My passion for history was sparked by my father's passion of history and culture as we traveled worldwide. If you have always wanted to experience history, be truly inspired by historical personage of the Franc Norman (future France) culture, be deeply moved by the sacrifice of ordinary men who believed in the right for freedom, be overwhelmed by the local architecture and beauty of the nature, then hesitate no further, contact me directly thru my company Normandy American Heroes to make your trip a one in a lifetime memorable experience that you will cherish with your loved ones forever!
With such a wealth of historical sites to discover that I have personally visited with my parents as a child, with my wife & son, with my friends, going as far back as the Roman epoch to the WWII Normandy campaign, from the medieval period to the UNESCO heritage sites, you will realize what your heritage is all about!
Skeptical… of course you must be reading this as I was when I was a kid! How can I assert that your heritage is anchored in the Normandy culture? Here is one of the reasons why!
Until the XIII century we spoke Franc Norman (the origin of the French language as we know it today) in England, Scotland and Wales! So, even if your ancestors did not come from France, you contribute to the preservation of the French language, as 2/3rd of the English language as we know it today is of Norman origin!
So the answer to your question is yes, you could speak French with not too much difficulty…
Once you have discovered the heritage sites I personally recommend you to visit while in Normandy, you will surely ask yourself; shouldn’t I do this on my own? You could. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to rent a car and drive to all of these places in a foreign country, book accommodation, find restaurants with English menus, and read up on all of the sites. Once you’ve finished, you’ll realize that it would have been cheaper, much easier with less stress to book your tour with Normandy American Heroes.
HERITAGE FROM THE JURASSIC PERIOD TO THE ROMAN EPOCH
Vieux-la-Romaine
It's an archaeological site in the Gallo-Roman town of Aregenua located in the commune of Vieux (Calvados department), about fifteen kilometers south of Caen. Excavated since the time of Louis XIV, the ancient city prospered under the Roman Empire. Founded during the 1st century AD Aregenua was the capital of the Viducasses. Its golden age is during the 2nd & 3rd centuries. We know today, thanks to an inscription on the famous marble of Thorigny (museum of Saint Lo) that the city had a privileged status and that its magistrates were Roman citizens.
Celtic – Gallo-Roman camp of Bierre
The Camp of Bierre is a prehistoric archaeological site, Celtic and Gallo-Roman, located in the town of Merri, (Orne department) in a beautiful preserved environment. It is a camp of prehistoric origin, with three enclosures (tri castrum). It consists of a complex of buildings protected by ditches and a triple enclosure of earth and dry stone. It was occupied from the Neolithic (10200 B.C.) to the Gallo-Roman period (VII century). Located on a rocky and wooded spur overlooking the Trun plain, it covers an area of 8 ha, bounded to the north by the valley of the Dives, and to the west and east by two valleys. Known and mentioned since the XVIII century, the site was classified Historic Monument in 1908. In its best preserved part, the main enclosure is still 32 meters thick at the base, for a height of 7 meters! It is recognized as one of the most important prehistoric sites in western France
Not far from the Camp of Bierre is the picturesque well preserved Gorges of Meillon. Ideal for a walk in the nature, thru the Armorican sandstone formed from sand lying deep under the sea, slowly compacted nearly 500 million years ago! You will discover, as you reach the bottom of the ravine, strange tracks on the Vaudobin rock: these are fossilized beach ripples. The river Meillon that passes thru is a nurturing area for young brown Trout, fishing being forbidden all year round. Finally you will discover the famous "pas de boeufs" (500 million years old), at the origin of one of the oldest local legends, the “Calotte Rouge”, who presumably took shelter in the grotto…
Cliff of the Black Cows between Houlgate & Villers-sur-Mer
The cliffs of the Black Cows are located between Houlgate and Villers-sur-Mer (Calvados department) and date back to the Jurassic period. The name "Black Cows" comes from the words of sailors. The presence of large blocks of chalk on the beach covered with algae, seen from the sea, makes you think of a herd of cows grazing at the foot of the cliff.
