|
|
|
|
.
| Lillebonne edit the Wikipedia entry |
Coordinates: 49°31′08″N 0°32′03″E / 49.51888°N 0.53426°E
| Commune of Lillebonne |
|
Roman amphitheater |
|
| Location | |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Haute-Normandie |
| Department | Seine-Maritime |
| Arrondissement | Le Havre |
| Canton | Lillebonne |
| Intercommunality | Caux-Vallée de Seine |
| Mayor | Nicolas Beaussart (2008–2013) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 0–1,338 m (0–4,400 ft) (avg. 6 m/20 ft) |
| Land area1 | 14.66 km2 (5.66 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 9,866 (2006) |
| - Density | 673 /km2 (1,740 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 76384/ 76170 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Lillebonne is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It lies 3.5 miles (5.6 km) miles north of the Seine and 24 miles (39 km) east of Le Havre by railway.
Contents |
History
Lillebonne under the Romans, Juliobona, was the capital of the Caletes, or inhabitants of the Pays de Caux, in the time of Julius Caesar, by whom it was destroyed. It was afterwards rebuilt by Augustus, and before it was again ruined by the barbarian invasions it had become an important centre whence Roman roads branched out in all directions. It was an administrative, military and commercial city located close to the Seine. This made it a great transportation route between Brittany (current England) and the remainder of the Roman Empire. It was also a crossroads of communication in order to bring Roman ways to Harfleur, Étretat, Dieppe, Évreux and Rouen.
The remains of Roman baths and of a theater capable of holding 3,000 persons have been brought to light. Many Roman and Gallic relics, notably a bronze statue of a woman and two fine mosaics, have been found and transported to the museum at Rouen. In the Middle Ages the fortifications of the town were constructed out of materials supplied by the theater. The town recovered some of its old importance under William the Conqueror.
Heraldry
|
The arms of Lillebonne are blazoned : |
Geography
Lillebonne lies in the valley of the Bolbec River at the foot of wooded hills at the junction of the D982, D29 and the D81 roads.,
Sights
The church of Notre Dame, partly modern, preserves a Gothic portal of the 16th century and a graceful tower of the same period. The park contains a fine cylindrical donjon and other remains of a castle founded by William the Conqueror and rebuilt in the 13th century.
The Gallo-Roman amphitheater of Lillebonne was built in the first century and was altered in the second century so that it could be used as both an amphitheater and a theater. Part of its remains are still visible today from Félix Faur Square, and the foundations of some of its remnants (the wings and backdrop) remain under the square.
Economy
The principal industries are cotton-spinning and the manufacture of calico and candles.
Twin towns
See also
References
- INSEE
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
External links
- Tourism office of Lillebonne (French)
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lillebonne |
| This Seine-Maritime geographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |