Martigné-Ferchaud
Encyclopedia
Martigné-Ferchaud is a commune
in the Ille-et-Vilaine
department in Bretagne
in north-western France.
as hot iron, the two most likely origins are either the practice of shoeing horses with hot iron or the local iron working industry.
, which flows westward through the commune.
Situated on the Roman road from Angers to Rennes, it was a main crossing point on the Semnon. It is believed to have had a small Roman garrison due to its strategic position as a river crossing and as a centre for arms manufacture.
The Roman legions withdrew from Gaul in 410AD.
During the feudal period judicial rights were administered by the local lord and that lord was required to give service to his sovereign. The service required of the lord of Martigne Ferchaud was 2 horsemen fully equipped, while that of Vitre was 5 men at arms.
The lord of Martigne had the right of High Justice, including capital crime.
Martigne Ferchaud was one of the larger country towns in the Region and was subject to the Barony of Vitre.
The title became associated by marriage with that of Chateaubriant in the 11th century.
Though predominantly an area of agriculture, metal smelting and working continued in Martigne from Roman times until the early 20th century.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country.- History :Ille-et-Vilaine is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department in Bretagne
Bretagne
Brittany ; is one of the 27 regions of France. It occupies a large peninsula in the northwest of the country, lying between the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. Its capital is Rennes.-Territory:...
in north-western France.
Name origin
Its name dates from the Gallo-Roman period being named for Martinus. The name was recorded in 1218 as Martigneum. The origin of the second part of the name is less clear. Fer chaud being translatable from the FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
as hot iron, the two most likely origins are either the practice of shoeing horses with hot iron or the local iron working industry.
Geography
The town lies in the middle of the commune, on the left bank of the SemnonSemnon
The Semnon is a long river in the Mayenne, Maine-et-Loire, Ille-et-Vilaine and Loire-Atlantique départements, western France. Its source is at Congrier. It flows generally west-northwest...
, which flows westward through the commune.
History
In ancient times the town was part of the Riedones, one of the five Breton federations(2). Following the Roman invasion of 56BC it became part of the Province of Lyonnaise, under Governor Martinus.Situated on the Roman road from Angers to Rennes, it was a main crossing point on the Semnon. It is believed to have had a small Roman garrison due to its strategic position as a river crossing and as a centre for arms manufacture.
The Roman legions withdrew from Gaul in 410AD.
During the feudal period judicial rights were administered by the local lord and that lord was required to give service to his sovereign. The service required of the lord of Martigne Ferchaud was 2 horsemen fully equipped, while that of Vitre was 5 men at arms.
The lord of Martigne had the right of High Justice, including capital crime.
Martigne Ferchaud was one of the larger country towns in the Region and was subject to the Barony of Vitre.
The title became associated by marriage with that of Chateaubriant in the 11th century.
Though predominantly an area of agriculture, metal smelting and working continued in Martigne from Roman times until the early 20th century.