Avranches (; ) is a commune in the

Manche Manche (, ; Norman language, Norman: ) is a coastal Departments of France, French ''département'' in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy on the English Channel, which is known as , literally "the sleeve", in French. Manche is bordered by ...

department, and the region of

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

, northwestern France. It is a

subprefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Counties of Albania, Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several Districts of Albania, district ...

of the department. The inhabitants are called ''Avranchinais''.

History

Middle Ages

By the end of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

period, the settlement of ''Ingena'', capital of the

Abrincatui The Abrincatui were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the south of the Cotentin Peninsula during the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Abrincatuos'' by Pliny (1st c. AD), ''’Abrinkátouoi'' (’Aβρινκάτουοι) by Ptolemy (2nd c. ...

tribe, had taken the name of the tribe itself. This was the origin of the name ''Avranches''. In 511 the town became the seat of a diocese (suppressed in 1790) and subsequently of a major Romanesque cathedral dedicated to Saint Andrew,

Avranches Cathedral Avranches Cathedral (''Cathédrale Saint-André d'Avranches'') was once a Roman Catholic cathedral in Avranches in Normandy. The seat of the Bishop of Avranches, it was a Gothic construction, notable as the place of the penance of Henry II of ...

, which was dismantled during the French revolutionary period. As the region of Brittany emerged from the Roman region of Armorica, Avranchin was briefly held by

Alan I, King of Brittany Alan I (; died 907), called the Great,F. McNair (2015), "Vikings and Bretons? The Language of Factional Politics in Late Carolingian Brittany", ''Viking and Medieval Scandinavia'' 11: 183–202. was the Count of Vannes and Duke of Brittany (''dux ...

as part of the Kingdom of Brittany at the turn of the 10th century. The regions that later became the Duchies of

and Brittany each experienced devastating

Viking raids The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...

, with Brittany occupied by Vikings from 907 to 937. In 933 Avranches and its territory, the

Avranchin Avranchin is an area in Normandy, France corresponding to the territory of the Abrincatui, a tribe of Celts from whom the city of Avranches, the main town of the Avranchin, takes its name. In 867, by the Treaty of Compiègne, Charles the Bald g ...

, were ceded to the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester Hugh d'Avranches ( 1047 – 27 July 1101), nicknamed ''le Gros'' (the Large) or ''Lupus'' (the Wolf), was from 1071 the second Norman Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. Early life and career Hugh d'A ...

, a magnate under

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

, was the son of Richard le Goz, Vicomte d'Avranches. In 1172 (September 27–28) a council was held at Avranches in response to the murder of Anglo-Norman

Saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

, King of England, after due

penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of contrition for sins committed, as well as an alternative name for the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. The word ''penance'' derive ...

done at Avranches on 21 May 1172, was absolved from the censures incurred by the assassination of the holy prelate and reached the

Compromise of Avranches The Compromise of Avranches in 1172 marked the reconciliation of Henry II of England with the Catholic Church after the Becket controversy from 1163, which culminated with the murder in 1170 of Thomas Becket. Henry was purged of any guilt in Beck ...

with the

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, swearing fidelity to

Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland (), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a Papal election, ...

in the person of the

papal legate 300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the Pope's legate. A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title '' legatus'') is a personal representative of the Pope to foreign nations, to some other part of the Catho ...

. The same council was forbidden to confer on children

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

, carrying with it the

cure of souls ''The Book of Pastoral Rule'' (Latin: ''Liber Regulae Pastoralis'', ''Regula Pastoralis'' or ''Cura Pastoralis'' — sometimes translated into English ''Pastoral Care'') is a treatise on the responsibilities of the clergy written by Pope Gregory ...

, or on the children of priests for the churches of their fathers. Each parish was required to have an assistant (vicarius), and the Advent fast was commended to all who could observe it, especially to ecclesiastics. The town was damaged in both the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

and the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war (), is a war and conflict which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion and beliefs. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent ...

Álvaro Vaz de Almada Álvaro or Álvar (, , ) is a Spanish, Galician and Portuguese male given name and surname of Germanic Visigothic origin. The patronymic surname derived from this name is Álvarez. Given name Artists *Álvaro Carrillo, Afro-Mexican songwriter. ...

was made 1st

Count of Avranches The Viscounty and County of Avranches was a medieval viscounty and county in the Duchy of Normandy in France centered on the town of Avranches and located in the area of the Avranchin, disputed between Kingdom of France, France and Kingdom of Engla ...

by King

Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and 1470 to 1471, and English claims to the French throne, disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V of England, Henry V, he succeeded ...

on August 8, 1444.

Modern era

The town lost some influence after the French Revolution during which the diocese was abolished, the bailif was removed and primary and secondary schools were closed. The town was also occupied and raided by troops both pro-republican and anti-revolutionary (Chouans). However, in 1802 the Avranches diocese was restored as part of the

Diocese of Coutances In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

. Many English families settled here after the

Treaty of Paris (1814) The Treaty of Paris, signed on 30 May 1814, ended the war between France and the Sixth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars, following an armistice signed on 23 April between Charles, Count of Artois, and the allies. The treaty set the bord ...

. A literary description of the town in the 19th century is recorded in

Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, celebrated as a master of the short story, as well as a representative of the naturalist school, depicting human lives, destinies and s ...

's novel ''Notre Cœur'', when the main character Mariolle meets his lover and sets out for

Mont Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off France's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and is i ...

