Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte

Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
Commune
The chateau in Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte

Coat of arms
Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
Location within Normandy region
Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
Coordinates: 49°23′14″N 1°31′51″W / 49.3872°N 1.5308°W / 49.3872; -1.5308Coordinates: 49°23′14″N 1°31′51″W / 49.3872°N 1.5308°W / 49.3872; -1.5308
Country France
Region Normandy
Department Manche
Arrondissement Cherbourg
Canton Bricquebec
Intercommunality CA Cotentin
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Michel Quinet
Area1 34.27 km2 (13.23 sq mi)
Population (1999)2 2,204
 • Density 64/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code 50551 /50390

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.

It is situated in the Cotentin Peninsula near Valognes in the Manche département.

Population : 2,242 (1999 census).

History

The Château de Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, an ancient castle with massive 14th century towers, and a 12-15th century abbey still mark a vivid history during the Middle Ages.

The city walls were breached by cannon during a siege in 1374. This is believed to have been among the first successful uses of guns against city walls in history.[1]

The fortress

Heraldry

 The arms of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte are blazoned :
Gules, 2 fesses, in center point a triple towered castle, all between 3 pairs of sea-bass adorsed Or.

Notable people

The English knight Sir John Chandos (died 1369) held the title Viscount of Saint-Sauveur-le Vicomte in the Cotentin.

The Blessed Catherine of St. Augustine, O.S.A., was born here in 1632. She was sent by her Order as a missionary nurse to New France, serving at the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, where she died in 1668. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1989.

The novelist Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly was born there on 2 November 1808. A museum is now dedicated to him.

Sister Marie-Madeleine Postel acquired the derelict Benedictine monastery at St-Sauveur-le-Vicomte in 1830 which became the headquarters of the Sisters of the Christian Schools of Mercy; in 1846 she died in the town.

Medieval knight Geoffroy d'Harcourt who fought for both the French, and the English, during the 100 years war.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kenneth Chase: Firearms. A Global History to 1700. Cambridge 2003. Cambridge University Press. P. 59.


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