From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: :
Government
 o President
 o Total
29,906 km2 (11,547 sq mi)
Population (2013)
 o Total
 o Density
110/km2 (290/sq mi)
 o Summer ()
 (2015)
EUR90.4 billion (US$99.3 bn)
Per capita
EUR27.2k (US$29.9k)
Normandy (; : Normandie, pronounced  ( ), : Normaundie, from
Normanz, plural of Normant, originally from the word for "northman" in several ) is one of the 18 , roughly corresponding to the historical .
Administratively, Normandy is divided into five : , , , , and . It covers 30,627 square kilometres (11,825 sq mi), comprising roughly 5% of the territory of . Its population of 3.37 million accounts for around 5% of the population of France.
is the name given to the inhabitants of Normandy, and the region is the homeland of the .
The historical region of Normandy comprised the present-day region of Normandy, as well as small areas now part of the départements of
(: ?les Anglo-Normandes) are also historically part of N they cover 194 km? and comprise two :
and , which are British
over which
reigns as .
Normandy's name is derived from the settlement of the territory by mainly
("") from the 9th century, and confirmed by treaty in the 10th century between King
and the Viking
. For a century and a half following the
in 1066, Normandy and England were linked by Norman and
(Scene 23):
swearing oath on holy relics to
Archaeological finds, such as , prove that humans were present in the region in .
(also known as
and ) invaded Normandy in successive waves from the 4th to the 3rd century BC. When
invaded Gaul, there were nine different Celtic tribes living in Normandy. The
of Normandy was achieved by the usual methods:
and a policy of urbanisation.
have knowledge of many
in Normandy.
In the late 3rd century, barbarian raids devastated Normandy. Coastal settlements were raided by
pirates. Christianity also began to enter the area during this period. In 406,
began invading from the east, while the Saxons subjugated the Norman coast. As early as 487, the area between the
and the River
came under the control of the
started to raid the Seine valley during the middle of the 9th century. As early as 841, a Viking fleet appeared at the mouth of the Seine, the principal route by which they entered the kingdom. After attacking and destroying monasteries, including one at , they took advantage of the power vacuum created by the disintegration of 's empire to take northern France. The
was created for the Viking leader Hrólfr Ragnvaldsson, or
(also known as Robert of Normandy). Rollo had besieged Paris but in 911 entered
to the king of the , , through the . In exchange for his
and , Rollo legally gained the territory which he and his Viking allies had previously conquered. The name "Normandy" reflects Rollo's Viking (i.e. "") origins.
The descendants of Rollo and his followers adopted the local
and intermarried with the area's native Gallo-Roman inhabitants. They became the
– a -speaking mixture of
and indigenous ,
Rollo's descendant , became king of England in 1066 after defeating , the last of the , at the , while retaining the
of Normandy for himself and his descendants.
Norman possessions in the 12th century
Besides the
and the subsequent subjugation of
and , the Normans expanded into other areas. Norman families, such as that of ,
played important parts in the
lineage, de Hauteville's sons , , and ,
progressively claimed territories in southern Italy until founding the
in 1130. They also carved out a place for themselves and their descendants in the
The 14th century explorer
established a
in 1404.He received the title King of the Canary Islands from Pope
but recognized
as his overlord, who had provided him aid during the conquest.
burning at the stake in the city of , painting by
In 1204, during the reign of , mainland Normandy was taken from England by France under King . Insular Normandy (the Channel Islands) remained however under English control. In 1259,
recognized the legality of French possession of mainland Normandy under the . His successors, however, often fought to regain control of their ancient fiefdom.
The Charte aux Normands granted by
in 1315 (and later re-confirmed in 1339) – like the analogous
granted in England in the aftermath of 1204 – guaranteed the liberties and privileges of the province of Normandy.
French Normandy was occupied by English forces during the
and again in . Normandy lost three-quarters of its population during the war. Afterward prosperity returned to Normandy until the . When many Norman towns (, , , , ) joined the , battles ensued throughout the province. In the Channel Islands, a period of
following the Reformation was suppressed when
was imposed following the .
left the port of
in 1604 and founded . Four years later, he founded . From then onwards, Normans engaged in a policy of expansion in North America. They continued the exploration of the :
travelled in the area of the , then on the .
and his brother
founded , ,
and . Territories located between
were opened up to establish
and . Colonists from Normandy were among the most active in , comprising , , and .
were two of the principal
ports of France.
Although agriculture remained important, industries such as weaving, metallurgy, sugar refining, ceramics, and shipbuilding were introduced and developed.
In the 1780s, the economic crisis and the crisis of the
struck Normandy as well as other parts of the nation, leading to the . Bad harvests, technical progress and the effects of the
signed in 1786 affected employment and the economy of the province. Normans laboured under a heavy fiscal burden.
In 1790 the five departments of Normandy replaced the former province.
13 July 1793, the Norman
assassinated .
The Normans reacted little to the many political upheavals which characterized the 19th century. Overall they warily accepted the changes of régime (, , , , , ).
There was an economic revival (mechanization of textile manufacture, first trains...) after the
And new economic activity stimulated the coasts: seaside tourism. The 19th century marks the birth of the first beach resorts.
Allied invasion of Normandy, , 1944
During the Second World War, following the , continental Normandy was part of the . The Channel Islands were
between 30 June 1940 and 9 May 1945. The town of
was the site of the unsuccessful
by Canadian and British armed forces.
, in this case involving Britain, the U.S, Canada and , coordinated a massive build-up of troops and supplies to support a large-scale invasion of Normandy in the
on 6 June 1944 under the code name . The Germans were dug into fortified emplacements above the beaches. , , ,
and other Norman towns endured many casualties in the , which continued until the closing of the so-called
and . The liberation of
followed. This was a significant turning point in the war and led to the restoration of the French Republic.
The remainder of Normandy was liberated only on 9 May 1945 at the end of the war, when the
effectively ended.
Between 1956 and 2015 Normandy was divided into two : the regions were merged into one single region on 1 January 2016.
(Haute-Normandie) consisted of the French
(Basse-Normandie) of the
of , , and .
The medieval island of , the most visited monument in Normandy
The Arche and the Aiguille of the cliffs of
A typical Norman house
The historical Duchy of Normandy was a formerly independent
occupying the lower
and the region to the west through the
as far as the .
Western Normandy belongs to the , whereas the major part of the region belongs to the . 's oldest rocks crop out in Jobourg in the
peninsula. The region is bordered along the northern coasts by the English Channel. There are granite
in the west and limestone cliffs in the east. There are also long stretches of beach in the centre of the region. The
typical of the western areas caused problems for the invading forces in the . A notable feature of the landscape is created by the
of the Seine as it approaches its estuary.
The highest point is the Signal d'?couves (417m) in the Massif armoricain.
Normandy is sparsely forested: 12.8% of the territory is wooded, compared to a French average of 23.6%, although the proportion varies between the departments. Eure has most cover (21%) while Manche has least (4%), a characteristic shared with the Islands.
(or d’?vreux)
or Passais
The , central Normandy, is characterized by excellent agricultural land.
The : territoire entre la Seine et L'Eure
(Norman Switzerland), in the south, presents hillier terrain.
are considered culturally and historically a part of Normandy. However, they are British , and are not part of the modern French region of Normandy,
Although the British surrendered claims to mainland Normandy, France, and other French possessions in 1801, the monarch of the United Kingdom retains the title Duke of Normandy in respect to the Channel Islands. The Channel Islands (except for ) remain
in the present era. Thus the
in the Channel Islands is La Reine, notre Duc ("The Queen, our Duke"). The British monarch is understood to not be the Duke with regards to mainland Normandy described herein, by virtue of the , the surrender of French possessions in 1801, and the belief that the rights of succession to that title are subject to
which excludes inheritance through female heirs.[]
The Seine in
The Bresle
Rivers in Normandy include:
and its tributaries:
And many coastal rivers:
the , which traditionally marks the boundary between the
the Veules, the shortest French river
Historic photograph of the Caserne Jeanne d'Arc in Rouen, today seat of the Norman regional assembly
The modern region of Normandy was created by the territorial reform of French Regions in 2014 by the merger of , and . The new region took effect on 1 January 2016, after the .
has 102 members who are elected under a system of . The
consists of a president and vice-presidents.
from the Centre party was elected president of the council in January 2016.
