Flèche, La

Flèche, La lä flĕsh [key], town, Sarthe dept., on the Loir River. The town has a few light industries. It is famous for its college, the Prytanée, founded by Henry IV in the 16th cent., where René Descartes was a pupil. In 1808, Napoleon I transformed the school into a military academy open only to the sons of officers and members of the Legion of Honor. La Flèche has a 15th-century château that houses the town hall.

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