Mairie d'Haleine

Mairie d'Haleine is the former town hall of Haleine, now serving as a delegated town hall (mairie déléguée) within the commune of Rives-d'Andaine, in the Orne department, Normandy. Haleine lost its status as an independent commune on January 1, 2016, when — under France's local government reform law — it merged with three neighbouring villages, La Chapelle-d'Andaine, Couterne, and Geneslay, to form a single new commune. La Chapelle-d'Andaine became the administrative seat of the new entity, while Haleine kept its own town hall as a local point of contact for residents.

Why did Haleine stop being its own commune?

The merger of the four villages wasn't a sudden top-down decision — it followed decades of shared local cooperation. The communes had long worked together through the Andaine valley water syndicate and the local electrification syndicate, well before any formal community of communes existed. Pooling their administrations was, in that sense, a natural next step for places that had already been running practical services jointly for years.

What is there to see in Haleine itself?

The heart of the former village is its parish church, dedicated to Notre-Dame and part of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste en Pays Fertois parish network. Inside are two 19th-century paintings — a depiction of Christ and the Samaritan Woman and a Holy Family scene — both listed as protected historic objects. The church also holds a 19th-century organ with a carved wooden case, protected as a heritage object since 1975. It's this modest rural church, rather than the town hall building itself, that gives visitors the clearest sense of what village life here looked like before the administrative merger.

How does Haleine fit into the wider region?

Haleine sits in the heart of Normandy, close to the Andaine forest and just a few kilometres from Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, one of the best-known spa towns and tourist draws in the Orne department. The surrounding countryside is classic Norman bocage — rolling fields lined with hedgerows, orchards, and small streams — well suited to a slow walk or a bike ride between the villages that now make up Rives-d'Andaine. For travellers exploring the Suisse Normande area or visiting Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, Haleine offers a quiet detour into what everyday life looks like in a small delegated commune.

How do you get there, and what should you know before visiting?

Haleine is within easy reach of Bagnoles-de-l'Orne and Juvigny-sous-Andaine, making it a convenient stop on a longer drive through the Orne department. Given its small size, it's best treated as part of a wider day out, paired with the other former communes that today form Rives-d'Andaine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Haleine still its own commune? No — since January 1, 2016, Haleine has been a delegated commune within Rives-d'Andaine and no longer has an independent local government of its own.

What's worth seeing in Haleine? The main draw is the Notre-Dame church, home to two protected 19th-century paintings and a historic organ classified as a heritage object.

How far is it to Bagnoles-de-l'Orne? Haleine is just a few kilometres from this well-known spa town, making it easy to combine both stops in a single outing.

Which communes merged with Haleine? La Chapelle-d'Andaine (the new commune's seat), Couterne, and Geneslay — together they now form Rives-d'Andaine.