Aunay-sur-Odon | |
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Part ofLes Monts d'Aunay | |
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.svg) Coat of arms | |
Location of Aunay-sur-Odon  | |
  Aunay-sur-Odon  Aunay-sur-Odon | |
| Coordinates:49°01′16″N0°37′51″W / 49.0211°N 0.6308°W /49.0211; -0.6308 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Calvados |
| Arrondissement | Vire |
| Canton | Les Monts d'Aunay |
| Commune | Les Monts d'Aunay |
Area 1 | 12.74 km2 (4.92 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 3,292 |
| • Density | 260/km2 (670/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 14260 |
| Elevation | 98–307 m (322–1,007 ft) (avg. 123 m or 404 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Aunay-sur-Odon (French pronunciation:[onɛsyʁɔdɔ̃]ⓘ, literallyAunay onOdon) is a formercommune in theCalvadosdepartment in theNormandyregion of north-westernFrance. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new communeLes Monts d'Aunay.[2]
The commune has been awardedtwo flowers by theNational Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in theCompetition of cities and villages in Bloom.[3]
The commune is located at the foot of the foothills of theArmorican Massif on theOdon river a few kilometres east from its source. It is at the heart of thePre-Bocage country of transition between the Caen plain, theBessin, and theBocage virois with which it is also connected.
Located at the intersection of several county roads, the agglomeration is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south ofVillers-Bocage, 30 kilometres (19 mi) south-west ofCaen, and 31 kilometres (19 mi) north-east ofVire. The D8 goes north-east toBauquay and Caen. The D6 connects Aunay to Villers-Bocage in the north andThury-Harcourt to the south-east. The D54 joinsCahagnes andCaumont-l'Éventé in the north-west through the village toRoucamps,Le Plessis-Grimoult, andCondé-sur-Noireau in the south. The D26 goes toVire viaDanvou-la-Ferrière andEstry in the south-west. The D213 goes toCourvaudon in the east with the D234 branching to serveBonnemaison. The D214 goes north toLongvillers. The D291A goes west toLa Bigne.[4]
Aunay-sur-Odon is in theDrainage basin of theOrne by its tributary theOdon which crosses the commune from west to north and which has its source in the neighbouring commune ofOndefontaine. Several small tributaries feed it such as theDouvette which marks the boundary withCourvaudon in the east and theRuisseau du Val Boquet on the north-west border.
The highest point of 307 to 310 metres (1,007 to 1,017 ft) is located in the south on the border withRoucamps in a wood overlooking a place calledPied de la Bruyère. The lowest point is at 98 metres (322 ft) corresponding to the exit of the Odon from the commune to the north. The commune is about one eighth urban, forested throughout the southern part, andBocage on the rest.
As in all of western France, Aunay-sur-Odon has anoceanic climate. The nearest weather station is at Caen-Carpiquet 23 kilometres (14 mi) north-west. Pré-Bocage country however differs in the annual rainfall which in Aunay-sur-Odon is around 950 mm.[5]
Neighbouring communes and villages | |
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The name was attested ascastellum Alnei in 1142.[6] It is derived from theLatinAlnus meaning "alder".[7]
In 1895 the commune ofAunay became Aunay-sur-Odon. The Odon passes along the west of the town.
The town is located that had been already occupied in the Gallo-Roman era as it was at the crossroads of ancient routes fromVieux toAvranches and fromBayeux toCondé-sur-Noireau.
TheRoman de Rou byWace mentions a Lordof Alnei[8] said to have participated in the conquest of England along withWilliam the Conqueror. The remains of his castle from the 12th century, overlooking the presentPetit Pied du Bois, are described in the third volume of theMonumental statistic of Calvados(in French) byArcisse de Caumont (1857).[9] The fortress was used until theHundred Years War and was destroyed byBertrand du Guesclin.[10]
In 1131 the town had an abbey founded by Jordan and Luce of Say and Richard of Hommet, constable of Normandy.[11] Originally dependent onSavigny Abbey, it becameCistercian at the end of the 12th century. It was heavily damaged in thewars of religion.[10]
On 22 August 1886 the Caen-Aunay-Saint-Georges railway line was opened. It was then extended to Vire on 1 June 1891.[12] Passenger service on the line was suspended on 1 March 1938. Freight service was limited toJurques then permanently suspended. The line was then decommissioned. Today theRue de la Gare is a reminder of the lost line.
In 1944 due to its position as a crossroads, this time between Caen and Vire and between Bayeux and Falaise, the city suffered twostrategic bombardments by the Allies. On 12 June two waves of aircraft destroyed all of the town centre killing a hundred people. On the night of 14 to 15 June the town was totally destroyed by a new wave of bombing.[13][14] The town was completely destroyed with the precarious bell tower the only remaining building. Over 25% of the inhabitants were killed.
Reconstruction was organized very quickly with the first stone of the new town being laid on 23 November 1947 by Mr. Kerisel, construction manager at the Ministry of Reconstruction and Urbanism. It was completed in 1951 under the leadership of architect P. Dureuil.
| Blazon: Barry of 12 Gules and Argent. |
Thecouncil was composed of 23 members including themayor and six deputy mayors.
List of Successive Mayors[15]
| From | To | Name | Party | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1799 | 1806 | Nicolas Vivien | ||
| 1806 | 1809 | François Tardif | ||
| 1809 | 1813 | Thomas Varin | ||
| 1813 | 1816 | Pierre Buot-Desparquets | ||
| 1816 | 1831 | Gabriel Retout | ||
| 1831 | 1834 | Zéphir Morin | ||
| 1834 | 1843 | Micel Morin | ||
| 1843 | 1848 | Zéphir Morin | ||
| 1848 | 1851 | Pierre Hellouin | ||
| 1851 | 1867 | Zéphir Morin | ||
| 1867 | 1876 | Pierre Marie | ||
| 1876 | 1880 | Victor Delaplanche | ||
| 1880 | 1882 | Exupère Girard | ||
| 1882 | 1883 | Georges Valpincon | ||
| 1883 | 1888 | Louis Tardif | ||
| 1888 | 1896 | Édouard Ybert | ||
| 1896 | 1902 | Alphonse Lerot | ||
| 1902 | 1919 | Alfred Frilley | ||
| 1919 | 1924 | Henri Fauvel |
| From | To | Name | Party | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | 1965 | Louis Lacaine | ||
| 1965 | 1971 | Marcel Hubert | ||
| 1971 | 1988 | André Brion | ||
| 1988 | 2001 | Marcel Bénard | ||
| 2001 | 2008 | Pierre Lefèvre | Retired School Headmaster | |
| 2008 | 2012 | Daniel Burtin[16] | Territorial official | |
| 2013[17] | 2017 | Pierre Lefèvre[18] |
A squadron ofMobile Gendarmerie (EGM 24/3) is based in Aunay-sur-Odon.
Aunay-sur-Odon has a nursery school and a public elementary school. Secondary education is provided by the Charles Lemaître College who also host a general and vocational education section.
Aunay-sur-Odon hastwinning associations with:[19]
Holsworthy (United Kingdom) since 1976.
Mömbris (Germany) since 1989.The inhabitants of the commune are known asAunais orAunaises in French.[20]
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Aunay-sur-Odon is part of the tourist destination ofBocage Normand. Guided tours of the city are available from the tourist office. There are hiking and biking trails at the entry point toNorman Switzerland.
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