Poncé-sur-le-Loir is a former
commune in the
Sarthe ''
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...
'' in the
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 ...
of
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" ().
...
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 ...
. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune
Loir en Vallée
Loir en Vallée (, literally '' Loir in Valley'') is a commune in the department of Sarthe, northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2017 by merger of the former communes of Ruillé-sur-Loir (the seat), La Chapelle-Gauga ...
. Its inhabitants are called ''Poncéens''.
Sights
The
Romanesque church of
St. Julien of
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 Man ...
stands on a hillside. It possesses a saddleback tower and contains notable Romanesque wall paintings depicting notably the
siege of Antioch
The siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 and 1098, on the crusaders' way to Jerusalem through Syria. Two sieges took place in succession. The first siege, by the crusaders against the city held by the Seljuk Empire, last ...
in 1098.
[Elizabeth Lapina, "La représentation de la bataille d'Antioche (1098) sur les peintures murales de Poncé sur Loir", in ''Cahiers de civilisation médiévale'', 52, 2009, p. 137-158] The château is noted for its
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 ideas ...
staircase.
Economy
The village, which developed following early industrial (mill) activity, contains potteries and other artisan activities, and also produces
Jasnières wine.
See also
*
Communes of the Sarthe department
References
Former communes of Sarthe
{{Sarthe-geo-stub