Audrieu () is a commune in the

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...

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 ...

of north-western

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 ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aldériens'' or ''Aldériennes''.

Geography

Audrieu is located some 11 km south-east of Bayeux and 16 km west by north-west of

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Ducy-Sainte-Marguerite in the north which passes south through the centre of the commune and the village and continues to

Tilly-sur-Seulles Tilly-sur-Seulles (, literally ''Tilly on Seulles'') is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Population Events Each year, the international motocross takes place. See also *Communes of the ...

in the south. The D 187 branches off the D 82 in the north of the commune and goes west to

Chouain Chouain () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Calvados department The following is a list of the 528 communes of the Calvados department of France ...

. The D 178 branches off the D82 south of the village and goes west to

Juaye-Mondaye Juaye-Mondaye () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is most notable for its abbey. Population See also *Communes of the Calvados department The following is a list of the 528 commune ...

. The D158 branches off the D 82 in the north of the commune and goes north to Loucelles. The D 94 branches of the D 82 in the village and goes east to Brouay. The railway from Bayeux to Caen passes through the north of the commune with a station at Le Haut des Jardins. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Lieu Moussard, Hervieu, Le Haut des Jardins, Le Bas d'Audrieu, Le Calvaire, Ferme de la Motte, Hameau Pavie, and Le Pont Roch. The commune is farmland with residential areas mostly along the D 82.Google Maps
/ref> The ''Seulles'' river forms the western border of the commune as it flows north to join the ocean at

Courseulles-sur-Mer Courseulles-sur-Mer (, ), commonly known as ''Courseulles'', is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Until 1957, the town's name was simply ''Courseulles''. It lies 3 km west of Bernières-sur-Mer and 18&nb ...

History

Audrieu village dates back to

Classical Antiquity Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations ...

when it was called ''Alderium''. There are traces of

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...

dwellings and a

Motte-and-bailey castle A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively eas ...

. The first lord of the area was Percy, cook for

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 The monarchy of the United Kingdom, ...

, who gave it to the descendants of the

Duke of Northumberland Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke ...

. In 1593 Audrieu returned to Guillaume de Séran, who married Marguerite de Percy, and whose lordship became a barony in 1615. The British Army in Normandy 1944 B5439

After being sold in the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

the château returned to the Séran family at the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration *Restoration ecology ...

and is still in the hands of their descendants. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Gerhard Bremer, commandant of the 12th Reconnaissance Battalion of the German army established his headquarters in the château. On 8 June 1944, in clearings, forests, and orchards surrounding the castle, 24 members of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division were executed: 22 from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and two from the

Queen's Own Rifles of Canada The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a Primary Reserve regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, based in Toronto. The regiment is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only reserve regiment in Canada to currently have ...

. Two British soldiers were killed at the same time. The castle now houses a luxury hotel and restaurant.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 1,046 inhabitants.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has two buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments: *The Chateau of Audrieu (18th century). The Chateau is composed of a main building with two projecting pavilions and a centre topped by a triangular pediment. The ''Chateau of La Motte'' is older with the Saint-Louis chapel dating from the 13th century. *The Chateau grounds (18th century) Other sites of interest are: *The Tailleboscq Mill on the ''Seulles'' river which was converted to a

Dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

in 1926. *The Audrieu Railway Station or Le Haut des Jardins Station is far to the north of the village and is served by the Mantes-la-Jolie to Cherbourg line. *The remains of the

Religious heritage

The commune has one religious building that is registered as a historical monument: *The Church of Notre-Dame d'Audrieu (12th century). The Church was founded by Trinity Abbey, Vendôme, who owned a nearby

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...

-priest. The church depended additionally on the Baron of Audrieu (possibly by retrocession of the priory of Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Chesnaye to whom this right belonged in the 14th century). The Church contains three items that are registered as historical objects: *A Painting: The Rosary (17th century) *A Statue: Saint John the Baptist (14th century) *A Statue: Virgin and Child (16th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy

Notable people linked to the commune

*Jacques Berthault, called Bertaux (1733-1799), General in the Army of the Republic, born in Audrieu. *Philippe Livry-Level, Grand-croix of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

, Companion of the Order of Liberation, Mayor of Audrieu (1945-1960). *Monique Livry-Level, daughter of Philippe Livry-Level, resistance fighter, Commandeur of the

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic ...

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort d ...

, and the King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom.

References

External links

Audrieu on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Audrieu'' on the 1750 Cassini Map
{{authority control Communes of Calvados (department)