Montebourg

Geography

History

One knows few things of the origins of the Paroisse of Montebourg. Montebourg appears in the sources in XIe century, in acts of the dukes Guillaume and Robert Courteheuse. In second half of the XIe century, it is probably William the Conqueror which founds the Abbaye dedicated to Notre-Dame, in Montebourg, which is ducal field.

Thereafter, the new abbey develops throughout XIIe century, receiving many gifts of all the categories of the population (lords, peasants…). Its goods (temporal and spiritual) are located in all the duchy of Normandy, especially in the east of the Cotentin, and even in England, especially in the Devon and the Dorset. The monks of Montebourg frame the population of Cotentin then, introducing the priests of the parishes to the bishop of Coutances so that it names it.

The monks received also very many royalties on behalf of their tenants: cereals, wine, eggs, money sometimes… It is thus a rich abbey which enters the royal field in 1204, when Philippe Auguste takes the Normandy.

At the beginning of the XIVe century, the abbot Pierre Ozenne makes build the parish church Saint-Jacob.

At the time of the French revolution, the few remaining monks still with Montebourg are forced to leave their monastery. The buildings are sold like national Biens of first origin and, in 1818, the unit is demolished. There remains today of the baptismal font (preserved in the parish church) and the tomb stone of Richard de Reviers, lord of Néhou and Vernon, who obtained from the duke-king Henri Ier Beauclerc, the guard of the abbey. He had become the owner about it, rewards for the duke for his honesty at the time of the civil war which burst with died of the Conqueror between his three sons (1087-1106).

Administration

Jean-Pierre Mauquest mayor of Montebourg since 2001

Demography

Places and monuments

Church Saint-Jacob partly destroyed during the unloading, on which impacts of balls and shells are still visible. Its construction had been decided by the abbot of Montebourg at the beginning of XIVe century.
Abbey probably founded Sainte-Marie by William the Conqueror in second half of XIe century, given to Richard de Reviers at the beginning of XIIe century. The church was devoted only in 1152, in the presence of the Archevêque of Rouen Hugues of Amiens, of the bishops of Coutances and Evreux, and of the local lords, of which Guillaume of Vernon, owner and guard of the abbey. The buildings were destroyed during and after the French revolution, but the church was rebuilt in style néo-novel between 1892 and 1933. Today, the buildings of the abbey are occupied by a college and private agricultural college.

Events

June 1944: Village mainly destroyed during the Battle of Normandy

Personalities related to the commune

Edmond-Marie Poullain was born in this commune on January 24th, 1878.

Twinnings

(Bade-Wurtemberg)
(Dorset)

See too

Twin town with Saint-Sauviour of Guernesey; twin town with Sturminster Newton (England)

Internal bonds

Abbey of Montebourg
Common of the English Channel

External bonds

Montebourg on the site of the national geographical Institute
the chart of Cassini, of the XVIIIe century makes it possible to locate Montebourg and the localities close
Montebourg on the site to INSEE
Montebourg on the site of Quid
Localization of Montebourg on a chart to France and communes bordering
Plan on Montebourg on Mapquest
Site on the Raphael program on the European commission, relating to the Norman Romanesque art here a page relates to the baptismal font of Montebourg.

Random links: