Vire

Sister cities

• Săcele
• Baunatal
• Franceville

History

In 1123, King of England and Duke of Normandy Henry I had a redoubt constructed on a rocky hill top, which was surrounded by the Vire river. The redoubt was stoned square at the bottom to assure the defense of the Duchy of Normandy against any attacks from Brittany or Maine. At the beginning of the 13th century, King Louis IX of France ordered that the existing stonework be supplemented with exterior ramparts. However the second precinct was finished only in the early the 14th century. During the Hundred Years' War, Vire was plundered in 1368 by large military companies, and delivered to the English in 1418. The English occupation would end in 1450, with many considering it a time of brutality and oppression. Notably, the execution of Hugues Vaux, owner of the largest farm of the village, after refusing to give up his farm to the English sergeant Fields, caused much grief among the population. Some inhabitants nevertheless benefited from the English occupation. Eugène Vergny, who provided Fields with information about the movement of the French troops, received the property of Vaux after his execution. Like many other Norman cities and villages, Vire suffered heavily from British bombings on June 6, 1944, or D-Day, during the Second World War. 95% of the town was destroyed. One of the two target-marking flare groups was out of alignment and much of the bombing fell across the town of Vire. The Master Bomber in charge of the operation identified the problem and issued corrections to the incoming aircraft. Much of the bombing from the first wave of aircraft fell across the town of Vire killing many of the inhabitants. It was a distressing night for many families. After two days of heavy fighting, with 108 soldiers killed and four missing, the town was liberated on 8…

Geography

The town is located on the river Vire. Much of its surroundings consist of the bocage virois, a type of mixed woodland and pasture common in Normandy.

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2008-09-19
  2 km NNE of Montigné-le-Brillant, France
• M 2.7 — 2008-01-31
  2 km SE of Saint-Berthevin, France
• M 2.9 — 2007-12-18
  2 km NE of Saint-Marc-le-Blanc, France
• M 2.8 — 2007-11-06
  7 km SSW of Chanu, France
• M 3.5 — 2007-08-01
  2 km SSE of Blonville-sur-Mer, France
• M 3.1 — 2006-12-06
  1 km NNW of Les Champs-Géraux, France