View of the city of Le Mans, late 18th century

Le Mans is one of the major cities of western France, situated in the Pays de Loire region and the department of Sarthe, of which it is the prefectural office.
The rivers Sarthe and Huisne converge in this town. Formerly the provincial capital of Maine, it witnessed the marriage of the daughter of the King of England, Matilda, to Geoffrey V of Anjou, founder of the Plantagenet royal house, and parents of King Henry II. The Old Town of Le Mans, known as the Cité Plantagenêt, is the city’s historic area.
Le Mans is also a former ‘red city’, due to the distinctive colour of its Gallo-Roman city walls, which are partly preserved and are the largest in Europe after those of Rome, dating from the 3rd century.
The inhabitants of Le Mans are known as Manceaux and Mancelles.