Ancenis

Ancenis
From top to bottom, left to right: The Château d'Ancenis, the flags above the town hall, the town hall, the Ancenis Bridge, St. Peter's Church, the Halles in Ancenis, and a panoramic view of Ancenis.
Location of Ancenis
Ancenis
Ancenis
Coordinates: 47°22′24″N 1°17′37″W / 47.3733°N 1.2936°W / 47.3733; -1.2936
CountryFrance
RegionPays de la Loire
DepartmentLoire-Atlantique
ArrondissementChâteaubriant-Ancenis
CantonAncenis-Saint-Géréon
CommuneAncenis-Saint-Géréon
Area
1
20.07 km2 (7.75 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
7,656
  Density380/km2 (990/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal code
44150
Elevation5–41 m (16–135 ft)
(avg. 13 m or 43 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Ancenis (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃s.ni]; Breton: Ankiniz) is a former commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Ancenis-Saint-Géréon. It is a former sub-prefecture of the department, and was the seat of the former arrondissement of Ancenis.

It played a great historical role as a key location on the road to Nantes (23 miles to the southwest), the historical capital of Brittany. It was named "the key of Brittany" and the door of Brittany.