ALENC ON, north-west France, capital of department of Orne, 36m. N. of Le Mans on a branch of the Western railway. Pop. (1931) The regularly built town lies in a wide and fertile plain at the confluence of the Sarthe and Briante. The ancient castle, taken by William of Normandy in 1048, is in ruins save for one 14th and two 15th century towers. Notre Dame, the chief church (15th century), has an ornamented Gothic porch, and i6th century stained windows. The manufacture of point d'Alencon (a species of lace copied from Venice and introduced by Colbert) is still pursued. Weaving and bleaching of cloth, printing, the manu facture of vehicles, of boots and shoes and of bricks are carried on; there is trade in the horses of the district. Alencon is the seat of a prefect and a court of assizes. It has tribunals of first instance and of commerce, a board of trade arbitrators, a chamber of arts and manufactures, and corn and cloth markets.