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Basse-Normandie

 

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Basse-Normandie


 
 

History

Regions relating to Basse-Normandie: Gallia LugdunensisGallia Lugdunensis

Gallia Lugdunensis was a province of the Roman Empire in what is now the modern country of France, part of the Celtic nation...
, NeustriaNeustria

The territory of Neustria originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating mos...
, and NormandyNormandy Overview

Normandy is a geographical region in northern France....
.



The traditional province of Normandy, with an integral history reaching back to the 10th century, was divided in 1957 into two regions: Basse-Normandie and Haute-Normandie ("Upper Normandy").

During the Roman era, the region was divided into several different city-states. That of Vieux-la-Romaine was excavated in the 17th century, revealing numerous structures and vestiges bearing testimony to the prosperity of the CaenCaen

Caen is a commune of northwestern France....
 region.

The region was conquered by the FranksFranks

The Franks or the Frankish people were one of several west Germanic federations....
 in the 5th century.

In the 9th century, the NormanNormans Overview

The Normans were a people who colonized Normandy, conquered England, and played a major political, military and cultural ro...
 conquests devastated the region. Much of the territory of Lower Normandy was added to the Duchy of Normandy in the 10th century.

In 1066, William the Bastard conquered EnglandEngland Overview

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
, becoming William the Conqueror, or William I of EnglandWilliam I of England

William of Normandy ruled as the Duke of Normandy from 1035 to 1087 and as King of England from 1066 to 1087....
. He was buried in Caen.

The victory of TinchebrayBattle of Tinchebray

The battle of Tinchebray was fought September 28, 1106, in the town of Tinchebray, Normandy, between an invading force led b...
 in 1106 gave Normandy to the Plantagenets. Nearly one hundred years later, in 1204, Philippe Auguste confiscated the region. Then, during the Hundred Years' WarHundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War was a conflict between England and France, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453....
, the region was annexed by EnglandEngland Summary

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
.

The French regained the region from 1436 to 1450. By 1468, it was entirely under the control of the French monarchy.

The main thrust of Operation OverlordOperation Overlord

Operation Overlord was the phase in the Western front of World War II that was fought in 1944 between German forces and the ...
 during World War IIWorld War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
 was focused on Basse-Normandie. The beaches of Calvados were the site of the D-DayD-Day

In English military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be in...
 landings in June 1944. Basse-Normandie suffered badly during World War IIWorld War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers ,...
, with many of the region's towns and villages being destroyed during the Battle of NormandyBattle of Normandy

The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between Nazi Germany in Western Europe and the invading Allied forces as part of ...
.

Economy

The region's economy is heavily agricultural, with livestock and dairy farming, textiles and fruit production among its major industries. The region is the leader in France in the sectors of butter, fromage frais, soft cheeses, cider apples, cider, leeks, turnips, and flax. The region also breeds more horses than any other in France. The western part of the region is used mainly for farming, because of the prairies. Iron oreIron ore

Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted....
 is mined near Caen. TourismFacts About Tourism

Tourism is the act of travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of service...
 is also a major industry. The region has direct ferry links to EnglandEngland

England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom....
 (via the port of Cherbourg and Caen OuistrehamOuistreham

Ouistreham is a commune of the Calvados dpartement, in the Basse-Normandie rgion, in France....
).

Culture

Normandy has its own regional languageRegional language

A regional language is a language spoken in a part of a country - it may be a small area, a federal state or province, or a ...
, the Norman languageNorman language

Norman is a Romance language and one of the Ol languages....
. This language is still in use today in Basse-Normandie, with the dialects of the Cotentin more in evidence than others. Lower Normandy has also been the home of many well-known French authors, including Guy de MaupassantFacts About Guy de Maupassant

Henri Ren Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer....
, Marcel ProustMarcel Proust

Marcel-Valentin-Louis-Eugne-Georges Proust was a French intellectual, novelist, essayist and critic, best known as the auth...
, Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly, and Gustave FlaubertGustave Flaubert

Gustave Flaubert was a French novelist who is counted among the greatest Western novelists....
. Notable Norman language authors connected especially with Lower Normandy include Alfred Rossel, Louis Beuve, and Côtis-CapelCôtis-Capel

C?tis-Capel was the pen name of Albert Lohier, a Norman language poet....
.

In terms of music, composer Erik SatieErik Satie

Eric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer, pianist and writer....
 also hailed from this region. And in the visual arts, Jean-François MilletJean-François Millet

Jean-Franois Millet was a painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France....
 was a native of La Hague. Eugène BoudinEugène Boudin

Eugne Boudin was one of the first French landscape painters to paint outdoors....
 was born in Honfleur and Fernand LégerFernand Léger

Joseph Fernand Henri Lger was a French artist and filmmaker....
 in Argentan. Importants events include Deauville Asian Film FestivalDeauville Asian Film Festival

The Deauville Asian Film Festival takes place annually in Deauville, France since 1999 and focuses on Asian cinema....
 and Deauville American Film FestivalDeauville American Film Festival

The Deauville American Film Festival is a yearly film festival for American movies, taking place since 1975 in Deauville, Fr...
.

Major communities

  • AlençonAlençon

    Alenon is a town in Normandy, France, prfecture of the Orne dpartement....
  • ArgentanArgentan

    Argentan is a commune, and the chief town of two cantons and of an arrondissement of the Orne dpartement, in France....
  • CaenCaen

    Caen is a commune of northwestern France....
  • Cherbourg-OctevilleCherbourg-Octeville Overview

    Cherbourg-Octeville is a town and commune in Normandy, north-west France....
  • Équeurdreville-HainnevilleÉqueurdreville-Hainneville

    The French commune of ?queurdreville-Hainneville was formed when ?queurdreville and Hainneville merged on January 1, 1965....
  • FlersFlers, Orne

    Flers is a French commune, located in the Orne d?partement and the Basse-Normandie region....
  • Hérouville-Saint-ClairHérouville-Saint-Clair

    Hrouville-Saint-Clair is a town and commune of the Calvados dpartement and Basse-Normandie rgion in northwestern Fra...
  • LisieuxLisieux

    Lisieux is a commune of the Calvados dpartement, in the Basse-Normandie rgion, in France....
  • Saint-LôSaint-Lô

    Saint-L is a town and commune of France, the prfecture of the Manche dpartement, in Normandy. Population: 20,090. ...
  • TourlavilleTourlaville

    Tourlaville is a town and commune in the Manche d?partement of north-western France. ...


External links

  • Official website