Honfleur
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Please expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French Wikipedia. (December 2008) After translating, {{Translated|fr|Honfleur}} must be added to the talk page to ensure copyright compliance.Translation instructions · Translate via Google |
Coordinates: 49°25′10″N 0°13′57″E / 49.419444°N 0.2325°E
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Commune of Honfleur |
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| Honfleur Harbour | |
| Location | |
  Honfleur
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Basse-Normandie |
| Department | Calvados |
| Arrondissement | Lisieux |
| Canton | Honfleur |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de communes du Pays de Honfleur |
| Mayor | Michel Lamarre (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 0–117 m (0–380 ft) (avg. 5 m/16 ft) |
| Land area1 | 13.67 km2 (5.28 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 8,178 (1999) |
| - Density | 598 /km2 (1,550 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 14333/ 14600 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Honfleur is a commune in the Norman département of Calvados in France, located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine, across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. Its 8 177 inhabitants are called Honfleurais.
It is especially known for its old, beautiful picturesque port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted many times by artists, including in particular Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet and Johan Jongkind, forming the école de Honfleur (Honfleur school) which contributed to the appearance of the Impressionist movement. The Sainte-Catherine church, which has a bell-tower separate from the principal building, is the largest church made out of wood in France.
The commune was rated 4 flowers (of 4) in the Concours des villes et villages fleuris.
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[edit] Etymology
Honnefleu, up to the XVIIIth century. Traditional prononciation : [χonfieu] with the [H] strongly aspirated.
The marker -fleur, formerly fleu which is widespread in Normandy (Cf. Barfleur, Vittefleur, Harfleur, Crémanfleur, Fiquefleur et La Gerfleur) comes from a word of Norse origin floth or flói, compare OE flod, which means estuary, branch of the sea, or river running into the sea.
The element Hon- seems to come from an Anglo-Saxon given name Hona or the Norse Hunni (which is also found close to Honfleur in Honnaville, homonym of the Honneville at Saint-Georges-du-Mesnil.)
The similarity with the name of Bay of Húnaflói in Iceland may be coincidence.
[edit] History
The first written mention of Honfleur is a reference by Richard III, duke of Normandy, in 1027. By the middle of the 12th century, the city represented a significant transit point for goods from Rouen to England.
Located on the estuary of one of the principal rivers of France with a safe harbour and relatively rich hinterland, Honfleur profited from its strategic position from the start of the Hundred Years' War. The town's defences were strengthened by Charles V in order to protect the estuary of the Seine from attacks from the English. This was supported by the nearby port of Harfleur. However, Honfleur was taken and occupied by the English in 1357 and from 1419 to 1450. When under French control, raiding parties often set out from the port to ransack the English coasts, including partially destroying of the town of Sandwich, in Kent, England, in the 1450s.
At the end Hundred Years' War, Honfleur benefited from the boom in maritime trade until the end of the 18th century. Trade was disturbed during the wars of religion in the 16th century. The port saw the departure of a number of explorers, in particular in 1503 of Binot Paulmierde Gonneville to the coasts of Brazil. In 1506, Honfleurais Jean Denis departed to Newfoundland island and the mouth of the Saint Lawrence. An expedition in 1608, organised by Samuel de Champlain, founded the city of Quebec in modern day Canada.
After 1608, Honfleur thrived on trade with Canada, the Antilles, the African coasts and the Azores. As a result the town was one of the five principal ports for the slave trade in France. During this time the rapid growth of the town saw the demolition of its fortifications on the orders of Colbert.
The wars of the French revolution and the First Empire,and in particular the continental blockade,caused the ruin of Honfleur. It only partially recovered during the 19th century with the trading of wood from northern Europe. Trade was however limited by the silting up of the entrance to the port and development of the modern port at Le Havre. The port however still functions today.
Famous stationers like Oliver Pilate have houses here.
[edit] Heraldry
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The arms of Honfleur are blazoned : |
[edit] Famous Honfleurais
- Jean Doublet, corsair
- Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin, rear admiral
- Alphonse Allais, writer and humorist
- Eugène Boudin, painter
- Christopher Rocancourt, impostor and con artist
- Erik Satie, musician
- Michel Danino, author
- Stéphane Ferrand, wildlife photographer
- Jehan Denis, navigator
[edit] Administration
Honfleur is the chief town of a canton including the communes of Ablon, Barneville-la-Bertran, Cricquebœuf, Équemauville, Fourneville, Genneville, Gonneville-sur-Honfleur, Honfleur, Pennedepie, Quetteville, La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur, Saint-Gatien-des-Bois and Le Theil-en-Auge.
