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Alençon is the principal
market town of a fertile agricultural region. Its old
streets are lined by attractive houses with half-timbered
or ashlar façades. It boasts a beautiful church in the
Flamboyant style and a castle with a very unusual
"crowned" tower.
Alençon has been a famous centre for
lace-making since its products began to be made specially
for the royal court. The particular style consists of
delicate motifs arranged in close symmetry on an unworked
background (picture). Sixteen hours of work were needed to
produce each inch of lace - up to ten years for a single
piece! The Alençon Lace Museum has a remarkable collection
of delicate local masterpieces, plus specimens from other
lace-making centres in Italy, Flanders, England and
France.
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