Sées is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.
It lies on the Orne River 3 miles (5 km) from its source and 13 miles (20 km) north-by-northeast of Alençon.
The town's name derives from the Latin Civita Sagiensis (city of the Sagii). The traditional spelling was Séez, which has been retained by the Church; the Diocese of Séez is headed by the Bishop of Séez. However, the spelling Sées was adopted for the town by the civil author...
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Sées is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.
It lies on the Orne River 3 miles (5 km) from its source and 13 miles (20 km) north-by-northeast of Alençon.
The town's name derives from the Latin Civita Sagiensis (city of the Sagii). The traditional spelling was Séez, which has been retained by the Church; the Diocese of Séez is headed by the Bishop of Séez. However, the spelling Sées was adopted for the town by the civil authorities following Napoléon's successful Italian campaign of 1796–7, one result of which was to bring another (Savoyan) Séez into France.
The first bishop of Sées was St Lain, who lived about the fourth century. In the ninth century, Sees was a fortified town and fell a prey to the Normans. At that period Sées had two distinct parts: the Ornethe bishop's borough to the north and the new count's borough (Bourg le Comte) to the south. The counts of Alençon took control in 1356. It was captured and recaptured in the wars between Henry II of England...
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