Ingrandes-Le Fresne sur Loire is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in the Pays de la Loire region, 30 km west of Angers.
It was created in 2016 following the merger of the localities of Ingrandes and Fresne-sur-Loire: an atypical "marriage" which required the approval of the Council of State because if Ingrandes (1661 inhabitants) was already located in Maine-et-Loire, Fresne-sur-Loire (977 inhabitants) belonged to the department of Loire-Atlantique.
Both on the right bank of the river, located on a hillock that forces the Loire to curve, the two villages have always played a strategic role between the provinces of Brittany, Maine and Anjou (a landmark between Brittany and kingdom of the Franks was posited from the tenth century) and on the commercial level, a toll was also levied on goods from Nantes and shipped to Paris via the Loire.
The new municipality with a territory of 13 km² endorses a coexistence that resulted in many common services.
Its heritage, its environment, the development of the Loire as well as its leisure offer "nature" and cultural make it a stage of interest near major tourist sites (castles of the Loire).
The Notre-Dame church, in Fresne, can be the starting point of a heritage discovery tour of the two old villages now together. Its construction was completed in 1846. Inside, an ex-voto mariner of 1830, carved stalls of the nineteenth century and a painting of the 1920s evoking the sacrifices of soldiers during the First World War are to be seen.
Must then appear on this course a beautiful wrought iron cross of the eighteenth century at a place called Haute Charbonnerie, the castle Fresnay, built in 1878 by a former mayor who wants a replica of the castle... Azay-le-Rideau, or the Cassoir manor house, whose foundations are from the 16th century, as well as the Brellerie farm. Another farm, at the level of La Hersière, dates partly from the 17th century, and belonged to the Pontron abbey.
Several old houses of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have also been preserved in the two "centers" (Place des Allains, rue Principale, rue des Douves), pleasant to observe and browse, and giving character to these alleys that join the Loire, all like the old naval hotel (18th century), the old court (whose bases date back to the 15th century) or a tower of medieval origin, testifying to the ancientness of the stronghold of Ingrandes, can be included on this course.
The quays bordering the Loire (whose layout dates back to some of the eighteenth century and which have kept holds at that time, testifying to the maritime traffic), constitute as such pleasant walking sites and finally, the suspension bridge which cross the river, completed in 1922 and rebuilt during and after the Second World War, conclude this patrimonial walk.
Thematic sheets to apprehend this historical heritage are available and dramatized tours are offered in summer. Information on +33 2 41 39 29 06.
On a cultural level, the municipal library regularly offers story readings, workshops, meetings with authors and exhibitions. Information on +33 2 41 39 79 28.
In a very different genre, Ingrandes-Le Fresne sur Loire has two museums.
The first is private and presents collections of carpets from the ancient stages of the Silk Road (China, Tibet, India, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Caucasus and Turkey). The exposed models, true works of art, are changed every year. Open from the first weekend of April to the first Sunday of November on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons or by appointment on +33 6 49 75 47 14.
The second museum, public, proposes in a room of the Office of Tourism to discover a singular collection of ancient clocks for the clochers of churches that had gathered a watchmaking expert of the city. In addition to their aesthetics, the ingenuity of the mechanisms is explained. This unique museum is visible from Monday to Saturday in summer and by appointment the rest of the year. Information on +33 2 41 39 79 28.
As for sports and leisure activities, many hiking and mountain bike trails are marked out from the locality or crossing it. They give pride of place to the heritage, banks and arms of the Loire, but also to wooded or natural areas. Documentation and information on +33 2 41 39 79 28.
The town is also proud to offer a beach and a space dedicated to swimming and idleness on the banks of the Loire. Games and sanitary facilities are installed. Free access. Open and monitored in July and August from Tuesday to Sunday.
The Loire again and again is a paradise for fishermen. Inquire at the local association at +33 2 41 78 62 74.
Finally, for a game of tennis, we will reserve a court at +33 6 84 40 43 81.