These 13 communes also form the communauté de communes du Pays de Honfleur.
In 1973 Honfleur amalgamated with the commune of Vasouy (143 inhabitants in 1999, the INSEE code used to be 14725), which lays out of the statute since then of common partner.
[edit] Demographics
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[edit] Heritage
[edit] Saint-Catherine's Church
The church is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria as evidenced by a wooden sculpture above the porch of the bell-tower which separates the two naves. She is shown holding a wheel and a sword. The first nave is the oldest part of the building, dating to the second half of the 15th century, constructed right after the Hundred Years War. It was built on the model of a market hall, using naval construction techniques, which gives the impression of an upside-down ship's hull. Then the bell-tower was build a good distance away, so that parishioners wouldn't be burnt in case of a fire. Indeed, the bell-tower did draw lightning strikes due to its height and its position on the side of a hill. In the 16th century, a second nave was added, whose vault was like the wooden vaults of modest Gothic churches. This second part was rather rounder, and did not look like a ship's hull. Later, supplementary basy were added to both naves.
The famous "Ax masters" of the naval yards of the city created this lovely building without using any saws, just like their Norman ancestors (who can be seen in action in the Bayeux tapestry), and like the Vikings before them.
The beams used to create the pillars of the nave and the ?sidewalls? are of unequal length, because there weren't anymore any oak trees long enough to construct them. Also, some have a footing of stone, some of greater or lesser height, and some have no footing.
The bays for the choir, redone in the 19th century, are of rather mediocre quality, and the roof above is higher than those of the older parts.
The church is partially covered in chestnut shingles, which are called « essentes » in the local dialect.
The "neonorman" porch was built following the model of rural Normandy churches at the beginning fo the 20th century, and replaced a monumental doorway in neo-classical style from the previous century (which can be seen in certain canvases by Jongkind or Boudin. The doorway itself was in Renaissance style.
It is worth note that the classical organ comes from the parish St. Vincent of Rouen, and the Renaissance balcony is decorated with musicians. Nineteenth century stained glass decorates the windows of the east choir.
The building lacks a transept and the ?sidewalls? of the chapels are uniquely adorned by statues of recent saints, including two local ones: saint Marcouf et sainte Thérèse de Lisieux.
[edit] Others
- Église Saint-Étienne (St. Stephen's Church)
An old parish church in gothic style, dating in part, from the 14th and 15th centuries. It is the oldest in the city. It is constructed of chalk with flint and of Caen stone, the city of Honfleur being located at the border of those two calcareous rock formations. The bell-tower is covered with a ?façade? essentage of chestnut wood. Today, it is next door to the Naval Museum.
- Église Saint-Léonard (St. Leonard's Church)
Still in use. The face is in a flamboyant gothic style, but the rest of the building was rebuilt in the 17th-18th centuries, which explains the unusual form of the bell-tower which forms a sort of a dome. The interior is entirely painted in murals, including the visible wooden vaulting.
- Salt barns
Two barns remain out of three originals, one having been destroyed by fire. These two buildings contained 10,000 tonnes of salt for preserving the catch of this important fishing port. They were constructed in the 17th century, after the citizens received permission from Colbert. The bulk of the salt came from Brouage. The walls were constructed with great blocks of chalky limestone and wooden vaulting, which, being constructed by naval carpenters, evoke the hulls of vessels of the 17th century.
- Chapelle de Grâce (Grace Chapel)
This building was reconstructed after the cliff collapsed. ?reconstruit suite à l'effondrement de la falaise abrite des ex-voto, maquettes de bateaux.? On the exterior, one can see pilgrimage bells.
- Le cotre Sainte-Bernadette, the last crayfishing sloop which is still in shape to sail. It belongs to the La chaloupe d'Honfleur (Honfleur Sloop) association. It was enrolled as a historic monument of France (monuments historiques) as of 18 October 1983.
[edit] Museums
- Museum Eugène Boudin
- Museum Erik Satie
- Vieux Honfleur Museum (Old Honfleur)
- Naval Museum
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Honfleur |
- Honfleur travel guide from Wikitravel
- http://www.ville-honfleur.fr
- Photos of Honfleur
- Photos from Honfleur
