Normandy, land of French History !
Middle Ages
AD 911
birth of Normandy to the Treaty of St. Clair sur Epte;
Treaty between the King of France Charles III and Rollon, the leader of the invaders from the North, the Normans!
With this Treaty, the King ensures peace with these fearsome warriors – they were putting Europe to fire and sword
- by making them his vassals, even if at first glance the submission of Rollon to the King was not an easy one!
From then on, the Normans became the guardians of the northern borders of the kingdom.
As remnants of this period, you will discover with great pleasure places such as
the castle of ‘Robert le diable’(Robert the devil)
near Rouen; the castle of Arques la Bataille; the very famous
Château-Gaillard
(Eure) which in spite of its three successive surrounding walls was invaded by the enemy through latrines;
and many tumbledown feudal castles such as Blainville, where is held, every year, the famous ‘Archéojazz festival’.
Normandy also counts magnificent buildings and religious relics:
in Blainville-Crevon (5 km from Fontaine) you will have the opportunity to admire the beautiful 15th Century collegiate church which was dedicated to St. Michel,
and the statue of its patron saint made of polychrome wood.
Normandy before the Revolution
Before the Revolution Normandy forged its character: beautiful mansions peasantry and bourgeoisie as well as traditions. .
The 19thCentury
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Normandy in the 19th Century:
Henry IV might have said: ‘breeding and industry are the driving forces of Normandy!’
The 20th Century
Finally the 20th Century and its two World Wars left many traces on the ground of Normandy. The city of Le Havre disappeared; Dieppe and its Canadian military cemetery remind us the destiny of these soldiers from ‘the beautiful province’ who came and delivered us from the Nazi yoke; the seashore keeps the marks of the terrible events which took place both before and after the landings and the countryside itself reveals here and there remnants of the blockhouse , such as this launching pad of V1, fully restored and very informative.