Yvetot
Encyclopedia
Yvetot is a commune
in the Seine-Maritime
department in the Haute-Normandie
region in northern France
.
municipality in southern Sweden bearing the same name. Yvetot comes from the Frankish
man’s name "Ivo", root of the modern French names Yves and Yvon, which are very common in Normandy, being adopted by the Scandinavian converts to Christianity, and "topt" (modern toft), 'farm' in Danish, found in many place-names throughout Normandy . This 'Ivo Veteris' (Yves the old, fr
: Yves Le-Vieux) may have received this territory as a jarl of Rollo
or his successors. These lords were often given the title king and benefited from all of the privileges of sovereignty up until 1551. One of the most popular songs of the 19th century, 'Le Roi d'Yvetot', written by the famous Béranger, helped propagate the legend of an independent state within the Duchy of Normandy and the Kingdom of France. However, it is established that, with no other allegiances since 1203, Yvetot remained a principality
up until 1789, a time at which the title was held by the (now-extinct) d'Albon family.
The town’s prosperity was linked to strong commerce, developed as early as the 17th century, thanks to its fiscal statutes and to cotton
spinning, which saw massive expansion after 1794. In the 19th century, the town developed fabric production.
Until 1926, Yvetot had been chef-lieu
of the old arrondissement
of Yvetot, and a sub_prefecture. During this period of reorganisation, it lost its status of sub-prefecture.
In World War II
, Yvetot was practically razed in 1940 by the Germans. Later, the 75th Division of the U.S. Army, 575th Signal Co., maintained its command post in the town from December 14–20, 1944, as it counterattacked against the German army.
After the war, Yvetot was rebuilt in a classical style and regained its importance in the middle of the 20th century.
of the diocese of Rouen
. Either side of Christ
are St. Peter (patron saint of Yvetot for a thousand years) and the apostles, including St. Valery (apostle of Calluses and Vimeux in the 7th century), St. Saëns (an Irish monk and founder of an abbey in the valley of the Varenne), St. Ouen (who introduced monasteries to Rouen) and St. Wandrille. The bishops of Rouen are also depicted. Among the bishops are St. Roman (in the process of strangling the gargoyle that devastated Rouen), St Rémy, and St Hugues. Others represented in the stained-glass include the Virgin Mary and Joan of Arc
shining in her armour.
, reads: "YVETOT: Voir Yvetot et mourir ! (See Yvetot and die) (cf. Naples
and Seville
)".
It is in Yvetot that novelist Guy de Maupassant
received his primary education; the town itself and its surrounding area, le Pays de Caux
feature extensively in his oeuvre.
, Scotland
Kyjov
, Czech Republic
Murowana Goślina
, Poland
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Seine-Maritime
Seine-Maritime
Seine-Maritime is a French department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre...
department in the Haute-Normandie
Haute-Normandie
Upper Normandy is one of the 27 regions of France. It was created in 1984 from two départements: Seine-Maritime and Eure, when Normandy was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy. This division continues to provoke controversy, and some continue to call for reuniting the two regions...
region in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
The name is of Scandinavian origin (Ivetofta). The town is most likely of Scandinavian origin too. There is also a locality in BromöllaBromölla
Bromölla is a locality and the seat of Bromölla Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 7,428 inhabitants in 2005.The town of Bromölla only consisted of a few houses until it began to grow about 100 years ago around a newly established limestone quarry, leading to the establishment of several...
municipality in southern Sweden bearing the same name. Yvetot comes from the Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
man’s name "Ivo", root of the modern French names Yves and Yvon, which are very common in Normandy, being adopted by the Scandinavian converts to Christianity, and "topt" (modern toft), 'farm' in Danish, found in many place-names throughout Normandy . This 'Ivo Veteris' (Yves the old, fr
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Yves Le-Vieux) may have received this territory as a jarl of Rollo
Rollo
Rollo has multiple meanings. It may mean:a first name*Rollo Armstrong, member of British dance act Faithless* Rollo May, American psychologist...
or his successors. These lords were often given the title king and benefited from all of the privileges of sovereignty up until 1551. One of the most popular songs of the 19th century, 'Le Roi d'Yvetot', written by the famous Béranger, helped propagate the legend of an independent state within the Duchy of Normandy and the Kingdom of France. However, it is established that, with no other allegiances since 1203, Yvetot remained a principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
up until 1789, a time at which the title was held by the (now-extinct) d'Albon family.
The town’s prosperity was linked to strong commerce, developed as early as the 17th century, thanks to its fiscal statutes and to cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
spinning, which saw massive expansion after 1794. In the 19th century, the town developed fabric production.
Until 1926, Yvetot had been chef-lieu
Chef-lieu
A chef-lieu is a town or city that is pre-eminent, from an administrative perspective, in any given sub-division of territory in France and some French-speaking countries.-In Algeria:...
of the old arrondissement
Arrondissement
Arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.-France:The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The capital of an arrondissement is called a...
of Yvetot, and a sub_prefecture. During this period of reorganisation, it lost its status of sub-prefecture.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Yvetot was practically razed in 1940 by the Germans. Later, the 75th Division of the U.S. Army, 575th Signal Co., maintained its command post in the town from December 14–20, 1944, as it counterattacked against the German army.
After the war, Yvetot was rebuilt in a classical style and regained its importance in the middle of the 20th century.
Heraldry
Population
The Round Church and its stained-glass window
The stained-glass window, considered the largest in Europe with an area of 1046 m², was constructed in the 1950s by Max Ingrand. The window's main colors are in shades of crimson, gold and blue. Meticulous assembly from a thousand pieces of glass, the stained-glass window portrays saints, with a wide section consecrated to the NormansNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
of the diocese of Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. Either side of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
are St. Peter (patron saint of Yvetot for a thousand years) and the apostles, including St. Valery (apostle of Calluses and Vimeux in the 7th century), St. Saëns (an Irish monk and founder of an abbey in the valley of the Varenne), St. Ouen (who introduced monasteries to Rouen) and St. Wandrille. The bishops of Rouen are also depicted. Among the bishops are St. Roman (in the process of strangling the gargoyle that devastated Rouen), St Rémy, and St Hugues. Others represented in the stained-glass include the Virgin Mary and Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
shining in her armour.
Anecdotes
Yvetot’s entry in the Dictionnaire des idées reçues by Gustave FlaubertGustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert was a French writer who is counted among the greatest Western novelists. He is known especially for his first published novel, Madame Bovary , and for his scrupulous devotion to his art and style.-Early life and education:Flaubert was born on December 12, 1821, in Rouen,...
, reads: "YVETOT: Voir Yvetot et mourir ! (See Yvetot and die) (cf. Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
)".
It is in Yvetot that novelist Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
received his primary education; the town itself and its surrounding area, le Pays de Caux
Pays de Caux
The Pays de Caux is an area in Normandy occupying the greater part of the French département of Seine Maritime in Haute-Normandie. It is a chalk plateau to the north of the Seine Estuary and extending to the cliffs on the English Channel coast - its coastline is known as the Côte d'Albâtre...
feature extensively in his oeuvre.
Twin towns
LanarkLanark
Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Kyjov
Kyjov
Kyjov is name of several locations:Czech Republic* Kyjov, a town in South Moravian Region ** Kyjov Hills, part of Carpathians** Kyjov Airport* Kyjov, a village in Vysočina Region...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Murowana Goślina
Murowana Goslina
Murowana Goślina is a town in Poznań County in western Poland, with 10,336 inhabitants . It lies approximately north of the major city of Poznań, on the main road and railway line to Wągrowiec...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...