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Villedieu-les-Poêles
Normandievillage
Villedieu-les-Poêles
Total population
3,851
Demographic figures from INSEE. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Villedieu-les-Poêles is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Villedieu-les-Poêles-Rouffigny.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
Villedieu owes its name to the religious order Knights Hospitaller, which later became the Knights of Malta. Henry I, King of England and Duke of Normandy, granted Villedieu to this order in the 12th century. Low taxes and good administration attracted people to Villedieu. Advanced coppersmithing technology was presumably imported from the Middle East by the Knights. By the early 14th century, the Corporation of the Coppersmiths of Villedieu was officially recognized by the Kings of France. In the years following the French Revolution, in the late 18th century, the people of Villedieu were strong supporters, unlike most of people in the surrounding area. A major reason of their support was that it abolished customs duties between French regions; before the Revolution, copper pans exported from Villedieu to Brittany, away, faced higher import duties than copper pans from Portugal. After a losing battle with Chouan troops, the men from Villedieu escaped thanks to their women, who threw stones, flowerpots and chamber pots from second-story windows at the pursuing Chouans. The general heading the Chouan troops was getting ready to bombard Villedieu and set it on fire. A delegation of women negotiated with him: the inhabitants were given a short time to hide their valuables, and the Chouan soldiers then plundered the town for food and clothing. In 1944, when the Germans withdrew from Villedieu, they left a sniper who shot some of the first US soldiers to enter Villedieu, before being neutralized. The US commander was about to request airplane bombing runs when the mayor approached him, told him that there were no Germans left in Villedieu and offered to ride through Villedieu in the front seat of a US jeep. Villedieu was thus one of the few towns in the region to escape…
Geography
Pont-Farcy lies to the east, Saint-Lô to the north, Vire to the South-East and Granville to the west. The river Sienne flows through the town.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Air quality
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Earthquake history
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
Geography & sun
Nearby airports
Public attention
Books about this place
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Events
Gallery
Official Identifiers
INSEE — French National Institute of Statistics
- INSEE code
- 50639
- Population (Wikidata)
- 3,550
- Wikidata
- Q629673
geo.api.gouv.fr
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • Wikidata
- • INSEE — French national statistics, via geo.api.gouv.fr (official commune code, population, surface, department, region)
- • INSEE — French National Institute of Statistics — geo.api.gouv.fr