PPerched on a rocky outcrop overlooking a meander of the Sarthe, Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei (Orne) is one of 172 towns labeled “Most beautiful villages in France”. Stronghold of a painting school, the place is not lacking in charm with its Romanesque church from the XIe century, its miraculous fountain, its old mill, its stone bridge… And, now, its town entrance sign. Or rather: the back of the entrance sign to the neighboring town, Moulins-le-Carbonnel (Sarthe).
Installed on December 28, 2022 on the edge of the two villages, the rectangular metal object is somewhat talked about on the spot. The mayor of Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei (120 inhabitants), Richard Marquet, sees it as a wart, unfortunate for the aesthetic harmony of his town. Her counterpart in Moulins-le-Carbonnel (700 inhabitants), Stéphanie Bouquet, justifies her presence in the name of regulatory compliance and road safety. The two elected officials have not spoken to each other since the first spread on social networks and in the local press to denounce a ” overzealous “ and a loss of ” common sense “.
The case is even less simple as it is located on the borders of two departments, Orne and Sarthe, but also of two regions, Normandy and Pays de la Loire. A nail was once planted in the middle of the bridge to symbolize the border separating Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei, right bank, from the hamlet of 30 inhabitants located on the left bank, precisely called Le Pont, part of Moulins-le -Carbonnel (whose center is located 2.5 kilometers away). Surprisingly, no road sign existed until then, on either side. Visitors – more than 10,000 during the summer season – were unaware that the site was shared by two municipalities, and no one complained.
“Pile of Scrap”
Taken from the entrance to the bridge, the unmissable photo of the church perched on the granite spur is today compromised because of this “junk heap”as a deputy from Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei calls him. “Except to use Photoshop to erase it”, sadly ironically the mayor. Its imposing size (1 meter wide, 60 centimeters high) is explained by the length of its inscription: “The Bridge, town of Moulins-le-Carbonnel”.
Attached to the same post, a “guide” sign, limiting the speed to 30 km/h, obstructs the view a little more. Richard Marquet has only one fear: “Get a note” on the part of the jury of the Association of the most beautiful villages of France, which must come to re-examine the site within a few months. The village also holds the “Small towns of character” label and has been awarded two flowers by the “Towns and villages in bloom” competition. The stakes are not small.
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