Honfleur Marshalling Yard
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Honfleur () is a commune in the
Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples and/or pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norman distillation was ma ...
department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...
of the
Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...
across from
Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...
and very close to the exit of the
Pont de Normandie The ''Pont de Normandie'' () is a cable-stayed road bridge that spans the river Seine linking Le Havre to Honfleur in Normandy, northern France. Its total length is – between the two piers. It is also the last bridge to cross the Seine before ...
. The people that inhabit Honfleur are called ''Honfleurais.'' It is especially known for its old port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted frequently by artists. There have been many notable artists, including
Gustave Courbet Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet ( ; ; ; 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting. Committed to painting only what he could see, he rejected academic convention and the ...
,
Eugène Boudin Eugène Louis Boudin (; 12 July 1824 – 8 August 1898) was one of the first French landscape painters to paint outdoors. Boudin was a marine painter, and expert in the rendering of all that goes upon the sea and along its shores. His pastels, ...
,
Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...
and
Johan Jongkind Johan Barthold Jongkind (; 3 June 1819 – 9 February 1891) was a Dutch painter and printmaker. He painted marine landscapes in a free manner and is regarded as a forerunner of impressionism. Biography Jongkind was born in the town of Lat ...
. They all met at La Ferme Saint Siméon, which is now a five-star hotel, and created the "Saint Siméon gathering", contributing to the appearance of the
Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
movement. The Sainte-Catherine church, which has a
bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...
separate from the principal building, is the largest wooden church in France.


History

The first written record of Honfleur is a reference by
Richard III, Duke of Normandy Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...
, in 1025. By the middle of the 12th century, the city represented a significant transit point for goods from
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
to England. Located on the estuary of one of the principal rivers of France with a safe harbour and relatively rich hinterland, Honfleur profited from its strategic position from the start of 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 ...
. The town's defences were strengthened by
Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...
in order to protect the estuary of the Seine from attacks by the English. This was supported by the nearby port of
Harfleur Harfleur () is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-Maritime Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region of northern France. It was the principal seaport in north-western Fr ...
. However, Honfleur was taken and occupied by the English in 1357 and from 1419 to 1450. When under French control, raiding parties often set out from the port to ransack the English coasts, including partially destroying the town of
Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...
, in
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, England, in the 1450s. At the end of the Hundred Years' War, Honfleur benefited from the boom in maritime trade until the end of the 18th century. Trade was disturbed during the wars of religion in the 16th century. The port saw the departure of a number of explorers, in particular in 1503 of Binot Paulmierde Gonneville to the coasts of
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. In 1506, local man Jean Denis departed for
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
island and the mouth of the
Saint Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence (; 31 December 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the Persecution of Christians, persecution of the Christians that the Roman Empire, Rom ...
. An expedition in 1608, organised by
Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; 13 August 1574#Fichier]For a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see #Ritch, RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December ...
, founded the city of
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
in modern-day Canada. After 1608, Honfleur thrived on trade with Canada, the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
, the African coasts and the
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. As a result, the town became one of the five principal ports for the
slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...
in France. During this time the rapid growth of the town saw the demolition of its fortifications on the orders of Colbert. The wars of the French Revolution and the
First Empire First Empire may refer to: *First British Empire, sometimes used to describe the British Empire between 1583 and 1783 *First Bulgarian Empire (680–1018) *First French Empire (1804–1814/1815) * First German Empire or "First Reich", sometimes use ...
, and in particular the continental blockade, caused the ruin of Honfleur. It only partially recovered during the 19th century with the trading of wood from northern Europe. Trade was however limited by the silting up of the entrance to the port and development of the modern port at
Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...
. The port however still functions today. After the
Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...
, Honfleur was liberated together by the British army – 19th Platoon of the 12th Devon's, 6th Air Landing Brigade, the Belgian army (
Brigade Piron The Independent Belgian Brigade (, ) was a Belgium, Belgian and Luxembourgish military unit in the Free Belgian forces during World War II, commonly known as the Piron Brigade (''Brigade Piron'') after its commanding officer Jean-Baptiste Piro ...
) on 25 August 1944 and the Canadian army without any combat.


