Deauville

Deauville (French pronunciation: [dovil] ^ⓘ) is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film Festival took place in 1999. As the closest seaside resort to Paris, Deauville is one of the most notable seaside resorts in France. The city and its region of the Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast) have long been home to the French upper class's seaside houses and is often referred to as the Parisian riviera.

Since the 19th century, the town of Deauville has been a fashionable holiday resort for the international upper class. In France, it is perhaps most well-known for its role in Proust's In Search of Lost Time.

The history of Deauville can be traced back to 1060, when seigneur Hubert du Mont-Canisy controlled the land, which was previously known as Auevilla. In 1066, Hubert du Mont-Canisy left to follow William the Conqueror to England.

Until 1860, Deauville was led by a series of mayors and slowly gained renown for its horse farming and for cultivating sainfoin. Duc Charles Auguste Louis Joseph de Morny, the half brother of the emperor Napoleon III, transformed Deauville into a more travelled resort on request of his wife Sofia Sergeyevna Trubetskaya and her friend, art collector Konstantin Rudanovsky. Before the death of the Duc in 1865, certain key investments were made that would transform Deauville's history, including a railway from Paris to Deauville, the Deauville hippodrome, and a small casino. Within three years, over forty villas were constructed in the surrounding area, and 200 rooms, as well as other accommodations, were finalized in the Grand Hotel. the Duc de Morny also established the construction of a church and a school in 1863. In the same year, "La Terrasse" was created. La Terrasse was a complex for hydrotherapeutic baths and other cures, as well as a 1,800-metre promenade along the seaside.

Following the Duc's death, Deauville grew gradually, but it was not until the early 20th century when Désiré le Hoc and Eugene Cornuché, pushed Deauville into another period of transformation and development. The still-famous Normandy Barrière and Royal hotels and the casino opened in the years 1911 and 1913. Renovations were carried out and extensions were made to the hippodrome, telephone lines were set up, the sales of yearlings saw historic highs, and up to 62 English and French yachts occupied the basin. During these years many luxury boutiques opened in the streets of Deauville, including Coco Chanel's first shop; many stores from Paris decided it was worthwhile establishing themselves in the up-and-coming resort.

During World War I, wounded soldiers would be cared for in Deauville's hotels and casino. The war also took a heavy toll on Deauville's blossoming market and trade sector, as merchants were forced to dedicate many of their products to the war effort.

The combination of the national financial crisis and World War II ensured Deauville would not regain its stature as a resort town until the 1950s. During the Second World War, the German Army occupied Deauville. Villas, hotels, and the casino were all occupied or used to some extent by the German forces. Following the invasion of allied forces on D-Day, the German troops were pushed out of Deauville and Normandy.

Following the war, Deauville leaned into its reputation for myth and exclusivity. Michel d'Ornano was established as the new mayor and Lucien Barriere succeeded his uncle Francois André at the head of the Hotels and Casinos of Deauville, and the town again became a centre for high society and celebrities. With scenes of award-winning movies being filmed in Deauville (such as Claude Lelouch's "un Homme et une Femme") and consistent celebrity traffic, the town has renewed its status as an emblematic resort town of Europe.