Seine-Maritime

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Seine-Maritime

Seine-Maritime is a French département in Normandy.

Administration

History

From -12 000 before Jc until 1995...

- 12 000 avt JC – First Men: The engravings of the Gouy cave attest human presence in Seine- Maritime at the superior paleolithic

- 450 – Celtic invasions: Celtic tribes and then belgian settle in the region, the Seine (river) being their main communication facility

56 after JC – Roman occupation: The Véliocasses de Rotomagus (Rouen) region and les Calètes de Juliobona (Lillebonne) is conquered by J.Caesar. Rouen becomes the capital of the Seconde Lyonnaise, one of de two provinces of Gaule.

450 - Francs and Neustrie: After the Francs invasion, the region becomes part of the Neustrie. Rouen and its bishop Prétextat get closely involved in some tragic battle with Clovis’ successor.

619 - Foundation of Abbey of Saint-Wandrille: At the VIIth century, Church growth has an effect on the creation of abbeys in the seine valley. Former King Dagobert 1st’ counsellor, Wandrille helped the building of one of the biggest monastic centers of the Northern Gaule during the carolingien era. The Jumièges abbey is also founded in 654.

841 - The Vikings

B:lazes, pillages... The town of Rouen is ravaged. Foulques, abbot of Saint-Wandrille, saves temporarily its abbey for a ransom. The Normans (Northmen) settle.

911 – Birth of Normandie: Due to the Saint-Clair-sur-Epte’s treaty, the franc king Charles le Simple give up the region to Rollon, norwegian war chief settled in Rouen’s location. The Normandie’s duchy is born.

1066 - Guillaume, anglo-normand conqueror: Normandie duke, Guillaume le Conquérant invades Great Britain. He wins them over at the Hastings battle and creates the Anglo-normand kingdom.

1144 - A Plantagenêt crowned: After years of fights between Guillaume successors, Normandie is handed over to Plantagenêt. Geoffroy is crowned by force in Rouen.

1204 – Linked to France: Stake of the rivality with Capétiens, the region is annexed to France by Philippe Auguste.

1315 - La Charte aux Normands: Because of riots, French Kings are obliged to acknoledge the specificity of the Normand case. As a symbol of local rights, the Normand charter will be effective until the XVIInd century.

1415 - 1449 – Hundred years War: Harfleur is invaded in 1415 and shows the start of a new conquest led by Henri V d'Angleterre. The 19th of 1419 february Rouen pass to the English hands, after a tragic one-month long assault. In 1431, Jeanne d'Arc is sentenced in Rouen as an heretic and witch by an ecclesiastic tribunal ( including the bishop Cauchon). The 30th of may, she’s burnt alive. Given back to France in 1449, Normandie see the last english being chased out of Dieppe in 1453.

1517 – Havre birth: For a military et commercial purpose, François the 1st funds the Harbour of Havre.

1639 - The “va-nu-pieds” revolt: The region is richer but its inhabitants are weighted down by high taxes. The “va-nu-pieds” riot starts in Rouen, followed by a terrible repression conducted by Richelieu.

1667 – Royal drapery in Elbeuf: Colbert creates the royal manufacture of drapry in Elbeuf.

1790 - La Seine-Inférieure: Normandie is divided in five départements. The Seine-Inférieure is born, its administrative center is Rouen.

1800 – Five then three arrondissements: With this new repartitions of the counties, Rouen, Dieppe, Le Havre, Neufchâtel and Yvetot’s arrondissements are created and would be suppressed only in 1926.

1843 – Rail way and industry: In Rouen, Elbeuf, Bolbec, the number of textile factories is increasing. Metallurgy and naval construction as well. At the end of the XVIIIrd century, the region sees an important industrial revolution and in 1843 spring, the Rail way of Rouen allows the province town to be the first one linked with Paris.

1942 – Early disembarkings: Occupied by the Reich army, Seine-Maritime is the witness of two disembarkings in 1942. During the night from 27th to 28th februarty, Bruneval raid led by english parachutists destroy a german radar and leave almost untouched. However, the 19th of august, in Dieppe, the Jubilee operation consisting of 6000 canadian soldiers is a real carange.

1944 - Liberation and pain: Seine-Maritime pays a high price for its freedom. In Rouen, the « red week » kills 2000 people and 60 000 stricken .In the Havre, french town having recorded the highest number of losses during the 2nd World war, bombings kill 5 000 people.

1955 - Seine-Maritime: The region’s name changes to Seine Maritime.

Seine-Maritime was initially and previously known as Seine-Inférieure; but this first denomination was dropped on January 18, 1955. In fact, all département denominations starting with "Bas-" (Low-) or including "Inférieur" have been gradually switched to a more "positive" denomination, with the exception of the département Bas-Rhin.

1959 – Tancarville Bridge: The bridge of Tancarville is opened, followed in 77 by the Brotonne bridge.

1995 – Normandie Bridge: The Highest stay-bridge in the world is built.

Geography

The département includes the chalky plateau of the Pays de Caux and the cliffs of the English Channel coast. There are two types of landscape - the dry chalky plateaux which are under intense arable cultivation, and generally flat. This is a "champaign" landscape characterised by huge fields with very few hedgerows. In contrast, there are deep valleys forming a reticulum which is carved into the plateaux. These are often a surprise to the visitor, as they are not visible from most parts of the plateaux. They form a much more intimate landscape, with woodlands (many of them ancient woodlands) of beech and oak, and small fields and meadows along the streams. This is known as "bocage" landscape.

Culture

The novel La Place by Annie Ernaux largely takes place in Seine-Maritime and describes events and changes that take place in relation to French society in the 20th century especially in relation to the rural population.

External links

Conseil Général website (In French)
Communes 76 (In French)