Its geological and paleontological richness makes it a site of major interest to visit. The cliff is also remarkable for its original morphology of "bad-lands", a succession of ravines and spurs. The marls of the Oxfordian, under the action of the runoff of the waters of the aquifer which surmounts them, are cut in deep ravines. These are traversed by mud-flows which slowly advance towards the sea and contain blocks of Cretaceous chalk coming from the summit. At high tide, the waves attack the front of the flows, releasing extremely varied fossils…
The collection of fossils is only allowed on the beach at the foot of the cliffs. With my son Swann we had a lot of fun looking up fossils, perfect timing as he was studying at school the history of the dinosaurs!
Museum Paleospace the Odyssey – Villers-sur-Mer
Imagine the world 160 million years ago, at the time of the dinosaurs ... The Jurassic Sea covered Normandy, then forming the cliffs of the Black Cows between Villers sur Mer and Houlgate. Numerous fossils have been discovered: pliosaurs 10 m long, sea urchins, marine crocodiles, ammonites and even remains of dinosaurs ... You can discover them in the Paleospace and for some touch them.
Last but not least, a room is devoted to the meridian of Greenwich which reaches first the mainland in Villers-sur-Mer.
A nice museum to visit with young children even though I do have a preference for the incredible museum “Histoire Naturelle” of Paris!
Gallo-Roman site of Gisacum near Evreux
2000 years ago, Gisacum was an exceptional Gallo-Roman city because of its size and the richness of its monuments.
The archaeological site of Gisacum is considered today to be a major Gallo-roman place in Northern France. In the 2nd century AD, the city-sanctuary of Gisacum extended near Saint-Aubin, which was gradually abandoned until disappearing totally during the 5th century.
In 1801 archaeological excavations uncovered this important Gallo-Roman site; at the time the town covered an area of 250 ha. The interpretation centre has a permanent exhibition tracing the history of Gisacum, and the archaeological garden offers an original development of the thermal baths, which helps you to visualize the disappeared monuments, in a pleasant landscape setting.
This former antic city of 250 ha was the capital of the Aulerques Eburovices tribe: there was a sanctuary, a thermal baths, a theater and a forum.
La Roche d’Oëtre of the Suisse Normande
The Orne River has carved dramatic meanders and gorges into the rocks of the area known as La Suisse Normande (Norman Switzerland).
In the heart of a magnificent site, dominating the gorges of the river Rouvre, the Oëtre rock offers the most beautiful mountainous spectacle of what is known as the “Suisse Normande”, the oldest mountain range of France. To appreciate this majestic place, where the shapes of the rocks will surely spark your imagination, follow the two to three hour hiking circuit.
A few years ago they created in the forest overlooking the valley a great tree climbing path for all levels and accessible as of 3 years old! This is where my son Swann discovered the joy of climbing in the trees…
Ideal stop for nature lovers, bring a picnic with you and bathe in serenity...
HERITAGE FROM THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD (V to the XV century)
One could still hear the troubadours ...notably in my beautiful village, Bayeux! From William the Conqueror to Richard Coeur de Lion, Normandy built the most prestigious buildings of the medieval period (V to XV century) in what is known today as France. Get to know the myths and legends of the middle Ages in Normandy… which began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.
As you realize, the list is long of the sites to visit in Normandy, therefore I have decided to share with you my favorite ones off the beaten tracks.
Castle of Anet
Anet is for the traveler a surprise before being a wonder. For this castle has the discretion, the modesty of its beauty. It does not announce itself, it does not offer itself. It must be discovered.
The castle was built by Philibert de l'Orme from 1547 to 1552 for Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henry II of France, favorite of François I.
It was a gift from the king built on the former castle at the center of the domains of Diane's deceased husband, Louis de Brézé, Lord of Anet, 40 years older than her. Before he will pass away, Diane will give him one son and one daughter.
Considered a jewel of the French Renaissance and a high place of art, the greatest artists of the time participated in its construction.
The castle was used as a filming location for three movies I recommend:
- Thunderball in 1965: James Bond head to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by SPECTRE agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme…
- The Pink Panther Strikes Again in 1976: Charles Dreyfus, who has finally cracked over inspector Clouseau’s antics, escapes from a mental institution, launches an elaborate plan to get rid of Clouseau once and for all…
- Mary Queen of Scots in 2013: A queen who lost three kingdoms, a wife who lost three husbands, a woman who lost her head!
