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Vimoutiers
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Vimoutiers (French pronunciation: [vimutje] ⓘ) is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.[3]
Key Information
The finish line of the Paris–Camembert bicycle race is Vimoutiers.
Geography
[edit]The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, Les Monceaux', Ferme de Cutesson, La Hunière, Le Vitou, Le Pont Percé, La Fauvetière and Vimoutiers.[4] The commune is spread over an area of 16.15 square kilometres (3,990 acres) with a maximum altitude of 236 metres (774 ft 3 in) and minimum of 92 metres (301 ft 10 in)[5]
Vimoutiers has two rivers running through it the Vie and the Viette in addition to four streams, the Fontaine de la Roche, Souze, the Moulin Neuf, plus the Champeaux.
Neighbouring communes[4] | |
|---|---|
Land distribution
[edit]The 2018 CORINE Land Cover assessment shows the vast majority of the land in the commune, 85% (495 hectares (1,220 acres)) is Meadows.[5] The rest of the land is urbanised at 8%, with the last 6% spread almost equally at 3% each between Arable land and industrial or commercial areas.[5]
History
[edit]In 1040 while besieging a nearby Norman castle, Alan III, Duke of Brittany died suddenly in Vimoutiers, then a possession of the Duchy of Normandy. His death was thought to be caused by poisoning.
On 14 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy, Vimoutiers was bombarded by Allied forces. The village was destroyed and 220 people died. With the encouragement of Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, the members of Pilot Club International raised funds to restore the city. La Place du Pilot Club International is a square in Vimoutiers which commemorates their generosity. 400 people of Van Wert, Ohio also contributed in the costs of reconstruction and reparation of the town. They volunteered to pay for the replacement of Marie Harel's statue in 1953. This is recorded by a plaque in the market square of Vimoutiers.[6]
Population
[edit]| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 4,572 | — |
| 1975 | 5,019 | +1.34% |
| 1982 | 4,918 | −0.29% |
| 1990 | 4,723 | −0.50% |
| 1999 | 4,418 | −0.74% |
| 2007 | 3,918 | −1.49% |
| 2012 | 3,675 | −1.27% |
| 2017 | 3,332 | −1.94% |
| Source: INSEE[7] | ||
Heraldry
[edit] |
The arms of Vimoutiers are blazoned : Azure, a cross Or, between 4 keys addorsed argent.
|
Name
[edit]The name 'Vimoutiers' is a contraction of 'Vie', the name of the small river which runs through the town ('vie' means 'life'), and 'Moutiers', a French word which means 'Monastery'. This name is derived from the fact that there was once a monastery present on the site, near the banks of the river 'Vie.
Notable buildings and places
[edit]National heritage sites
[edit]- Vimoutiers Tiger tank a World War II German Tiger I tank on outdoor display that was listed as a Monument historique in 1975.[9]
- Former Benedictine convent originally a sixteenth century former Benedictines convent, that was registered as a Monument historique in 1985.[10]
Notable people
[edit]- Alan III, Duke of Brittany (997–1040), Count of Rennes and duke of Brittany died here.[11]
- Marie Harel (1761–1844), inventor of the Camembert cheese died here.[12]
- Louis Tillaye (1847–1913), politician of the Third Republic was born here.[13]
- Paul Bunel (1882–1918), a Norman photographer, lived here.[14]
- Joseph Laniel (1889–1975), politician of the Fourth Republic was born here.[15]
- Roland Armontel (1904-1983) a French actor was born here.[16]
Twin towns – sister cities
[edit]Vimotiers is twinned with:
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
- ^ "Commune de Vimoutiers (61508)". INSEE.
- ^ a b "Vimoutiers · 61120, France". Vimoutiers · 61120, France.
- ^ a b c "Vimoutiers (61) : Cadastre, PLU, zonage et risques majeurs". PLU & Cadastre.
- ^ The new statue and plaque, Wikimedia Commons, Retrieved 29 April 2017
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
- ^ "Spread the curd: At the Camembert Museum in Normandy, cheese-making is". The Independent. 30 September 1994.
- ^ "Char Tigre". www.pop.culture.gouv.fr.
- ^ "Ancien couvent des Bénédictines à Vimoutiers - PA00110969". monumentum.fr.
- ^ Now, Normandy Then and (8 February 2015). "In days of old when Knights were bold, in Brionne, Normandy".
- ^ "Marie Harel, invention du camembert". Skyrock. 19 July 2014.
- ^ "Vimoutiers | CDC des Vallées d'Auge et du Merlerault". www.cdcvam.fr.
- ^ "Paul BUNEL". vimoutiers.net.
- ^ "Musée de la résistance en ligne". museedelaresistanceenligne.org.
- ^ "Roland Armontel | Actor". IMDb.
- ^ "Towns ready to celebrate". Salisbury Journal. 25 June 2007.
- ^ "À Vimoutiers, les jumelages invitent à l'ouverture". Ouest-France.fr. 22 October 2019.
- ^ "Vimoutiers. Le jumelage franco-allemand fêtera son demi-siècle en 2022". Ouest-France.fr. 16 April 2021.
External links
[edit]
- Pictures of Vimoutiers before June 1944 (with a link to Charlotte Corday).
- Hôtel le Soleil d'Or
- Routard.com - Vimoutiers
- Vimoutiers Official Homepage (in English)
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
