'Coutances' is a
commune of
Normandy,
France, in the
Manche ''
département'', of which it is a ''
sous-préfecture''.
It is the chief-town of the
Arrondissement of Coutances.
History
Capital of the
Unelli, a
Gaulish tribe, the town took the name of ''Constantia'' in
298 during the reign of
Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus. The surrounding region, called in
Latin the ''pagus Constantinus'' subsequently became known as the
Cotentin Peninsula.
The town was destroyed by invading
Normans in
866, who later established settlements and incorporated the whole
peninsula into the
Duchy of Normandy in
933.
In July 17, 1944, napalm was first used on the city.
Sights
Coutances Cathedral
is one of the major buildings of
Norman architecture and contains a chapel and stained glass dedicated to
Saint Marcouf. The
bishop of Coutances exercised ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the
Channel Islands until the
Reformation, despite the secular division of Normandy in
1204. The final rupture occurred definitively in
1569.
Coutances houses a well-known botanical garden and an art museum.
External links
★
Street map from Mapquest
'
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