After visiting the castle, why not take a beautiful walk in the forest nearby… and try to find the ruins of "la Robertière", a former castle in the forest (Abondant commune) and see at the edge of the forest, the remains of the castle of Sorel. The son of the famous painter Claude Monet, Michel lived in Sorel-Moussel.
Castle Gaillard
Standing for more than 800 years on a spur, the Château-Gaillard looks over Les Andelys and one of the most beautiful meanders of the river Seine in Normandy.
Built in a very short time in order to protect the river Seine and the city of Rouen from the ambitions of the King of France, Philip Augustus, the Château-Gaillard is regarded as a perfect model of the military architecture of its time.
The King of France’s troops besiege the fortress in September 1203. The siege is as difficult for the English defenders as for the inhabitants of Petit Andely: the latter who take refuge in the stronghold are evicted by the English army and pushed back by the French besiegers. They all die of starvation and of cold between the two warring camps. “The Useless” is the name given to this episode of the siege.
On March 6th 1204 Château-Gaillard falls into the French hands.
The rest of Normandy, except The Channel Islands, is bound to the French Kingdom in the same year.
Louis IX and Philip the Bold uses the Château-Gaillard as a place to stay, David II, the Scottish Child-King uses the fortress as a place of exile and it becomes a prison for Margaret of Burgundy, Charles II of Navarre (Charles the Bad) and Charles de Melun, a Grand-Master of France under Louis XI.
During the Hundred Years War Château-Gaillard becomes alternatively English and French.
Along the following centuries, Château-Gaillard progressively loses its military use and becomes a refuge for robbers, counterfeiters and plotters.
Henry IV is requested by the States General to demolish the fortress in 1598. From 1603, the building stone is reused firstly by the Capuchin monks and then by the Penitents (1610). Its demolition will stop in 1611.
Abbey of Jumièges
It is said that it’s one of the most beautiful ruins of France…and I tend to agree! Anyone who visits the abbey will be captivated by the vestiges built at the time of William the Conqueror. It was founded in 654 on a gift of forested land by Clovis II, Philibert de Tournus becoming the first abbot. After his forced exile he founded other monasteries in Pavilly, Noirmoutier and Montivilliers. The abbey of Noirmoutier is a monastery founded from 674 on the island of Noirmoutier by Philibert de Tournus, who died there on 20 August 684
His work inspired the Irish monk & saint Sidonius, his disciple, who founded the Saint-Saëns monastery. He died and is buried in the monastery, around 689.
Under the spiritual guidance of the second abbot, Saint Achard, Jumièges abbey prospered and soon numbered closed to a thousand monks!
In the IX century it was pillaged and burnt to the ground by the Vikings, but was rebuilt on a grander scale by William Longespee, Duke of Normandy (d. 942). A new church will then be consecrated in 1067 in the presence of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, King of England.
Jumièges abbey is considered as one of the glorious spiritual symbols in Normandy. Its towers dominate a beautiful meander of the River seine. The park serves as a small wooded area to its grandiose ruins, acclaimed by romantics as one of the most beautiful in France…
Chateau Fort de Pirou
I love this place! This masterpiece of medieval military architecture is one of the best preserved and oldest castles in Normandy, thanks mainly to the Abbot Michel Lelégard (1925-1994) who started its restoration the year of my birth, in 1966!
The fortified castle of Pirou was built during the 12th century on an artificial island surrounded by three moats, its five fortified gateways opening on the “Salle des Plaids” (court of justice) where the Pirou tapestry is displayed, the cider press house, the bakery, the guardroom, the refectory and kitchens, the tower of the ramparts where you can see the well preserved fine stone tiles on the roof.
You will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the medieval period by exploring nine centuries of history and if you are lucky cross the path of the famous Geese of Pirou, an extraordinary local legend.
Besieged by the Normans, the lord of Pirou and his family transformed themselves into geese, using an old wizard’s book, to enable them to escape the assault and fly to the close by marshes. But a few days later, when they tried to reverse the spell to recover their human shapes, they realized that the wizard’s book had burnt with the castle, set on fire by the Normans.
