Isigny-sur-Mer (, literally ''Isigny on Sea'') is a commune in the Calvados department and

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

of north-western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It is part of the communauté de communes Isigny-Omaha Intercom, the 59 communes of which have a combined population of 27,181.

Geography and economy

Situated in the fertile grassland region – known as the Baie des Veys – which constitutes the joint estuary of four rivers, Isigny is an important centre of the dairy industry. The town is famous for its AOC butter and cream, as well as for the production of

Mimolette Mimolette is a cheese traditionally produced around the city of Lille, France. In France it is also known as ''Boule de Lille'' after its city of origin, or ''vieux Hollande'' because it was originally inspired by the Dutch Edam cheese. Descrip ...

, Pont-l'Évêque, Camembert, and Trésor d'Isigny cheeses, among others, made by the Isigny Sainte-Mère co-operative.

Oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not ...

s have been extensively cultivated in the nearby waters of the Baie des Veys since the mid 20th century. A major river, the Vire, passes through the commune.

History

The name of the town is proposed to have derived from Latin "Isiniacum", based on Germanic name "Iso" and Latin ending -iacum. The town is well positioned and owes its significance to its industrial history. The industrialisation of milk processing began at the start of the 19th century: many factories were built, especially by the Dupont d'Isigny family, which then diversified and created the famous Isigny caramels. More recently, the co-operative Isigny dairy has dominated. Meanwhile, the agricultural fairs and markets have also contributed to Isigny's reputation. The d'Isigny family traces back to before the Norman conquest of England, and

William The Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...

(1028–82) had military commanders named d'Isigny. In 1924 Isigny was renamed Isigny-sur-Mer. The port was important in facilitating inshore navigation, allowing commercial and industrial activity to be developed and maintained (import of wood from the North; export coal from the mine at Littry and butter). Fishing was important until the end of the 1970s (mussel fishing and small vessels crewed by fishermen from the Hogues quarter). The famous "Caïeu d'Isigny" is a hymn to Isigny's sailors and fishermen, created in 1869 by Alfred Rossel (1841–1926). Isigny was more than 60% destroyed by two bombardments on 8 June 1944 and has since been almost entirely rebuilt. Isigny played its part in the D-Day landings: Twenty small Dutch

schuyt A Dutch barge is a traditional flat-bottomed shoal-draught barge, originally used to carry cargo in the shallow '' Zuyder Zee'' and the waterways of Netherlands. There are very many types of Dutch barge, with characteristics determined by regio ...

s were employed by the Americans to bring stores and equipment inland from the larger cargo ships that were moored off-shore.

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...

paid its inhabitants visits on 14 June 1944 and 16 June 1946. The

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

surname is derived from the town. the branch settled in what is today called Norton Disney in England. On 1 January 2017 the commune was extended by being merged with the former communes of Castilly, Neuilly-la-Forêt, Les Oubeaux, and Vouilly. Until 2015 Isigny-sur-Mer was the seat of the canton of Isigny-sur-Mer, which included 24 communes and had a population of 9,935.

Population

Economy

Isigny is famous for local products made from milk, such as butter and cream and caramels. Several agro-food companies manufacture these products, including Isigny-Sainte-Mère (butter and cream) and Dupont d'Isigny (caramels).

International relations

The commune is twinned with Weilerbach, . A twinning arrangement with Kingsbridge in Devon, England, ended in 2019 after 58 years.

References