:
''The houses crowning the heights gave to the place from a distance the appearance of a fortification. Seen close at hand, it was an ancient and pretty Norman city, with small dwellings of regular and almost similar appearance built closely adjoining one another, giving an aspect of ancient pride and modern comfort, a feudal yet peasant-like air.'' Normandie Manche Avranches1 tango7174

The liberation of Avranches during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

was led by General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (11 November 1885 – 21 December 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, then the Third Army in France and Germany after the Alli ...

and began on 31 July 1944. On 1 January 2019, the former commune Saint-Martin-des-Champs was merged into Avranches.

Geography

Avranches is situated at the southern end of the

Cotentin Peninsula The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gu ...

on the E40 road connecting

Saint-Lô Saint-Lô (, ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy.Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

and on the rail line between Lison (linking to Caen) and Dol (linking to Rennes). The town was founded on high ground overlooking the dunes and coastal marshes along the bay forming the corner between the peninsulas of the Cotentin and Brittany. From Avranches, it is possible to see the

, which was founded by Saint Aubert,

Bishop of Avranches The Diocese of Coutances (–Avranches) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Constantiensis (–Abrincensis)''; French: ''Diocèse de Coutances (–Avranches)'') is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in France. Its mother church is the Cathedral of Coutanc ...

in the 8th century.

Population

Sights

A museum
Le Scriptorial
houses the collection of manuscripts of Mont Saint-Michel, deposited in the municipal archives during the French Revolution. It is one of the largest collections of medieval illuminated manuscripts in France, outside national and university libraries. Formerly dominated by the cathedral, where Henry II did penance, an open grassed area ''La Plate-Forme'' overlooking the bay towards Mont Saint-Michel displays only a few remnants of the destroyed building. The major church Notre Dame des Champs (Avranches) was constructed in Gothic Revival style in the 19th century to restore the religious life of the town after the destruction of the cathedral. The basilica church of Saint Gervais houses a treasury, best known for the purported skull of Saint Aubert complete with hole where the archangel Michael's finger pierced it (probably a prehistoric trepanned skull). The botanical gardens were founded in the grounds of the former Franciscan convent in the late 18th century. The expansion and introduction of exotic species in the 19th century and the location of the gardens overlooking the bay made the gardens an important sight in the town. The

Manoir de Brion The Manoir de Brion (), also known as the Château de Brion, is a former Benedictine priory of the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, France. It is located near the village of Genêts, in Normandy, and was founded in 1137 by the abbot Bernard du Bec.< ...

, an ancient Benedictine priory of Mont Saint-Michel, is located in Dragey. Avranches is twinned with St. Helier in Jersey. On 2 March 2010 a Jersey-registered boat "Archangel" succeeded in reaching Avranches at

Marcey-les-Grèves Marcey-les-Grèves () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. See also *Communes of the Manche department The following is a list of the 445 communes of the Manche department of France. The communes coo ...

. It is believed this was the first instance of a foreign vessel reaching Avranches in modern times.
Image:Avranches Église Notre-Dame-des-Champs.jpg, Notre Dame des Champs File:Normandie Manche Avranches3 tango7174.jpg, Notre-Dame-des-Champs,
Stations of the Cross File:Normandie Manche Avranches4 tango7174.jpg, Saint-Gervais Basilica File:Normandie Manche Avranches5 tango7174.jpg, Saint-Gervais Basilica,
Skull of Saint Aubert

Sport

US Avranches L’Union Sportive Avranches Mont Saint Michel, shortly known as US Avranches is a French Association football, football club based in Avranches, in the Departments of France, department of Manche, and founded in 1897. Since 2014, it plays in th ...

is a football club based in the commune, who play their home games at Stade René Fenouillère.

Twin towns

* Saint-Gaudens, France, since the autumn of 1944, when the town of Saint-Gaudens,

Haute-Garonne Haute-Garonne (; , ; ''Upper Garonne'') is a department in the southwestern French region of Occitanie. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country's fourth-largest. ...

fraternally assisted Avranches by giving clothing and food to it *

Korbach Korbach (), officially the Hanseatic City of Korbach (German language, German: Hansestadt Korbach), is the district seat of Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany. It is over a thousand years old and is located on the German Timber-Frame Ro ...

, Germany, since 1963 *

Saint Helier St Helier (; Jèrriais: ; ) is the Capital city, capital of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. It is the most populous of the twelve parishes of Jersey, with a population of 35,822, over one-third of the island' ...

, Jersey, since 1982 *

Crediton Crediton is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. It stands on the A377 road, A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, Devon, Tiverton, north w ...

, United Kingdom, since 1993

Births

Avranches was the birthplace of: * General Jean-Marie Valhubert (1764–1805) *

Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour (; 19 May 1827 – 26 October 1896) was a French statesman. Biography Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour was born in Avranches in the Manche ''département'' of northwestern France. After passing through the École Normal ...

(1827–1896), statesman *

Jean-Luc Ponty Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz and jazz fusion violinist and composer. He is considered a pioneer of jazz-rock, particularly for his use of the electric violin starting in the 1970s. He rose to prominence for his colla ...

(born 1942),

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

Samuel Le Bihan Samuel Le Bihan (born 2 November 1965) is a French actor, known for his role in '' Brotherhood of the Wolf'' and TV series ''Alex Hugo''. He was awarded a knighthood in the Legion of Honour in 2024 for his work on behalf of children with autism ...

(born 1965), a movie actor. *

Hamon de Massey The first Hamon de Massey was the owner of the manors of Agden, Baguley, Bowdon, Dunham, Hale and Little Bollington after the Norman conquest of England (1066), taking over from the Saxon thegn Aelfward according to Domesday Book. He was pos ...

, Norman lord in the barony of Chester.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Communes of Manche Subprefectures in France Gallia Lugdunensis