Every year after, the geese flew back to the castle hoping to find the old wizard’s book amid the ruins. As the year went by the Vikings, realizing it was a perfect place of defense, decided to rebuild the castle out of stones.
Excited of this outcome the geese hunted down their Grimoire, not entirely sure any more what it looked like, but confident they would know it when the saw it. When they did not find the Grimoire they made nests, nurtured their young and stayed a while, strolling around the castle grounds as if they still owned it.
This is why wild geese stop in the Cotentin each year in March…during their migration!
Castle of Carrouges
As soon as you cross the main gate you will fall under the imposing charm of the Carrouges castle, an immense rectangular vessel resting on wide moats.
From the red of its name to the pink of its long brick wall, between the clear granite and the blue of its high roofs of slate that are reflected in the water, you surely will be bewitched as I was the first time I visited it!
The original fortifications at Carrouges were besieged and destroyed by English forces during the Hundred Years War. After the war, the castle was rebuilt by Jean Blosset, grand seneschal of Normandy, during the XV century.
In the XVI century, the family of Le Veneur de Tillières bought out the castle to the lord of Carrouges who lived there between the XII and XV century.
The bloody legend tells that a countess of Carrouges, pregnant, surprised her husband in the arms of a rival.
Furious, the betrayed wife stabbed the latter. Alas! The rival was a fairy. Immediately the fairy prepared her cruel vengeance: the day after the murder, the count was discovered murdered.
At this news, a red spot appeared on the forehead of the lady, who, a few months later, gave birth to a son, also marked on the forehead at the same spot. His name was Carle soon to be known as Carle le Rouge: Carrouges!
During the XVII century the castle was extended several times with notable additions including a gatehouse, the western bastion, and the grand apartments.
The interior was remodeled in the XVIII century, when the music room was built. The last heir Le Veneur de Tillières sold the castle to the French government in 1936.
The castle still has its original furniture dating from the Renaissance to the Restoration with many family portraits.
You will have the opportunity to relax in the 25 acre park, with its original XVII century wrought iron gates, providing a verdant setting.
Time permitting, visit the Botanical Conservatory of the apple trees of Brittany and Normandy at the entrance of the property, as it gathers more than 150 varieties of apples!
Castle of Crèvecoeur
One phrase can describe this authentic site: The past in the present…
In medieval times, the authorization to build a feudal castle was granted to the barons by the suzerain Duke, who, careful as well as powerful, reserved the right to put a garrison there and prohibited private wars. The dukes encouraged the construction of fortified castles on the borders of the duchies.
After the 100 years war (1337-1453), the fortified castles progressively were neglected. The peace which seemed to be finally established and the sudden advance of artillery warfare will overcome these terrible fortresses. Some will be destroyed, like Cherbourg; most were transformed into luxurious dwellings.
The castle of Crèvecoeur is an unparalleled example of a small seigneury that has been miraculously preserved thru time.
It’s surrounded by a moat, retaining its original two part layout, the outer and inner bailey. As such the manor house is protected by a series of fortifications, while the chapel and half-timbered farm buildings are grouped together in the outer bailey.
The inner bailey is protected by the moat, the motte and its curtain wall dating back to the 12th century, slashed with arrow slits. The only way across to the inner bailey, and thus the lord’s dwelling-place, was by crossing the unique footbridge.
I haven’t had the opportunity to follow the theatrical tour yet, but what I was told is that you will find yourself back in 1466!
Jeanne de Thibouville (your guide!) will show you around her domain with pride, revealing her secrets on how to be a good wife, and a skilled housewife of the castle. In the garden, you will discover her magic remedies, using medicinal plants, to cure everything from minor complaints to serious illnesses. Finally in the Grand Hall, you will be initiated to the rites of the banquet and if you are lucky, she will entrusts you with some of her favorite medieval recipes…
Abbey of Sainte-Trinité de la Lucerne
The abbey was founded in 1143 by Hasculf de Subligny, son of Othoerne, the tutor of William Adelin son of Henry I of England, who in turn was the youngest son of William the Conqueror, King of England and Duke of Normandy, and Matilda of Flanders.