Toponymy

Mentioned as ''Huneflet'' in 1025; ''Hunefloth'' in 1051-66; ''Hunefleth'' in 1082-87; ''Honneflo'' in 1198; Honnefleu in 1255; ''Honflue'' in 1246; ''Honeflo ' in 1256; ''Honnefleu'' in 1588, up to the 16th century.François de Beaurepaire (préface=Michel Tamine), ''Les Noms de lieux du Calvados'' (''annoté par Dominique Fournier''), Paris,
L'Harmattan Éditions L'Harmattan, usually known simply as L'Harmattan (), is one of the largest French book publishers. It specialises in non-fiction books with a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named after the Harmattan, a trade wind in W ...
, 2022, p. 148-149-214-215.
Traditional pronunciation: ɔ̃'fløor ɔ̃'flø ɔ̃fjøref name="Fournier">Dominique Fournier, ''Dictionnaire des noms de rues et noms de lieux de Honfleur'', éditions de la Lieutenance, Honfleur 2006, p. 124 – 125. with the ''h'' strongly aspirated, like in 'loch'. It is lost nowadays. The marker ''-fleur'', formerly ''-fleu'' which is widespread in Normandy (Cf.
Barfleur Barfleur () is a commune and fishing village in Manche, Normandy, northwestern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. History During the Middle Ages, Barfleur was on ...
, Vittefleur,
Harfleur Harfleur () is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-Maritime Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region of northern France. It was the principal seaport in north-western Fr ...
, Crémanfleur, Fiquefleur and ''La Gerfleur'' stream), which means 'stream, river running into the sea', was still in use in the 13th century as written in a document ''le fleu de Lestre'', meaning "the Lestre river". It could come from a word of Old Norse origin ''flodh'' (i.e.''flóð''), compare Old English ''flōd'' (> ''flood''), which means 'estuary', 'branch of the sea', combined with ''flói'' 'river running into the sea' for the meaning. But according to its numerous old mentions and those of
Barfleur Barfleur () is a commune and fishing village in Manche, Normandy, northwestern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. History During the Middle Ages, Barfleur was on ...
in ''-fleth'', it is more probably the OE ''flēot'' 'run of water', that can be found in the English place-names in ''-fleet'', such as
Adlingfleet Adlingfleet is a land reclamation, drained, fertile, former marshland village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Twin Rivers, East Riding of Yorkshire, Twin Rivers, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is east-southeast of G ...
,
Marfleet Marfleet is an area of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the east of the city, near King George Dock. Marfleet was until the late 20th century a small village outside the urban area of Hull – developments includi ...
,
Ousefleet Ousefleet is a small hamlet and former civil parish, now in the parish of Twin Rivers, in the East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of Engla ...
, combined very often with a male's name. The element ''Hon-'' seems to come from an Anglo-Saxon (or Anglo-Scandinavian) given name ''Huna'' or the Norse ''Húni'', variant form ''Húnn'', which is also found close to Honfleur in Honnaville, homonym of the Honneville at Saint-Georges-du-Mesnil. Such a connection between two close place-names can be noted regularly in the Norman toponymy. They are, in any case, close places: Crémanfleur / Crémanville;
Barfleur Barfleur () is a commune and fishing village in Manche, Normandy, northwestern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. History During the Middle Ages, Barfleur was on ...
(former ''Barbefleu'') / Barbeville, etc. The ''-ville'' element is almost always combined with a personal name. The similarity with the name of Bay of
Húnaflói (, ) is a bay of the Iceland Sea in Northwestern Region (Iceland), Northwestern Region and Westfjords, Iceland. It is situated between the village of Strandir on peninsula to the west and the of Skagi peninsula to the east. Spanning , it has a ...
in Iceland is likely a coincidence.


Geography

Honfleur is in the
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...
''
département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
'' of
Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples and/or pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norman distillation was ma ...
in the traditional district of
pays d'Auge The Pays d'Auge (, literally ''Land of Auge'') is an area in Normandy, straddling the '' départements'' of Calvados and Orne (plus a small part of the territory of Eure). The chief town is Lisieux. Geography Generally it consists of the basin ...
. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the
Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...
, across from
Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...
and very close to the exit of the
Pont de Normandie The ''Pont de Normandie'' () is a cable-stayed road bridge that spans the river Seine linking Le Havre to Honfleur in Normandy, northern France. Its total length is – between the two piers. It is also the last bridge to cross the Seine before ...
(nicknamed by the locals "Honfleur bridge"). The town is at the eastern extremity of the coastline called the
Côte Fleurie The Côte Fleurie () (or Flowery Coast) stretches for approximately between Merville-Franceville-Plage, at the mouth of the Orne river, opposite Ouistreham to the west and Honfleur on the Seine estuary in the east. It forms part of the eastern ...
(Flowery Coast). Like most of northern France, Honfleur has an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
with warm summers, cool winters, rain all year round and few extremes of temperature.


