Laval ([la.val] ⓘ) is a town in western France, about 300 km (190 mi) west-southwest of Paris, and the capital 🌟 of the Mayenne department.

Its inhabitants are called Lavallois. The commune of Laval proper, without the metropolitan area, is the 7th 🌟 most populous in the Pays de la Loire region and the 132nd in France.[3]

A part of the traditional province of 🌟 Maine before the French Revolution, which now split between two departments, Mayenne and Sarthe, Laval also lies on the threshold 🌟 of Brittany and is not far from Normandy and Anjou. It was thus an important stronghold in northwestern France during 🌟 the Middle Ages. Laval became a city during the 11th century, and was the cradle of the House of Laval, 🌟 one of the most powerful families in Maine and Brittany. The counts of Laval developed a textile industry around 1300 🌟 and made Laval a significant centre for the French Renaissance a century later. The linen industry remained the principal activity 🌟 in Laval until the 20th century, when milk processing became more profitable.

Laval developed around a promontory, on which the castle 🌟 was built, and along the river Mayenne. The Laval metropolitan area is a small economic centre in western France, particularly 🌟 active in the industrial sector, dairy production, electronics and chemicals. Laval is economically oriented towards Rennes, the administrative capital of 🌟 the region of Brittany, and located only 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Laval.

Laval proper covers 34.2 square kilometres (13.2 🌟 sq mi) and has a population of 49,573 inhabitants, while c. 144,000 live in its metropolitan area (1,435 square kilometres 🌟 (554 sq mi)).[4] The Laval Agglomération intercommunality is made up of 34 communes covering 686 square kilometres (265 sq mi) 🌟 with 113,000 inhabitants.[4]