Saint-Calais

Saint-Calais is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.

Prior to the French Revolution it was known for its Benedictine abbey named after the Anisola stream (modern Aniole, a tributary of the Braye). Saint-Calais is a later name coming from one of the local saints of the Perche area. William of St. Calais, a product of this monastery, was a post-conquest bishop of Durham. There are no remains of the Abbey, which was a principal land-owner in the vicinity. The existing parish church has a fine Renaissance facade. The Aniole was dammed by the monks, thereby retaining a significant lake area.

Reaction against monastic landowners and the relative proximity to Paris (under twenty-four hours by stage-coach) conditioned the nineteenth century politics of the town. The coming of the railways and more recently of the motorway favoured neighbouring La Ferté-Bernard which has grown at the expense of Saint-Calais, which has a population under 4000 and which lost its sous-préfecture status in 1926. The town however retains certain services appropriate to that level, e.g. hospital facilities.

Carilef

Carilef (French Calais, Latin Calevisus; died 541) was a hermit who founded the monastery of Aniole. The town of Saint-Calais takes its name from him. According to his ancient biography, the Vita Carileffi, King Childebert I granted him lands after encountering the hermit in a forest where the king was hunting.Laumer was his successor and Siviard, another successor, wrote the Vita.

In the Roman Catholic Church, his feast is celebrated on 1 July.

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