Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.
It lies on the river Sarthe from Alençon, the chef-lieu of the department, and some west of Paris. It is classed as a Petites Cités de Caractère.
History
The place is named for Serenicus (or Genericus), an Italian hermit who lived here during the 7th century. Known today as Saint Céneri, the Italian monk is reputed to have settled here after a long journey, when he experienced a miracle in answer to his prayer for water to quench his thirst. According to legend the so-called miraculous spring, located near the banks of the River Sarthe and today covered by a small stone shelter topped with a cross, sprang up in answer to his prayer. It came to be believed that water from the spring had the ability to cure eye problems. The popularity of the village was evidenced by the establishment of the Auberge des Sœurs Moisy, a hotel run by the Moisy sisters as an artists' retreat in the latter years of the 19th century. Today the inn on Rue de Dessous, which attracted Impressionist Painters for half a century between 1875 and 1908, The museum's most original feature is its celebrated Salle des Décapités, or Room of the Beheaded, which is decorated with an array of black, silhouetted heads drawn in profile. Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei shares three other Natura 2000 conservation sites with neighbouring communes, the Alpes Mancelles, the Haute vallée de la Sarthe and the Vallée du Sarthon et affluents.
The Sarthe river flows through the commune.
The commune is in the Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park.
The boundary of Normandy and the neighbouring region of Pays de la Loire is marked by a large metal screw affixed in the stone railing of Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei's historic stone bridge spanning the Sarthe River. The area attracts nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers to its wooded hills, rocky cliffs, steep river valleys and patchwork of farmland meadows defined by hedgerows. Visitors are attracted to the nature park's beauty and also to activities such as hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking, and fishing. Visitors can climb to the summit of Mont de Avaloirs, which is the highest point in the region and commands far-reaching views despite being only 416 metres high. Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei is also the starting point for a 10-kilometre walk that is outlined in information available at the village's tourist office.
The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, Les Mézazelières, Le Gué de Moulins and Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei.