ARGENTAN, capital of an arrondissement in the department of Orne, N.W. France, 27m. N.N.W. of Alencon by rail. Pop. 5,97o. It is situated on the slope of a hill on the right bank of the Orne at its confluence with the Ure. Argentan was a viscounty from the 11th century onwards; it was often taken and pillaged. During the Religious Wars it remained attached to the Catholic Party. The château, now used as a law court, dates from the 15th century. The church of St. Martin (15th century) has good stained glass; that of St. Germain has a 15th-century sculptured porch. Argentan is the seat of a sub-prefect, has a tribunal of first instance and of commerce, and a communal college. Leather-working and the manufacture of stained-glass are leading industries. There are quarries of limestone in the vicinity.