Cherbourg, Cotentin, Normandy, France, storm in black & white over harbour entrance
Cherbourg, Cotentin, Normandy, France. THE HARBOURG, THE SEASIDES DEFENSES, THE MILITARY PORT. During a visit in 1686 of the fortifications of the Cotentin, Vauban realised the strategic importance of the geographic situation of Cherbourg, as a naval base, to defend the Norman coastline from the English. In spite of the defeat of the “Fort de la Hougue” in 1692, it is only in 1779 that the decision was taken to create a "port of will ". The construction of a main dyke from the plans of the engineer, Cessart, began in 1782: several kilometres of rocks (3 700m) were put 18 to 20 metres under the sea, the building work took 70 years and represented one of the biggest sites in Europe at the time in line with a similar project in Saint Petersburg At the same time, the « Ile Pelée » and the « rock of the Homet » were being built, according to the plans of Montalembert. These forts were completed in 1785 and 1876. At the same time, we began to build the central fort in the middle of the dyke. The works ceased for a while during the stormy period of the Revolution. Napoleon 1st ordered the construction of a port in 1803, which was deep enough for the largest warships. The management of the site was given over to Cachin, who was the Director of maritime and military works. Ten years later, the « avant-port » was inaugurated in the presence of the Empress Marie-Louise of Austria. The works came to a halt again in 1815 but restarted under the reign of Louis-Philippe. The arsenal was surrounded by a fortified wall and the dyke was completed at the end of Louis-Philippe’s reign. The works were finally completed in 1853. The three forts on the dyke, which reinforced the defences, were completed in 1858.
CHERBOURG, YESTERDAY AND TODAY As far back as the Gallo-Roman period, Coriallo can be found, mentioned on the table Peutinger, the map of the Roman legions. Under William the Conqueror, the diverse hamlets and farms in the area were incorporated into a new town. At the height of the Anglo-French wars, the city became a veritable fortress. In 1786, Louis XVI visited the sea defence building works - still one of the most outstanding feats of military engineering in Europe. The events of the French revolution did little to upset local life - there was one small riot and the l’Ile Pelée played host to a small number of political prisoners... but that was it! We know about this and interesting information about 1789 and other periods of local history thanks to the extraordinarily well preserved municipal archives. Napoléon III visited Cherbourg with the arrival of the railway in 1858. At that time, the Arsenal, where the first French submarines were built, was extensively developed and the workers had transformed the peaceful village of Octeville into a bustling town. After the First World War, Cherbourg benefited greatly from the development of its port and the sharp rise in crossings to the USA. The transatlantic station, a magnificent example of art deco architecture, was opened in 1933 and welcomed the main ocean-going liners. In 1944, it is true to say that Cherbourg became the most important port in the world: the entire allied war effort passed through its docks. Although the capture of Cherbourg was arduous and bloody, the town suffered relatively little damage - only the port was entirely destroyed. The towns of Cherbourg and Octeville grew rapidly during the post-war boom and eventually merged as a single city in 2000.
In 2002, the Cité de la Mer (city of the sea), a centre to learn about man’s exploration of the world under the sea, opened its doors in the transatlantic station, bringing a new dimension to the town's tourism trade. Today Cherbourg is in the process of a major urban renovation plan which is transforming the City. www.cherbourgtourism.com
Cherbourg, Cotentin, Normandy, France, storm in black & white over harbour entrance
Cherbourg, Cotentin, Normandy, France. THE HARBOURG, THE SEASIDES DEFENSES, THE MILITARY PORT. During a visit in 1686 of the fortifications of the Cotentin, Vauban realised the strategic importance of the geographic situation of Cherbourg, as a naval base, to defend the Norman coastline from the English. In spite of the defeat of the “Fort de la Hougue” in 1692, it is only in 1779 that the decision was taken to create a "port of will ". The construction of a main dyke from the plans of the engineer, Cessart, began in 1782: several kilometres of rocks (3 700m) were put 18 to 20 metres under the sea, the building work took 70 years and represented one of the biggest sites in Europe at the time in line with a similar project in Saint Petersburg At the same time, the « Ile Pelée » and the « rock of the Homet » were being built, according to the plans of Montalembert. These forts were completed in 1785 and 1876. At the same time, we began to build the central fort in the middle of the dyke. The works ceased for a while during the stormy period of the Revolution. Napoleon 1st ordered the construction of a port in 1803, which was deep enough for the largest warships. The management of the site was given over to Cachin, who was the Director of maritime and military works. Ten years later, the « avant-port » was inaugurated in the presence of the Empress Marie-Louise of Austria. The works came to a halt again in 1815 but restarted under the reign of Louis-Philippe. The arsenal was surrounded by a fortified wall and the dyke was completed at the end of Louis-Philippe’s reign. The works were finally completed in 1853. The three forts on the dyke, which reinforced the defences, were completed in 1858.
CHERBOURG, YESTERDAY AND TODAY As far back as the Gallo-Roman period, Coriallo can be found, mentioned on the table Peutinger, the map of the Roman legions. Under William the Conqueror, the diverse hamlets and farms in the area were incorporated into a new town. At the height of the Anglo-French wars, the city became a veritable fortress. In 1786, Louis XVI visited the sea defence building works - still one of the most outstanding feats of military engineering in Europe. The events of the French revolution did little to upset local life - there was one small riot and the l’Ile Pelée played host to a small number of political prisoners... but that was it! We know about this and interesting information about 1789 and other periods of local history thanks to the extraordinarily well preserved municipal archives. Napoléon III visited Cherbourg with the arrival of the railway in 1858. At that time, the Arsenal, where the first French submarines were built, was extensively developed and the workers had transformed the peaceful village of Octeville into a bustling town. After the First World War, Cherbourg benefited greatly from the development of its port and the sharp rise in crossings to the USA. The transatlantic station, a magnificent example of art deco architecture, was opened in 1933 and welcomed the main ocean-going liners. In 1944, it is true to say that Cherbourg became the most important port in the world: the entire allied war effort passed through its docks. Although the capture of Cherbourg was arduous and bloody, the town suffered relatively little damage - only the port was entirely destroyed. The towns of Cherbourg and Octeville grew rapidly during the post-war boom and eventually merged as a single city in 2000.
In 2002, the Cité de la Mer (city of the sea), a centre to learn about man’s exploration of the world under the sea, opened its doors in the transatlantic station, bringing a new dimension to the town's tourism trade. Today Cherbourg is in the process of a major urban renovation plan which is transforming the City. www.cherbourgtourism.com