Img 1446The town owes its origins to a monastery founded in the early 6th century by Karileph, a hermit from Auvergne. The monastery became one of the most important in Maine. In the 19th century, the town grew and became a sub-prefecture.
Many of the facilities and buildings commissioned during this period are now part of the town’s charm: the quays of the Anille river, the courthouse, the grain market, the museum-theater-library, etc.
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Img 6530In addition to the hiking and biking trails, a discovery trail will help you discover the town’s main attractions. Full of history, Saint-Calais is well worth a visit.
Dep St Calais 4 Page 0002The Anille river played an important economic role in the establishment of the abbey and later the village. It fed tanneries, mills and numerous washhouses, some 30 of which are still visible today. As early as 1797, during the French Revolution, the river’s course was partially domesticated by the digging of a canal to prevent flooding. The quays became a public promenade in 1802, and a public washhouse was built in 1805. There are also small brick pavilions on the banks of the canal for leisure purposes, adding further charm to these banks of the Anille, which have been listed since 1943.
Img 1453To visit the Saint-Calais museum-library is first and foremost to experience the very special atmosphere of a place that has been preserved intact, located between the curiosities and sciences of the 19th and early 20th centuries: the Elie Cottereau natural history cabinet, a donor who lent his art as a taxidermist and botanist to the conservation of the finest specimens of local flora and fauna, and the Gigault de la Bédollière travel cabinet, a rear-admiral and commander of the Far East squadron who bequeathed a rich collection of captures from faraway lands, including trophies and colonial products from Asia, West Africa and the Americas.
Finally, the museum houses the “Suaire de Saint-Calais”, the relics of Karileph, founder of the abbey.
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Img 1613Museum-library: open Wednesdays (10am to 12:30pm – 3pm to 6:30pm) and the first Saturday of the month (10am-12:30pm).
Old stock: open by appointment only
Free admission
Place de l’Hôtel de Ville 72120 Saint-Calais
02 43 35 63 03
The fertile, green and humid Perche Sarthois region is ideal for growing apple orchards. Hence the generous apple harvests over the centuries, which gave rise to the invention of this delicacy. The origin of the apple turnover remains unclear, and several versions exist.
In Saint-Calais, the recipe is said to have originated in the 16th century. Following the plague epidemic of 1580, which decimated a large part of the population, the chatelaine had a kind of apple pie made to cheer up the survivors quarantined in town. Since 1630, a votive procession has been held every first Sunday in September to commemorate the end of the epidemic, during which apple turnovers are sold in memory of the benefits of the chatelaine’s apple pâté.
The Confrérie du Chausson aux Pommes, created in 1992, has reinforced and modernized this tradition. Its festivities include a parade, open-air mass, concerts, street performances and, of course, the opportunity to feast on apple turnovers, the star of the day.
Every year, on the first weekend in September
Les Médiévales de Saint-Calais (apple turnover festival).In the heart of a region where you can discover unspoilt nature, a rich architectural heritage and local know-how, the Vallées de la Braye et de l’Anille Tourist Office welcomes you to Saint-Calais, at the entrance to the Cultural Center. Activities are organized throughout the year: hikes, tourist days, tours and discovery workshops. Electric-assist bicycles can be hired on site.
Open all year round
Tuesday and Saturday: 10am to 12:30pm
Wednesday and Thursday: 10am to 12:30pm / 2:30pm to 5:30pm
Friday: 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Contact details
Office de tourisme des Vallées de la Braye et de l’Anille, Saint-Calais office
14 place de l’Hôtel de Ville
02 43 35 82 95
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