Much of Normandy is predominantly agricultural in character, with cattle breeding the most important sector (although in decline from the peak levels of the 1970s and 1980s). The
is a patchwork of small fields with high hedges, typical of western areas. Areas near the
(the former
region) contain a higher concentration of industry. Normandy is a significant -producing region, and also produces , a distilled cider or . Other activities of economic importance are dairy produce,
(60% of production in France),
(including two French national stud farms), fishing, , and tourism. The region contains three French . There is also easy access to and from the UK using the ports of ,
Labour force in agriculture
Labour force in industry
Labour force in services
Upper Normandy
2.30 %
36.10 %
61.60 %
Lower Normandy
6.50 %
25.00 %
68.50 %
2.20 %
20.60 %
77.20 %
GDP (in million of Euros) (2006)
Unemployment (% of the labour force) (2007)
Upper Normandy
6.80 %
Lower Normandy
7.90 %
7.50 %
In January 2006 the population of Normandy (including the part of
which lies inside the
but excluding the ) was estimated at 3,260,000 with an average population density of 109 inhabitants per km?, just under the French national average, but rising to 147 for .
Half-timbered houses in Rouen
The main cities (population given from the 1999 census) are
(518,316 in the metropolitan area), the capital since 2016 of the province and formerly of Upper N
(420,000 in the metropolitan area) and formerly the capital of Lower N
(296,773 in the metropolitan area); and
(117,855 in the metropolitan area).
The traditional provincial , gules, two leopards passant or, is used in both modern regions. The historic three-leopard version (known in the Norman language as les treis cats, "the three cats") is used by some associations and individuals, especially those who support reunification of the regions and cultural links with the Channel Islands and England. Jersey and Guernsey use three leopards in their national symbols. The three leopards represents the strength and courage Normandy has towards the neighbouring provinces.
The unofficial anthem of the region is the song "".
"Two-leopard" version, which is the main one.
"Three-leopard" version
Flag used by the sailors of the Normandy. 
Flag used by the hometown of . 
"Two-leopard" flag of
Coat of arms of the
The Norman language, a , is spoken by a minority of the population on the continent and the islands, with a concentration in the
in the far West (the
dialect), and in the
in the East (the ). Many place names demonstrate the for example -bec (stream), -fleur (river),
(island), -tot (homestead), -dal or -dalle (valley) and -hogue (hill, mound). French is the only
in continental Normandy and English is also an official language in the Channel Islands.
A Norman style construction in
Architecturally, Norman cathedrals, abbeys (such as the ) and castles characterise the former duchy in a way that mirrors the similar pattern of
in England following the
Domestic architecture in upper Normandy is typified by
buildings that also recall vernacular English architecture, although the farm enclosures of the more harshly landscaped Pays de Caux are a more idiosyncratic response to socio-economic and climatic imperatives. Much urban architectural heritage was destroyed during the Battle of Normandy in 1944 – post-war urban reconstruction, such as in Le Havre and Saint-L?, could be said to demonstrate both the virtues and vices of
trends of the 1950s and 1960s. Le Havre, the city rebuilt by , was added to Unesco’s World Heritage List in 2005.
in lower Normandy takes its form from , the predominant local building material. The Channel Islands also share this influence –
was for many years a source of quarried granite, including that used for the construction of .
