Avranchin is an area in Normandy, France corresponding to the territory of the
Abrincatui, a tribe of
Celts
The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
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
Charles the Bald (; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as CharlesII, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), King of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a series of civil wars during t ...
gave the Avranchin to
Salomon, King of Brittany. In 933, it was reunited with the
Duchy of Normandy
The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple, King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans.
From 1066 until 1204, as a r ...
by
William I of Normandy.
Geography
Avranchin is located in the
Armorican Massif
The Armorican Massif (, ) is a geologic massif that covers a large area in the northwest of France, including Brittany, the western part of Normandy and the Pays de la Loire. It is important because it is connected to Dover on the British side o ...
south of
Cotentin in the department of
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 ...
in western or lower
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 ...
. The
Thar river forms the northern border. The eastern border is formed by the
Égrenne, a tributary of the
Mayenne
Mayenne ( ) is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Il ...
. To the north west lies the bay of
Mont-Saint-Michel. The south west was once marked by the
Couesnon river, however due to canal building in the 18th century the river now flows 4 km to the west of the region. The largest town in the area is Avranches. The village of
Mortain is traditionally included as part of Avranchin.
History
Avranchin was once the territory of the Abrincuti. During Roman rule it became part of the second division of
Gallia Lugdunensis, which roughly corresponds to modern-day Normandy. After the fall of the Roman empire the area became part of the Frankish kingdom of
Neustria until it was ceded to
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 ...
as part of the treaty of Compiègne in 867. In 933 William Longsword was given control of a large part of Brittany (Avranchin included) in return for recognizing
Rudolph of France as king of
West Francia. The Bretons did not recognize this agreement and had to be forcibly suppressed. Avranchin was not fully integrated into Normandy until 1009 under
Richard II. In 1204
Phillip II took Normandy (and alongside it Avranchin) for France.
See also
*
Viscounts and counts of Avranches
References
* Richard Seguin, Olivier Basselin, ''Essai sur l'histoire de l'industrie du bocage'', Vire, Adam, 1910
* Daniel Levalet, ''De la cité des Abrincates au diocese d'Avranches. Contribution à l'étude du peuplement de la Normandie. 1)L'environnement archéologique'' annales de Normandie, vol. 29. no 1, 1979
* François de Beaurepaire, ''Les Noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de la Manche'', Paris, A. and J. Picard, 1986, pg. 253. (, OCLC 15314425)
* Duncan, Jonathan (1839). ''The Dukes of Normandy from the time of King Rollo to the expulsion of King John''. Joseph Rickerby and Harvey & Darton.
Geography of Manche
Former provinces of France
History of Normandy
{{Manche-geo-stub