Population

The population has hovered between 7,400 and 10,000 since 1793. , Honfleur had 7,425 inhabitants, who are called ''Honfleurais''.


Administration

Honfleur is the seat of a canton including the communes of
Ablon Ablon () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Geography Ablon is 5 km south east of Honfleur and 16 km north-west of Pont-Audemer with its northern border on the Seine Estuary. It ca ...
, Barneville-la-Bertran,
Cricquebœuf Cricquebœuf () 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 526 Communes of France, communes of the Cal ...
,
Équemauville Équemauville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Personalities * Zakaria Diallo, footballer * Michel Serrault, actor Population See also *Communes of the Calvados department The ...
,
Fourneville Fourneville () 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 526 Communes of France, communes of the Calva ...
,
Genneville Genneville () 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 526 Communes of France, communes of the Calvad ...
, Gonneville-sur-Honfleur, Honfleur,
Pennedepie Pennedepie () is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region in northwestern France. Population See also * ...
, Quetteville, La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur,
Saint-Gatien-des-Bois Saint-Gatien-des-Bois () is a commune in the Calvados in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Climate Population See also *Communes of the Calvados department The following is a list of the 526 Communes of France, communes o ...
, and
Le Theil-en-Auge Le Theil-en-Auge (, literally ''Le Theil in Auge'') 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 526 Comm ...
. These 13 communes also form the intercommunality of Pays de Honfleur. In 1973 Honfleur merged with the commune of Vasouy (143 inhabitants in 1999). The INSEE code used to be 14725.


Sights


Saint-Catherine's Church

The church is dedicated to
Saint Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria, also spelled Katherine, was, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a princess a ...
as evidenced by a wooden sculpture above the porch of the bell tower which separates the two naves. She is shown holding a wheel and a sword. The first nave is the oldest part of the building, dating to the second half of the 15th century, constructed right after 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 ...
."Honfleur" in ''
Guide Bleu The Guide Bleu is a series of French-language travel guides published by Hachette Livre Hachette Livre S.A. (; simply known as Hachette) is a French publishing, publishing group that was based in Paris. It was founded in 1826 by Louis Hachett ...
Normandie'', Hachette guides de voyage, 1994, p. 404a - 405.
It was built on the model of a market hall, using naval construction techniques, which gives the impression of an upside-down ship's hull. Then the bell tower was built a good distance away, so that parishioners would not be burnt in case of a fire. Indeed, the bell tower did draw lightning strikes due to its height and its position on the side of a hill. In the late 15th century, a second nave was added, whose
vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosur ...
was like the wooden vaults of modest
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...
churches. This second part was more round, and did not look like a ship's hull. In the 16th century, four supplementary
bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...
s were added to both naves. The famous "Axe masters" of the naval yards of the city created this building without using any saws, just like their Norman ancestors (who can be seen in action in the
Bayeux Tapestry The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidery, embroidered cloth nearly long and tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest, Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William the Conqueror, William, Duke of Normandy challenging H ...
), and like the
Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9 ...
before them. The beams used to create the
pillar A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
s of the nave and the side walls are of unequal length, because there were no oak trees long enough to construct them uniformly. Some beams have a footing of stones varying in height, and some have no footing. The bays for the choir, redone in the 19th century, are of rather mediocre quality, and the roof above is higher than those of the older parts. The church is partially covered in
chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...
shingles, which are called ''essentes'' in the Norman dialect. The
neo-Norman Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...
porch was built following the model of rural Normandy churches in the 1920s, and replaced a monumental doorway in neo-classical style from the previous century (which can be seen in certain canvases by
Jongkind Johan Barthold Jongkind (; 3 June 1819 – 9 February 1891) was a Dutch painter and printmaker. He painted marine landscapes in a free manner and is regarded as a forerunner of impressionism. Biography Jongkind was born in the town of Latt ...
and
Boudin Boudin () is a type of sausage found in several French-speaking cultures. The added ingredients vary in French, Luxembourgish, Belgian, Swiss, Québecois, Acadian, Aostan, Louisiana Creole, and Cajun cuisine. Some variations such as boudin ...
). The doorway itself was in
Renaissance style Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...
. The classical organ comes from the parish church of St Vincent of
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
, and the Renaissance balcony is decorated with musicians. Stained glass from the 19th century decorates the windows of the east choir. The building lacks a
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
; statues of saints, including two local ones:
Saint Marcouf Marculf (in French ''Marcoult'', ''Marcouf'', ''Marcoul'' or ''Marcou'') (d. 558) was the abbot at Nantus in the Cotentin. He is regarded as a saint and is associated with the healing of scrofula. Life Marculf was born in the Saxon colony of B ...
et
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...
are the unique marks of lateral chapels. There is also a painting depicting the
Martyrdom of Saint Denis of the Nativity The ''Martyrdom of Saint Denis of the Nativity'' is the subject of a 1926 painting by Adrien-Gabriel Voisard-Margerie (1867–1954). It hangs in the :fr: Église Sainte-Catherine de Honfleur, church of St Catherine in Honfleur, Normandy. It is n ...
.