The south part of
is filled with bourgeois villas in
style with polychrome fa?ades, bow windows and unique roofing. This area, built between 1886 and 1914, has an authentic “Bagnolese” style and is typical of high-society country vacation of the time. The Chapel of Saint Germanus (Chapelle Saint-Germain) at
floorplan incorporates elements of one of the earliest surviving places of Christian worship in the Cotentin – perhaps second only to the Gallo-Roman baptistry at . It is dedicated to .
Parts of Normandy consist of rolling countryside typified by pasture for dairy cattle and apple orchards. A wide range of dairy products are produced and exported. Norman cheeses include , , , , ,
and . Normandy butter and Normandy cream are lavishly used in gastronomic specialties.
from Normandy
Fish and seafood are of superior quality in Normandy.[] Turbot and oysters from the Cotentin Peninsula are major delicacies throughout France. Normandy is the chief -cultivating, scallop-exporting, and mussel-raising region in France.
Normandy is a major -producing region (very little wine is produced).
is also produced, but in less significant quantities. Apple brandy, of which the most famous variety is , is also popular. The mealtime trou normand, or "Norman hole", is a pause between meal courses in which diners partake of a glassful of calvados in order to improve the appetite and make room for the next course, and this is still observed in many homes and restaurants.
produced by blending unfermented cider and apple brandy. Another aperitif is the
normand, a measure of
topped up with cider.
is produced in .
Apples are also widely used in cooking: for example, moules à la normande are
cooked with apples, cream and cheese, bourdelots are apples baked in pastry, partridges are flamed with reinette apples, and localities all over the province have their own variation of apple tart, that is more popular named tan tan tan tan, because the people can't say the correct name "Tarte Tatin", a classic pastry dish from the region is
a -based variant of the apple tart.
Other regional specialities include ,
and andouillettes, , salt meadow (pré salé) lamb, seafood (mussels, , lobsters, mackerel…), and
(spiced rice pudding).
Normandy dishes include duckling à la rouennaise, sautéed chicken yvetois, and goose en daube. Rabbit is cooked with , or à la havraise (stuffed with truffled pigs' trotters). Other dishes are sheep's trotters à la rouennaise, casseroled veal, larded calf's liver braised with carrots, and veal (or turkey) in cream and mushrooms.
Normandy is also noted for its pastries. It is the birthplace of
(especially those from
and ) and also turns out douillons (pears baked in pastry), craquelins, roulettes in Rouen, fouaces in Caen, fallues in , sablés in Lisieux. Confectionery of the region includes
apple sugar, Isigny caramels,
mint chews, Falaise berlingots,
marzipans,
croquettes, and Rouen .
Normandy is the native land of , cook of the kings of France
and . He wrote the earliest French cookery book named Le Viandier.
was also made in Normandy around the 14th century.
presents his
to Henry II, Illustration 1824
The dukes of Normandy commissioned and inspired epic literature to record and legitimise their rule. ,
were among those who wrote in the service of the dukes. After the division of 1204, French literature provided the model for the development of literature in Normandy.
wrote of the Vaux de Vire, the origin of literary . Among notable Norman writers in French are , , , , , , and , and . The Corneille brothers,
and , born in Rouen, were great figures of French classical literature.
David Ferrand () in his Muse Normande established a landmark of Norman language literature. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the workers and merchants of
established a tradition of polemical and satirical literature in a form of language called the parler purin. At the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th century a new movement arose in the Channel Islands, led by writers such as , which sparked a literary renaissance on the Norman mainland. In exile in Jersey and then Guernsey,
took an interest in the vernacular literature.
is a well-known novel by Hugo set in the Channel Islands. The boom in insular literature in the early 19th century encouraged production especially in La Hague and around Cherbourg, where Alfred Rossel, Louis Beuve and
became active. The typical medium for literary expression in Norman has traditionally been newspaper columns and almanacs. The novel Zabeth by André Louis which appeared in 1969 was the first novel published in Norman.
Normandy has a rich tradition of painting and gave to France some of its most important artists.
