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Lillebonne | |
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     From left to right, top to bottom: Juliobona museum as seen from the theatre with the city-centre in the background; Gallo-Roman theatre; the Notre-Dame church; a Gallo-Roman Apollo statue found at Lillebonne; the Medieval castle. | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Lillebonne | |
  Lillebonne  Lillebonne | |
| Coordinates:49°31′08″N0°32′03″E / 49.5189°N 0.5343°E /49.5189; 0.5343 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Seine-Maritime |
| Arrondissement | Le Havre |
| Canton | Bolbec |
| Intercommunality | Caux Seine Agglo |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Christine Déchamps[1] |
Area 1 | 14.66 km2 (5.66 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 8,708 |
| • Density | 594.0/km2 (1,538/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 76384 /76170 |
| Elevation | 0–1,338 m (0–4,390 ft) (avg. 6 m or 20 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Lillebonne (French pronunciation:[lilbɔn]) is acommune in theSeine-Maritimedepartment in theNormandyregion in NorthernFrance. It lies 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of theSeine and 24 miles (39 km) east ofLe Havre.
Before theRoman conquest ofGaul, the site was the capital of theCaletes tribe who gave their name to thePays de Caux.[3] It was destroyed byJulius Caesar in hisGallic Wars and the city of Juliobona built there byAugustus in the 1st c. AD.[4]
It become an important centre whence Roman roads branched out in all directions.[3] It was an administrative, military and commercial city located close to the Seine. This made it a great transportation route betweenBritannia (modern-day Britain) and the remainder of theRoman Empire. It was also a crossroads of communication for Roman roads toHarfleur,Étretat,Dieppe,Évreux andRouen. The city was completely destroyed in the middle of the 2nd century.
The remains ofRoman baths and of atheatre capable of holding 3,000 persons have been brought to light.[3] Many Roman relics, notably abronzestatue ofApollo (displayed in theLouvre) have been found. The importantLillebonne mosaic, well preserved and depicting a deer hunt, comes from a suburban villa and is on display at the Rouen Museum. It was made by T. SEN FILIX fromPozzuoli, Italy and AMOR, his local apprentice.
It was again ruined in thebarbarian invasions of 273 after which the theatre was made into a fortress: the exits were blocked, wells were dug, and baths put up in the arena.
In theMiddle Ages the town walls were constructed out of materials from the Roman theatre. The town recovered some of its importance underWilliam the Conqueror.[3]
Lillebonne is the birthplace of the writerAnnie Ernaux.
Lillebonne lies in the valley of the riverBolbec at the foot of woodedhills at the junction of the D982, D29 and the D81 roads.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 9,615 | — |
| 1975 | 10,241 | +0.91% |
| 1982 | 9,622 | −0.89% |
| 1990 | 9,310 | −0.41% |
| 1999 | 9,738 | +0.50% |
| 2009 | 9,190 | −0.58% |
| 2014 | 9,018 | −0.38% |
| 2020 | 8,761 | −0.48% |
| Source: INSEE[5] | ||
Thechurch of Notre Dame, partly modern, preserves aGothic portal of the 16th century, and a graceful tower of the same period. The park contains a fine cylindricalkeep and other remains of acastle founded byWilliam the Conqueror and rebuilt in the 13th century.[3]
TheGallo-Romanamphitheatre of Lillebonne was built in the first century, and was altered in the second century so that it could be used as both an amphitheatre and atheatre. 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.
The principal industries in the past werecotton-spinning and the manufacture ofcalico andcandles.[3] There was also a prosperous manufacture of starch belonging to theLegrain family. Petrochemistry is now the main industry in the area, with a part of the nearbyNotre-Dame-de-Gravenchon refining and petrochemical complex extending over the Lillebonne commune.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lillebonne".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 686.
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