitants in the metropolitan area ('' aire d'attraction'') of Le Mans, with 143,252 of these living in the city proper (

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 1855 Le Mans absorbed four neighbouring communes. The population data for 1851 and earlier in the table and graph below refer to the pre-1855 borders.

Transportation

The

Gare du Mans Gare is the word for "station" in French and related languages, commonly meaning train station, railway station Gare can refer to: People * Gare (surname), surname * The Gare Family, fictional characters in the novel ''Wild Geese (novel)#The Gare ...

is the main railway station of Le Mans. It takes 1 hour to reach Paris from Le Mans by

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 ...

high speed train. There are also TGV connections to Lille, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes and Brest. Gare du Mans is also a hub for regional trains. Le Mans inaugurated a new light rail system on 17 November 2007.

Sport

Motorsport

The first

French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de France), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championsh ...

took place on a 64-mile (103 km) circuit based at Le Mans in 1906. Since the 1920s, the city has been best known for its connection with motorsports. There are two official and separate racing tracks at Le Mans, though they share certain portions. The smaller is the Bugatti Circuit (named after

Ettore Bugatti Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti (15 September 1881 – 21 August 1947) was an Italian-born French automobile designer and manufacturer. He is remembered as the founder and proprietor of the automobile manufacturing company Automobiles E. Bugatti, wh ...

, founder of the car company bearing his name), a relatively short permanent circuit, which is used for racing throughout the year and has hosted the French motorcycle Grand Prix. The longer and more famous

Circuit de la Sarthe The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Ho ...

is composed partly of public roads. These are closed to the public when the track is in use for racing. Since 1923, this route has been used for the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race. Boutiques and shops are set up during the race, selling merchandise and promoting products for cars. The " Le Mans start" was formerly used in the 24-hour race: drivers lined up across the track from their cars, ran across the track, jumped into their cars and started them to begin the race. The 1955 Le Mans disaster was a large accident during the race that killed eighty-four spectators.

Basketball

The city is home to

Le Mans Sarthe Basket Le Mans Sarthe Basket, commonly known as MSB or Le Mans, is a professional basketball club that is from the city of Le Mans, France. The team plays in the French League and internationally in the Basketball Champions League. History The Modern ...

, 2006 Champion of the

LNB Pro A The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. ...

, France's top professional basketball division. The team plays its home games at the Antarès, which served as one of the host arenas of the FIBA

EuroBasket 1999 The 1999 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1999, was the 31st FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 2000 Olympic Tournament, giving a berth ...

Football

Le Mans FC Le Mans Football Club (; commonly referred to as Le Mans FC, formerly referred as Le Muc) is a French association football club based in Le Mans. The club was founded in 1985 as a result of a merger under the name Le Mans Union Club 72. In 2010 ...

Cycling

Circuit de la Sarthe (cycling) The Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire ( en, Circuit of Sarthe) is an early-season short road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe T ...

Notable people

Le Mans was the birthplace of: Basile Moreau CSC

Elijah ben Menahem Ha-Zaken Elijah ben Menahem the Elder (Hebrew: אליהו בן מנחם הזקן; - 1060 ), also known as Rabbeinu Eliyahu HaZaken, was an 11th-century French Tosafist and liturgical poet. Born around 980 in France, in his early years he went to Germany, ...

, born 980 *

, born 1133 * Geoffroy V d'Anjou, born 1113 * Geoffrey de Goreham or Gorron, became Abbot of St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK in 1119 * Dom Louis Le Pelletier, born 1663, linguist of the

Breton language Breton (, ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic language still widely in use on the European mainland, albeit as a member of t ...

Gilles-François de Beauvais Gilles-François de Beauvais (7 July 1693 – ''c''. 1773) was a French Jesuit writer and preacher. Born at Le Mans, France, de Beauvais entered the Society of Jesus in 1709, and taught belles-lettres, rhetoric, and philosophy. After ordinatio ...

, born 7 July 1693, Jesuit writer and preacher *

Basil Moreau Basil Moreau, C.S.C. (February 11, 1799 – January 20, 1873) was the French priest who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross from which three additional congregations were founded, namely the Marianites of Holy Cross, the Sisters of the H ...

, born 1799, priest of Le Mans, founded the

Congregation of Holy Cross , image = Congregation of Holy Cross.svg , image_size = 150px , abbreviation = CSC , formation = , founder = Blessed Fr. Basile-Antoine Marie Moreau, C.S.C. , founding_location = ...

, beatified in Le Mans in 2007 *

Léon Bollée Léon Bollée (1 April 1870 – 16 December 1913) was a French automobile manufacturer and inventor. Life Bollée's family were well known bellfounders and his father, Amédée Bollée (1844–1917), was the major pioneer in the automobile i ...

, born 1870, car manufacturer and inventor *

Christine and Lea Papin Christine may refer to: People * Christine (name), a female given name Film * ''Christine'' (1958 film), based on Schnitzler's play ''Liebelei'' * ''Christine'' (1983 film), based on King's novel of the same name * ''Christine'' (1987 fil ...

, whose murder (1933) of their employers inspired Jean Genêt's ''

The Maids ''The Maids'' (french: Les Bonnes, links=no) is a 1947 play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It was first performed at the Théâtre de l'Athénée in Paris in a production that opened on 17 April 1947, which Louis Jouvet directed. The play ...

'' *

Jean Françaix Jean René Désiré Françaix (; 23 May 1912, in Le Mans – 25 September 1997, in Paris) was a French neoclassical composer, pianist, and orchestrator, known for his prolific output and vibrant style. Life Françaix's natural gifts were encour ...

, born in 1912, composer *

Jean Rondeau : Jean Rondeau (13 May 1946 in Le Mans, France – 27 December 1985 in Champagné, France) was a French race car driver and constructor, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1980, in a car bearing his own name, an achievement which remains unique ...

, born in 1946, race car driver and constructor *

Jean-Yves Empereur Jean-Yves Empereur (; born 1952) is a French archeologist. He studied classic literature in the University Paris IV Sorbonne (DEA, CAPES, Agrégation de lettres in 1975, Doctorat in archeology in 1977). He is a former member (since 1978) and ...

born 1952, archeologist *

Bertrand Lançon Bertrand Lançon (born 1952, Le Mans) is a French historian and novelist, a specialist of late Antiquity. Career After studying with the Jesuits, he went on to study higher education at the University of Maine, where he discovered late Antiquity ...

, born 1952, Roman history scholar *

François Fillon François Charles Armand Fillon (; born 4 March 1954) is a retired French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 2007 to 2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy. He was the nominee of the Republicans (previously known as the Union ...

, born in 1954, former Prime Minister of France * Yves Jumeau, born in 1955, visual artist *

François Vallejo François Vallejo (1960, Le Mans) is a French professor of literature and a writer. Passionate about Claudel, then by Louis-Ferdinand Céline, François Vallejo studied letters. He became a professor of classical literature at Le Havre and bega ...

, born 1960, novelist *

Sylvie Tolmont Sylvie Tolmont (born 9 October 1962) is a French politician from the Socialist Party, who has been the member of the National Assembly for Sarthe's 4th constituency since 2012. On 9 March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in France, she teste ...

, born 1962, politician *

Sabine Toutain Sabine Toutain (born in 1966) is a contemporary French violist. Biography Training and prizes Sabine Toutain was born in Le Mans in 1966; she began her musical studies there and then entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1982. . In 1984, she ...

, born in 1966, violist * Doan Bui, (born in the 1970s), journalist * Amaelle Landais-Israël, born 1977, climatologist *

Emmanuel Moire Emmanuel Moire (born 16 June 1979 in Le Mans) is a French singer-songwriter, best known for portraying the role of Louis XIV in the French stage musical ''Le Roi Soleil''. Moire has released four albums '' (Là) où je pars'' (2006), '' L'Équi ...

, born 1979, French singer *

Sébastien Bourdais Sébastien Olivier Bourdais (born 28 February 1979) is a French professional racing driver. He is one of the most successful drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing, having won 37 races. He won four successive championships u ...

