Manche
Manche (, ) is a coastal French département in Normandy, on the English Channel, which is known as ''La Manche'', literally "the sleeve", in French. It had a population of 495,045 in 2019.department in the
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 and t ...
in northwestern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the commune
Saint-James
Saint-James () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2017, the former communes of Argouges, Carnet, La Croix-Avranchin, Montanel, Vergoncey and Villiers-le-Pré were merged into Saint-James. ...
.
For many centuries the Barons de Gratot (Argouges) resided at the Château de Gratot in Argouges. Similar to the Château de Gratot is the Château de Argouges in Vaux-sur-Aure, in the French department of Calvados, Normandy which had also been owned by the Barons de Gratot (Argouges). According to the French Wikipedia a legend is that a Lord of Argouges met a Fairy woman who agreed to be his wife provided he never spoke the word "Mort" eathwhich was considered profane language; however he spoke it and the Fairy vanished; this legend is associated with both Château de Gratot and the Château de Argouges. (A variation of this legend is found in "Ripley's Believe It or Not" (volume) V .pp.64-65. Ironically Ripley used a drawing of the Château_de Argouges for the Château_de_Gratot in Argouges!)
Blason_d'Argouges_-_Château_de_Gratot.png, Coat of arms of the Barons de Gratot (Argouges)
François d'Argouges, premier président.jpg, François d'Argouges, 622-1695premier président Parliment de Bretange
Vaux-sur-Aure_Manoir_d'Argouges_02.JPG, Château de Argouges in Vaux-sur-Aure.
Gratot_chateau_église.jpg, View of the ruins of the Château de Gratot at the left
Château de Gratot - Poterne et douves.JPG, A view of the Main entrance of the Château de Gratot
Chateau_de_Gratot,_communs.JPG, A rear view of the Main entrance of the Château de Gratot
Gratot chateau vue tour.jpg, An overview rear view of Main entrance of the Château de Gratot
Château de Gratot - Vue sur la tour d'angle.JPG, A rear view of Tower XIII of the Château de Gratot
Tour_XIIIe_-_Château_de_Gratot.jpg, Tower XIII of the Château de Gratot
Vue_du_ciel_-_Château_de_Gratot.jpg, From left to right: The 18th Pavilion, the Round Tower, the Maison Seigneuriale, the Fairy Tower
GratotChateau_1.jpg, Rear View of the North facade of the Château de Gratot he 18th Pavilion at the rightGratot_chateau.jpg, Rear View of the North facade of the Château de Gratot
Population
Notable people
*
Marie-Louise Bouglé
Marie-Louise Bouglé (January 5, 1883 – June 13, 1936) was a French feminist, librarian, and archivist who founded a feminist library. The major themes of Archives Marie-Louise Bouglé are suffragism and pacifism. The collection is held by Biblio ...
(1883-1936), feminist, librarian, and archivist
See also
*
Communes of the Manche department
The following is a list of the 446 communes of the Manche department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrativ ...