Pont-l'Évêque, Calvados
Pont-l'Évêque is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is known for Pont-l'Évêque cheese, a type of soft cheese, the oldest Normandy cheese in production.
Pont-l'Évêque | |
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 Saint Michael's Church in Pont-l'Évêque | |
.svg.png.webp) Coat of arms | |
Location of Pont-l'Évêque 
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  Pont-l'Évêque  Pont-l'Évêque | |
| Coordinates: 49°17′11″N 0°11′05″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Calvados |
| Arrondissement | Lisieux |
| Canton | Pont-l'Évêque |
| Intercommunality | Blangy Pont-l'Évêque |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2014–2020) | Yves Deshayes |
| Area 1 | 12.98 km2 (5.01 sq mi) |
| Population (2017-01-01)[1] | 4,662 |
| • Density | 360/km2 (930/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 14514 /14130 |
| Elevation | 5–148 m (16–486 ft) (avg. 16 m or 52 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
During World War II, the town was severely damaged by a two-day battle in August 1944. On 1 January 2019, the former commune of Coudray-Rabut was merged into Pont-l'Évêque.[2]
The town serves as the setting for Gustave Flaubert's story Un cœur simple and features heavily in the book 13 - Lucky For Some which is about the history of the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion. There are many then and now photographs as well as maps and diagrams of battles that took place in the region.
Geography and toponymy
The river Touques flows through Pont-l'Évêque, which takes its name from a bridge (pont) built over the river. Starting in the 10th century, the local bishop (évêque) took responsibility for building and repairing the bridges and roads in France. Pont-l'Évêque thus means "Bishop Bridge."[3] It was Latinised as Pons-Episcopi.[4]
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 3,188 | — |
| 1968 | 3,466 | +8.7% |
| 1975 | 3,709 | +7.0% |
| 1982 | 3,767 | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 3,843 | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 4,133 | +7.5% |
| 2008 | 4,202 | +1.7% |
Twin Towns
Ottery St Mary, United Kingdom (Since 1977)[5]
Veitshöchheim, Germany (Since 1994)[5]
Personalities
Pont-l'Évêque was the birthplace of:
- Roger de Pont L'Evêque (c.1115-1181), Archdeacon of Canterbury, and later Archbishop of York
- Dière de Dièreville (c.1670-?) - surgeon, botanist and writer who wrote about his voyage (1699-1700) to Acadia.
- Jacques Guillaume Thouret (1746–1794), revolutionary, lawyer, president of the National Constituent Assembly
- Ferdinand Alphonse Hamelin (1796–1864)- Navy officer, Admiral and Minister of Marine
See also
References
- "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- Arrêté préfectoral 17 December 2018, p. 81 (in French)
- James-Raoul, Danièle; Thomasset, Claude (2006). Les ponts au Moyen Âge (in French). Presses Paris Sorbonne. p. 201. ISBN 9782840503736. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- Echard, Laurence (1786). Dictionnaire géographique-portatif, ou description des royaumes, provinces, villes, évêchés, duchés, comtés, marguirats (in French). Les libraires associés. p. 570. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- https://www.pontleveque.fr/ma-ville/jumelage/
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pont-l'Évêque (Calvados). |
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