Nestling in a meander of the Sarthe in the heart of the Alpes Mancelles, Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei is much more than just a Norman village. Listed as one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in France”, it is above all a favourite haunt of artists, particularly painters, seduced by the light, the landscapes and the timeless charm of its narrow streets.
The artistic history of Saint-Céneri really began in the mid-19th century, when landscape painters inspired by the realist movement set down their easels here. Among them were Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Eugène Boudin, Paul Saïn and Mary Renard, who found the curves of the Sarthe, the stone bridges and the built heritage an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
Little by little, the village became an artistic hotbed, a Norman barbizon, attracting painters and watercolourists in search of authenticity. The place encouraged artistic exchanges and experiments, within what would later be known as the Saint-Céneri School.
The charm of Saint-Céneri lies in its peaceful atmosphere, soft light, rolling landscapes and lush vegetation. Artists painted the banks of the Sarthe, the tree-lined paths, the 11th-century Romanesque church perched high above the village, and the chapel of the little Saint Célerin.