In the 17th century some major French painters were Normans like , born in
drew painters to the Channel coasts of Normandy.
crossed the Channel from Great Britain, attracted by the light and landscapes. , a native of Rouen, was a notable figure in the Romantic movement, its famous
being considered come the breakthrough of pictorial romanticism in France when it was officially presented at the 1819 Salon. The competing Realist tendency was represented by , a native of La Hague. The landscape painter , born in Honfleur, was a determining influence on the impressionnists and was highly considered by Monet.
, Un après-midi à l'Ile aux Cerises, Rouen, oil on canvas, 50 x 61.2 cm
Breaking away from the more formalised and classical themes of the early part of the 19th century, Impressionist painters preferred to paint outdoors, in natural light, and to concentrate on landscapes, towns and scenes of daily life.
Leader of the movement and father of modern painting,
is one of the best known Impressionists and a major character in Normandy's artistic heritage. His
are one of the region's major tourist sites, much visited for their beauty and their water lilies, as well as for their importance to Monet's artistic inspiration. Normandy was at the heart of his creation, from the paintings of Rouen's cathedral to the famous depictions of the cliffs at , the beach and port at
and the sunrise at . It was , Monet's painting of Le Havre, that led to the movement being dubbed . After Monet, all the main
painters of the 1870s and 1880s came to Normandy to paint its landscapes and its changing lights, concentrating along the Seine valley and the Norman coast.
Landscapes and scenes of daily life were also immortalised on canvas by artists such as , , the Honfleur born Eugène Boudin, , , , , , , , ,
and . While Monet's work adorns galleries and collections all over the world, a remarkable quantity of Impressionist works can be found in galleries throughout Normandy, such as the
in , the Musée Eugène Boudin in
, one of the leaders and theoricists of the
movement in the 1890s, was a native of Granville, in the Manche department.
was founded in 1909 by , , Yvonne Barbier and Eugène Tirvert. Among members were , a native of Le Havre, ,
and . Also in this movement were the Duchamp brothers,
and , considered one of the father of modern art, also natives of Normandy. , one of the leading French artist of the 1940s and the 1950s was born in Le Havre.
Christian missionaries implanted
in the territory in the 5th and 6th centuries. Some of these missionaries came from across the . The influence of
can still be found in the . By the terms of the treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, Rollo, a Viking pagan, accepted Christianity and was baptised. The Duchy of Normandy was therefore formally a Christian state from its foundation. The
of Normandy have exerted influence down the centuries in matters of both faith and politics.
of England, did
at the cathedral of
on 21 May 1172 and was absolved from the censures incurred by the assassination of .
is a historic
Normandy does not have one generally agreed , although this title has been ascribed to Saint , and to . Many saints have been revered in Normandy down the centuries, including:
who's remembered as the founder of
who are important saints in Normandy
who are evangelizers of the Channel Islands
whose parents were from Rouen, who was the object of a considerable cult in mainland Normandy following his martyrdom
in Rouen, and who is especially remembered in that city
whose birthplace in
and later home in Lisieux are a focus for religious pilgrims.
there is no established church in mainland Normandy. In the , the
15cm TbtsK C/36 German coastal gun. 
Half-timbered houses in  
(1494) 
. WordReference.com 2016. 3. a native or inhabitant of Normandy
. Online Etymology Dictionary 2010.
1 May 2008 at the .
Michel Badet (29 May 2010). . capbreizh.com 2010.
(in French). pagesperso-orange.fr.
Neveux, Francois. The Normans: The conquests that changed the face of Europe. p. 48.  .
Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie (1987). . University of California Press. p. 32.  .
Website Lithothèque de Normandie.
Normandie, Bonneton, Paris 2001  
. The official website of The British Monarchy 2015.
(in French). . . 17 December .
. Normandy Property. Retrieved on 19 September 2014.
(in French) L’état des régions fran?aises 2004, page 189
(in French)
"France in CIA factbook"
(in French)
(in French)
. fromages.org.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to .
has the text of the 1905
(in French)
: Hidden categories: