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

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 ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

in northern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

History

The town 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. There are two neighbouring towns in Calvados called Sainte-Foy-de-Montgommery and Saint-Germain-de-Montgommery, but they are named for Montgomery's family ancestors. They were part of

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 ...

'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 ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

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 curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...

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 is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

and their

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

were restored after

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 ...

. * 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, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

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 {{Caen-geo-stub