Cerisy-Belle-Étoile

Cerisy-Belle-Étoile is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.

Geography
The commune is part of the area known as Norman Switzerland.

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets: La Monnerie, La Perrière, La Morlandière, La Vallerie, La Jehannière, Les Haies, Les Loges, La Gaumonnière, L'Abbaye de Belle Étoile, La Hagrie, Épivent, Visance and Cerisy-Belle-Étoile.

The commune is traversed by the Noireau and Visance rivers, as well as the Fontaines stream.

Notable buildings and places

 * The communal forest of Cerisy-Belle-Etoile is a 90 hectare forest open to the public.

National heritage sites

 * The former Abbey of Belle-Etoile is a thirteenth century former abbey established after the conquest of Normandy by Philip II of France. It was made a Monument historique in 1926.

People linked with the commune

 * Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont (1679 – 1734), a French explorer who documented his travels across North America was born here, and later buried here.