Both Othoerne and William Adelin perished in the White Ship disaster of 1120, a vessel that sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur, on 25 November 1120 (see my other blog for the full story!).
Among those who drowned with William Adelin, the only legitimate son and heir of King Henry I of England, was his half-sister Matilda, and his half-brother Richard. William Adelin's death led to a succession crisis and a period of civil war in England known as the Anarchy.
The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between 1135 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order.
The foundation stone of the permanent buildings of the Abbey Sainte Trinité de la Lucerne was laid in 1164, the construction lasting till 1178. Of Romanesque style, in the typical restrained and sober manner of Cistercian architecture, the complex was dominated by an Anglo-Norman Gothic tower.
The Abbey Sainte Trinité de la Lucerne was the mother-house of four other Premonstratensians monasteries, one of them is where my son was baptized the traditional way, the Abbey of Juaye-Mondaye (see my other blog for more information), 10 minutes drive from Bayeux.
Major structural renovations were carried out between the XV & XVII centuries. During the 1792 French Revolution, the abbey was suppressed. Its buildings were at first turned into a cotton mill and then used as a source of stone.
Visiting the abbey, you will surely be struck as I by its incredible proportions and powerful sense of history. To say the least, the emotional impact comes from the utter simplicity of the Premonstratensians architecture, the harmonious lines and incredible luminosity.
You will discover what I believe a masterpiece of medieval architecture: cloister, church, refectory, cellars, abbot’s residence, dovecote, all set in a magnificent luxuriant setting of forest, park and lake…
HERITAGE FROM THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD (XIV to the XVII century)
The Renaissance was a period in European history, from the 14th to the 17th century, regarded as the cultural bridge between the medieval period and what is known as modern history.
It introduced in the architecture an aesthetic concern that beautified number of homes in Normandy. Many of these old houses have been magnificently restored; you will very fine examples in my home town, Bayeux the magnificent!
Archbishop and Patron of Rouen, Georges I of Amboise (see my blog on the Loire valley renaissance castles) was the one who introduced in Normandy the customs of Italy. The new motifs: arabesques, foliage, medallions, shells, vases etc… integrated themselves into the flamboyant art.
The Renaissance style deploys all its elegance in the private architecture. There are fewer fortified enclosures, large parks and gardens are created. Through the interest of the humanists, the classical grip becomes clearer: one seeks the correctness of the proportions and the superposition of the three ancient orders. Insensibly, the concern for symmetry and correction dried is no longer a need: the pompous style outweighs the fantasy.
Bénédictine Palace in Fécamp
Presumably the monk and alchemist Dom Bernado Vincelli created a secret elixir at the Abbey of Fecamp in 1550. It has been said that Alexandre-Prosper Le Grand, a wine merchant and collector of religious art, found in 1863, among his collection of old tomes the recipe for the elixir, lost during the French Revolution.
While travelling with Normandy American Heroes, you will have the privilege to discover near Bayeux during a candlelight visit of one of the best preserved Manor of France another elixir of a friend who found the recipe while doing the book stores on the pier of the River Seine in Paris…but that’s another story!
Alexandre-Prosper Le Grand, after much trial and error succeeded in deciphering the mysterious recipe and started producing the renowned liqueur he named “Bénédictine”. He built the Bénédictine Palace, a combination of neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance styles, in honor of his liqueur which has been produced ever since. The well kept secret uses different plants and spices.
A few minutes’ walk from the Benedictine Palace is the Benedictine Abbey of the Holy Trinity in Fecamp built in the castle of the dukes of Normandy. Of primitive Gothic style with some Romanesque chapels, it is also a ducal necropolis and a pilgrimage site of Jesus Christ Holy Blood.
After the crucifixion, Nicodemus, who accompanied Joseph of Arimathea, received the body of Christ, and the two men proceeded to his burial. According to the Gnostic tradition, it is said that Nicodemus is one of the last men to have had physical contact with the mortal remains of Christ. He would have seen and touched him, therefore could have been the purveyor of the precious relic.
He would have then gathered drops of Christ blood recovered by Joseph of Arimathea.
After a miraculous journey,
