Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives (, literally ''Saint-Pierre on Dives'') is a former 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 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 northwestern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune

Saint-Pierre-en-Auge Saint-Pierre-en-Auge (, ) is a commune in the department of Calvados, northwestern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2017 by merger of the former communes of Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives (the seat), Boissey, Bretteville-sur-Div ...

.Arrêté préfectoral
19 December 2016 The abbey church was rebuilt during the 12th and 13th centuries and restored and modified in the 16th and 17th centuries, replacing the former abbey church built in 1011 by

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 aunt, Countess Lesceline. The church was entirely restored in the 16th century. By that time it got its general current appearance: a long main nave with two aisles and five radiating chapels, in the

Gothic style Gothic 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. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...

11th-century market hall

The market hall () is an example of Norman medieval architecture and dates from the 11th century. It was originally used by the Benedictine monks of the abbey to sell their goods to the locals. The structure was listed as a historical monument the 6 March 1889. The hall was completely destroyed by fire during the German withdrawal from the area in the summer of 1944. The halls were rebuilt using chestnut wood (same as the original).

Events

Market day in St Pierre sur Dives with the 11th century market hall

Weekly open-air market every Monday morning in the square which surrounds the 11th-century market hall. Cattle market every Monday in the market square. About a hundred calves are sold to the breeders every week as well as sheep, pigs and some goats. There is also an

antiques An antique () is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that i ...

market the first Sunday of each month at the market hall. Opposite the main hall is La Cour des Brocanteurs - a small courtyard selling second hand items, antiques, design, vintage, jewellery and outdoor furniture.

Sights

The Protective Botanical Garden collects old varieties of flowers and vegetables.

International relations

The commune is twinned with the following towns.

Population

References

External links

Official Website

Abbey St. Pierre Website
Former communes of Calvados (department) Calvados communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia {{Lisieux-geo-stub