Colleville-Montgomery (; formerly ''Colleville-sur-Orne'') is a commune in the Calvados 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 northern

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 ...

. It was known as Colleville-sur-Orne until 13 June 1946 to distinguish it from another town in the department, also in a coastal location, Colleville-sur-Mer. The new name honoured

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...

The 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, the senior-ranking British military commander who commanded the invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. There are two neighbouring towns in Calvados called

Sainte-Foy-de-Montgommery Sainte-Foy-de-Montgommery () is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Val-de-Vie. Population See also *Communes of the Calv ...

and

Saint-Germain-de-Montgommery Saint-Germain-de-Montgommery () is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It als ...

, but they are named for Montgomery's family ancestors. They were part of

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, ...

's invading army in 1066 and settled in England. The town was featured in the 1962 film, '' The Longest Day'', detailing the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

and their efforts on D-Day.

Sights

* The Church Built by Saint-Vigor, Bishop of the city of Bayeux (511-531), during the 11th and 12th centuries, it has two choirs and a Romanesque nave. The first bay consists in barrel vaults. The other vaults are more recent, built at the same time as the

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vau ...

es which lead to the second choir, from the thirteenth century. The side tower from the twelfth century for the lower part is of Romanesque design, and from the fifteenth century for the upper part with a terrace on top surrounded by a parapet, and contains three bells. The bell tower, partially destroyed during the liberation of the area, was reconstructed. The windows were designed in the style of

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. I ...

and their stained glass were restored after

World War II 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 ...

. * Hillman Fortress Built by the German army in 1942, it consists of a complex of bunkers which are being restored since 1990 by an association called "Les Amis du Suffolk Régiment". Free guided visits are organised during the summer. * La Redoute Located at the end of Vauban street, this fortification was built in 1779 according to a design by Vauban. Half of it still remains visible.

Tourism

There is a camping place located about 200 m from the beach.

Population

International relations

Colleville-Montgomery is twinned with: * Kleinrinderfeld,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

References

External links

Official WebsiteWebsite of "Les Amis du Suffolk Régiment"
Image:Colleville Mgry Hillman.jpg, Hillman Batterie Memorial Image:Colleville Mgry Redoute.jpg, Aspect of the fortification La Redoute Communes of Calvados (department) Seaside resorts in France Calvados communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia {{Calvados-geo-stub