Others

* ''Église Saint-Étienne ''(St. Stephen's Church) is an old parish church in Gothic style, dating in part to the 14th and 15th centuries."Honfleur" in ''
Guide Bleu The Guide Bleu is a series of French-language travel guides published by Hachette Livre Hachette Livre S.A. (; simply known as Hachette) is a French publishing, publishing group that was based in Paris. It was founded in 1826 by Louis Hachett ...
Normandie'', Hachette guides de voyage, 1994, p. 401ab-402b-406ab.
It is the oldest church in the city. It is constructed of
chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...
with
flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...
and of
Caen stone Caen stone () is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in north-western France near the city of Caen. The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about 167 million years ...
, the city of Honfleur being located at the border of those two calcareous rock formations. The bell tower is covered with a façade ''essentage'' of chestnut wood. Today, it has become the Naval Museum. * ''Église Saint-Léonard ''(St. Leonard's Church), with a flamboyant Gothic style façade and one bay that escaped the fire set by the calvinists in 1562 ; the rest of the building was rebuilt in the 17th, which explains the unusual form of the bell tower in the region which forms a sort of a
dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
. The interior is entirely painted in murals, including the visible wooden vaulting. * Salt barns. Two barns remain out of three originals, one having been destroyed by fire. These two buildings contained of salt for preserving the catch of this important fishing port. They were constructed in the 17th century, after the citizens received permission from Colbert. The bulk of the salt came from
Brouage Hiers-Brouage () is a former commune in the Charente-Maritime department, southwestern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the n ...
. The walls were constructed with great blocks of chalky limestone and wooden vaulting, which, being constructed by naval carpenters, evoke the hulls of vessels of the 17th century. * ''The Eugène Boudin museum'' main museum in Honfleur. * The ''museum of Navy'' and the ''museum of Old Honfleur'', two museums dedicated to the history of the city * ''Chapelle de Grâce ''(Grace Chapel). This building was reconstructed after the cliff collapsed. On the exterior, one can see
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
carillon of 24 bells. * Le cotre ''Sainte-Bernadette'', the last crayfishing sloop which is still in shape to sail. It belongs to the ''La chaloupe d'Honfleur'' (Honfleur Sloop) association. It was enrolled as a historic monument of France (monuments historiques) as of 18 October 1983. * The commune was rated 4 flowers (of 4) in the
Concours des villes et villages fleuris The (, 'Competition of cities and villages in bloom') is an annual France, French Contesting, contest. It aims to encourage Communes of France, communes to adopt and implement policies improving the quality of life of their inhabitants and enh ...
. *''La Forge''. ''La Forge'' is the house of Florence Marie, who was an artist. It also contains a garden and much art. There are different types of art including paintings, sculptures, and mosaïques. Marie's artistic eye is shown through the decorations on display at his house.