, born 1979, race car driver *

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (; born 17 April 1985) is a French former professional tennis player. He was ranked as high as world No. 5 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which he achieved in February 2012. Tsonga won 18 singles titles on th ...

, born 1985, professional tennis player *

Guillaume Loriot Guillaume Loriot (born 21 May 1986 in Le Mans) is a French Association football, football midfielder. He currently plays for FC Chambly. References External links

* * French men's footballers 1986 births Living people Le Mans FC player ...

, footballer * Leslie, born 4 February 1985, French singer *

Louis Rossi Louis Rossi (born 23 June 1989 in Le Mans) is a French Grand Prix motorcycle racer, best known for winning the 2012 French Grand Prix in the Moto3 class. He currently competes in the World Endurance Championships aboard the #Ducati 6, he has als ...

born 1989, Grand Prix motorcycle racer * Emma Mackey, born 1996, French-British actress Notable residents include: *

Gilles Villeneuve Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve () (January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982) was a Canadian racing driver, who spent six years in Grand Prix motor racing with Ferrari, winning six races and widespread acclaim for his performances. An enthusiast of ...

, lived temporarily in Le Mans in 1973. * Gérard Genette, literary theorist, lived and taught in Le Mans from 1956 to 1963. * Jacques Derrida, philosopher, lived and taught in Le Mans in 1959–1960. *

David Jason Sir David John White (born 2 February 1940), known professionally by his stage name David Jason, is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the BBC sitcom '' Only Fools and Horses'', Detective Inspector ...

, English actor, lived in Le Mans between 1965–1968 and 1999–2001. * Andy Wallace, born 1961, racecar driver. Died in Le Mans: *

Liborius of Le Mans Liborius of Le Mans (c. 348–397) was the second Bishop of Le Mans. He is the patron saint of the cathedral and archdiocese of Paderborn in Germany. The year of his birth is unknown; he died in 397, reputedly on 23 July. Le Mans and Paderborn As ...

(c. 348–397),

bishop of Le Mans The Catholic Diocese of Le Mans (Latin: ''Dioecesis Cenomanensis''; French: ''Diocèse du Mans'') is a Catholic diocese of France. The diocese is now a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo but had previously been suffrag ...

* André d'Arbelles (1767–1825), journalist and historiographer *

Lawrence Aubrey Wallace Sir Lawrence Aubrey Wallace (2 February 1857 - 26 February 1942) was a British colonial administrator. He was administrator of North-Eastern Rhodesia from April 1907 to January 1909, administrator of Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia from Janu ...

(1857–1942) British Colonial Administrator

International relations

Le Mans is twinned with: *

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Haouza Hawza, also Haouza or Hausa, is a town in Western Sahara on the Morocco side of the Wall. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 8,769 people. Sister cities * - Le Mans, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ...

, Western Sahara *

Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...

, Germany *

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...

, Russia * Suzuka, Japan *

Volos Volos ( el, Βόλος ) is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about north of Athens and south of Thessaloniki. It is the sixth most populous city of Greece, and the capital of the Magnesia regional unit ...

, Greece *

Xianyang Xianyang () is a prefecture-level city in central Shaanxi province, situated on the Wei River a few kilometers upstream (west) from the provincial capital of Xi'an. Once the capital of the Qin dynasty, it is now integrated into the Xi'an metrop ...

, China

Gastronomy

The culinary specialty of Le Mans is ''

rillettes Rillettes (, also , ) is a preservation method similar to confit where meat is seasoned then slow cooked submerged in fat and cooked at an extremely slow rate for several hours (4 to 10 hours). The meat is shredded and packed into sterile contain ...

'', a shredded pork

pâté ''Pâté'' ( , , ) is a paste, pie or loaf filled with a forcemeat. Common forcemeats include ground meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef; fat, vegetables, herbs, spices and either wine or brandy (often cognac or armagnac). It is often ser ...

Landmarks

Located at Mayet near Le Mans, the Le Mans-Mayet transmitter has a height of 342 m and is one of the tallest radio masts in France.

Representation in popular culture

*Le Mans has been a setting for numerous feature films that feature its famous race. *Le Mans is a setting for sections of the 2020 novel, ''The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue'', by V.E. Schwab.