Loiret
Loiret (; ) is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. It takes its name from the river Loiret, which is contained wholly within the department. In 2019, Loiret had a population of 680,434.< ...
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 an ...
of Centre-Val de Loire.
The village is located in the natural region of France of the Loire Valley and in the metropolis of Orléans. It is one of the 22 town of
Orléans Métropole
Orléans Métropole is the ''métropole'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Orléans. It is located in the Loiret department, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, central France. It was created in April 2017, replacing the previo ...
. It notably hosts the glass production plant ''
Duralex
Duralex is a French tempered glass tableware and kitchenware manufacturer located in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin in Loiret.John Lichfield"Duralex – the glass tumbler that would not be broken" The Independent, 27 January 2010. Using a technique deve ...
''.
Geography
La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin is bordering the natural region of Beauce.
The village is located 5,5 km west from
Orléans
Orléans (;"Orleans" (US) and 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 Rhône ...
and 114,5 km south-south-west of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 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), ma ...
..
The municipal territory is divided into five large parallel bands oriented south-west north-east and defined by successively five large borders that shape the village : the A10 motorway which separates the village from Ingré, the Orléans-Blois railway, the departmental route 2152, the hillside of the Loire (which defines the valley to the southwest and overhanging the river to the southeast) and the Loire.
History
According to the legend, around the 6th century Saint
Mesmin
Saint Mesmin (Maximin, Maximinus) (died AD) is a French saint associated with the Bishopric of Orléans. He was the second abbot of Micy Abbey, founded by his uncle,
Saint Euspicius.
Life
Mesmin was the nephew of Euspicius, archpriest of ...
established a monastery at
Micy
Micy Abbey or the Abbey of Saint-Mesmin, Micy (french: Abbaye Saint-Mesmin de Micy), sometimes referred to as Micy, was a Benedictine abbey near Orléans at the confluence of the Loire and the Loiret, located on the territory of the present commun ...
, on the opposite site of the Loire river, and fought a dragon at Béraire (first name of the village).
On his death in 520, Saint Mesmin was buried in the cave under the ''Villa Berarii'' (Béraire).
Around 550, a first funeral basilica church was erected above the tomb of Saint Mesmin on the initiative of the viscount of Orléans, Agylus (Saint Ay).
Around 675, the relics of Saint Mesmin were transferred to Orléans.
Communes of the Loiret department
The following is the list of the 325 communes of the Loiret department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020):Chapellesaintmesmin
{{Loiret-geo-stub