Known today as Saint Céneri, the Italian monk is reputed to have settled here after a long journey, when he experienced a miracle in answer to his prayer for water to quench his thirst.

According to legend the so-called miraculous spring, located near the banks of the River Sarthe and today covered by a small stone shelter topped with a cross, sprang up in answer to his prayer.

During the Hundred Years' War, Ambroise de Loré managed to defend the stronghold against the king of England Henry V and, then his brother John Plantagenet until 1434.

[7] The museum's most original feature is its celebrated Salle des Décapités, or Room of the Beheaded, which is decorated with an array of black, silhouetted heads drawn in profile.

[12] The area attracts nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers to its wooded hills, rocky cliffs, steep river valleys and patchwork of farmland meadows defined by hedgerows.

[13] Visitors can climb to the summit of Mont de Avaloirs, which is the highest point in the region and commands far-reaching views despite being only 416 metres high.

[16] The Commune has four buildings and areas listed as a Monument historique Saint-Céneri lies within 10 to 15 km (9.3 mi) of both the A28 motorway – linking Abbeville to Tours by way of Rouen and Le Mans – and the N12 trunk road from Paris to Rennes and Brest.