Granville, Manche Normandy |
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Granville is a coastal commune of the Manche (french name for
the Channel) département situated on the Cotentin
Peninsula at the mouth of Bosq and Pointe du Roc (Cap Lihou)
which in part closes in the north of the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.
Administratively, the island of Chausey is part of the commune
of Granville, which
includes a small harbour. Granville was founded in 12th century
and was taken several times by the English who strengthened it
in 1437. In 1441, Louis
XI granted a charter so that the town once again became French.
During the following centuries, Granville was bombarded by the
English in 1645 and 1803. Furthermore, the town resisted the
attacks of the Huguenots in 1695 and Vendean in 1793. The old
town preserves all the history of its military and religious
past. The lower town was partly built on land reclaimed from
the sea. The upper part of the old town is surrounded by ramparts
from the 15th century. These are entered through the drawbridge
(Grand'Porte), the bloody theatre of the "Siège des
Vendéens" in 1793. |
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