Vimoutiers

Summary

Vimoutiers (French pronunciation: [vimutje] ) is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.[3]

Vimoutiers
The church in Vimoutiers
The church in Vimoutiers
Coat of arms of Vimoutiers
Location of Vimoutiers
.mw-parser-output .locmap .od{position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .id{position:absolute;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .locmap .l0{font-size:0;position:absolute}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv{line-height:110%;position:absolute;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr{line-height:110%;position:absolute;top:-0.75em;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pv>div{display:inline;padding:1px}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pl>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:right}.mw-parser-output .locmap .pr>div{display:inline;padding:1px;float:left}Vimoutiers is located in France
Vimoutiers
Vimoutiers
Vimoutiers is located in Normandy
Vimoutiers
Vimoutiers
Coordinates: 48°56′N 0°12′E / 48.93°N 0.20°E / 48.93; 0.20
CountryFrance
RegionNormandy
DepartmentOrne
ArrondissementMortagne-au-Perche
CantonVimoutiers
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Guy Romain[1]
Area
1
16.15 km2 (6.24 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
3,069
 • Density190/km2 (490/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
61508 /61120
Elevation92–236 m (302–774 ft)
(avg. 134 m or 440 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The finish line of the Paris–Camembert bicycle race is Vimoutiers.

Geography edit

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, Les Monceaux', Ferme de Cutesson, La Hunière, Le Vitou, Le Pont Percé, La Fauvetière and Vimoutiers.[4]

Vimoutiers has two rivers running through it the Vie and the Viette in addition to four streams, the Fontaine de la Roche, Souze, the Moulin Neuf, plus the Champeaux.

History edit

In 1040 while besieging a nearby Norman castle, Alan III, Duke of Brittany died suddenly in Vimoutiers, then a possession of the Duchy of Normandy. His death was thought to be caused by poisoning.

 
Damaged statue to Marie Harel "inventor" of Camembert cheese

On 14 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy, Vimoutiers was bombarded by Allied forces. The village was destroyed and 220 people died. With the encouragement of Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, the members of Pilot Club International raised funds to restore the city. La Place du Pilot Club International is a square in Vimoutiers which commemorates their generosity. 400 people of Van Wert, Ohio also contributed in the costs of reconstruction and reparation of the town. They volunteered to pay for the replacement of Marie Harel's statue in 1953. This is recorded by a plaque in the market square of Vimoutiers.[5]

Population edit

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 4,572—    
1975 5,019+1.34%
1982 4,918−0.29%
1990 4,723−0.50%
1999 4,418−0.74%
2007 3,918−1.49%
2012 3,675−1.27%
2017 3,332−1.94%
Source: INSEE[6]

Heraldry edit

 
Arms of Vimoutiers
The arms of Vimoutiers are blazoned :
Azure, a cross Or, between 4 keys addorsed argent.



Name edit

The name 'Vimoutiers' is a contraction of 'Vie', the name of the small river which runs through the town ('vie' means 'life'), and 'Moutiers', a French word which means 'Monastery'. This name is derived from the fact that there was once a monastery present on the site, near the banks of the river 'Vie.

Notable buildings and places edit

  • Camembert Museum a museum dedicated to the local cheese, Camembert.[7]

National heritage sites edit

Notable people edit

Twin towns – sister cities edit

Vimotiers is twinned with:

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Commune de Vimoutiers (61508) − Insee". www.insee.fr.
  4. ^ a b "Vimoutiers · 61120, France". Vimoutiers · 61120, France.
  5. ^ The new statue and plaque, Wikimedia Commons, Retrieved 29 April 2017
  6. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  7. ^ "Spread the curd: At the Camembert Museum in Normandy, cheese-making is". The Independent. 30 September 1994.
  8. ^ "Char Tigre". www.pop.culture.gouv.fr.
  9. ^ "Ancien couvent des Bénédictines à Vimoutiers - PA00110969". monumentum.fr.
  10. ^ Now, Normandy Then and (8 February 2015). "In days of old when Knights were bold, in Brionne, Normandy".
  11. ^ "Marie Harel, invention du camembert". Skyrock. 19 July 2014.
  12. ^ "Vimoutiers | CDC des Vallées d'Auge et du Merlerault". www.cdcvam.fr.
  13. ^ "Paul BUNEL". vimoutiers.net.
  14. ^ "Musée de la résistance en ligne". museedelaresistanceenligne.org.
  15. ^ "Roland Armontel | Actor". IMDb.
  16. ^ "Towns ready to celebrate". Salisbury Journal. 25 June 2007.
  17. ^ "À Vimoutiers, les jumelages invitent à l'ouverture". Ouest-France.fr. 22 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Vimoutiers. Le jumelage franco-allemand fêtera son demi-siècle en 2022". Ouest-France.fr. 16 April 2021.

External links edit

  • Pictures of Vimoutiers before June 1944 (with a link to Charlotte Corday).
  • Hôtel le Soleil d'Or
  • Routard.com - Vimoutiers
  • Vimoutiers Official Homepage (in English)