Notable people

*
Alphonse Allais Alphonse Allais (20 October 1854 in Honfleur – 28 October 1905 in Paris) was a French writer, journalist and humorist. He was also the editor of the '' Chat Noir,'' a satirical magazine. Life From 1879, Alphonse Allais attended the ″Hydrop ...
(1854–1905), writer and humourist *
Louis Andlauer Louis Andlauer (7 September 1876 – 18 July 1915) was a French composer and organist. Biography Born in Honfleur, the son of Auguste Andlauer, (pupil of Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens, and organist at ,) Louis Andlauer won a First Prize (music diplom ...
(1876–1915), organist and composer *
Eugène Boudin Eugène Louis Boudin (; 12 July 1824 – 8 August 1898) was one of the first French landscape painters to paint outdoors. Boudin was a marine painter, and expert in the rendering of all that goes upon the sea and along its shores. His pastels, ...
(1824–1898), landscape painter. *
Marcel Caens Marcel Caens (1919 – November 2006) was a French classical trumpeter. Early life Born in Honfleur, Caens began studying the cornet at Villedieu-les-Poêles with Michel Havard. Career In 1937, he joined the army and met Bourvil and Louiguy (com ...
(1919–2006), classical trumpeter *
Denis of the Nativity Denis of the Nativity, OCD (also Dionysius of the Nativity, born as Pierre Berthelot; 12 December 1600 – 27 November 1638) was a French Discalced Carmelites, Discalced Carmelite friar who served in Goa. He had previously been a sailor and carto ...
(1600–1638), (''né'' Pierre Berthelot), Catholic martyr *
Michel Danino Michel Danino (born 4 June 1956) is a French-born Indian writer. He is a guest professor at IIT Gandhinagar and has been a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research. In 2017, Government of India conferred Padma Shri, the fourth-highes ...
(born 1956), author *
Jean Dries Jean Dries was the name used by the artist Jean Driesbach, who was born on October 19, 1905, in Bar-le-Duc in Meuse, France and died in Paris on February 26, 1973. He was a Lorrain painter by birth and was born the year Fauvism appeared at the S ...
(1905-1973), painter and curator of the Museum Eugène Boudin *
Hugues Gall Hugues Randolph Gall (; 18 March 1940 – 25 May 2024) was a French opera manager who was head of the Grand Théâtre de Genève and the Paris Opera. He was director of the Fondation Monet in Giverny from 2008, and held many influential position ...
(born 1940), opera manager *
Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin Counter-Admiral Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin (13 October 1768 – 23 April 1839) was a French Navy officer and explorer. He fought in numerous naval engagements during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and conducted several explor ...
(1768–1839), rear admiral *
Sophie Mallebranche Sophie Mallebranche (born 30 March 1976, in Honfleur, Calvados (department), Calvados) is a French people, French artist and textile designer known for her Weaving, woven metal materials that mix fibers and industrial materials. She is the creati ...
(born 1976), textile designer * Christopher Rocancourt (born 1967),
impostor An impostor (also spelled imposter) is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often through means of disguise, deceiving others by knowingly falsifying one or more aspects of their identity. This is in contrast to someone that honestly belie ...
and con artist *
Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (born 17 May 18661 July 1925), better known as Erik Satie, was a French composer and pianist. The son of a French father and a British mother, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatoire but was an undi ...
(1866–1925), composer and musician *
Albert Sorel Albert Sorel (13 August 184229 June 1906) was a French historian. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature nine times. Life He was born at Honfleur and remained throughout his life a lover of his native Normandy. His father, a rich ma ...
(1842–1906), a French historian. *
Pascal Lecocq Pascal Lecocq (born 4 June 1958) is a French Painting, painter and set designer. He is the ''Painter of Blue '' who paints on high backcloths of sky or deep sea, as a stage director, figures, horses, divers, allegories, architectures, Venice, and ...
(born 1958), fine art surrealist painter, workshop and gallery from 1988 to 2000. *
Félix Vallotton Félix Édouard Vallotton (; December 28, 1865December 29, 1925) was a Swiss and French painter and printmaker associated with the group of artists known as '. He was an important figure in the development of the modern woodcut. He painted portra ...
(1865–1925), painter with studio in Honfleur


Twin towns – sister cities

Honfleur is twinned with: * Burlington, United States * Plyos, Russia *
Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...
, England, United Kingdom *
Visé Visé (; , ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, located on the river Meuse in the province of Liège, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Argenteau, Cheratte, Lanaye, Lixhe, Richelle, and Visé. In the ...
, Belgium *
Wörth am Main Wörth am Main (, ; officially ') is a town in the Miltenberg (district), Miltenberg district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany. It has a population of around 4,700. Geography Location Wört ...
, Germany


See also

*
Port of Honfleur The Port of Honfleur, ''Port de Honfleur'', is the Harbor, harbour of the Normandy, Norman town of Honfleur, France. Expeditions to Quebec from this harbour led to its foundation. History The port was founded by Vikings. A port of exploration J ...
*
Communes of the Calvados department The following is a list of the 526 Communes of France, communes of the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department of France. The communes cooperate in the following Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunalities ...


References


External links


Official City Website

Tourist Office / Convention Bureau

Honfleur Phonebook

Photos of Honfleur

Photos from Honfleur


Personal blog. * The shocking life story o
Christophe Rocancourt, son of Honfleur, conman to the world – with pics
{{Authority control Communes of Calvados (department) Populated coastal places in France