Vire, Normandie | |
|---|---|
Part ofVire Normandie | |
 Vire from thePlace du Château | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Vire, Normandie | |
  Vire, Normandie  Vire, Normandie | |
| Coordinates:48°50′N0°53′W / 48.84°N 0.89°W /48.84; -0.89 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Normandy |
| Department | Calvados |
| Arrondissement | Vire |
| Canton | Vire Normandie |
| Commune | Vire Normandie |
Area 1 | 22.50 km2 (8.69 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 10,906 |
| • Density | 484.7/km2 (1,255/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 14500 |
| Elevation | 85–225 m (279–738 ft) (avg. 134 m or 440 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Vire (French pronunciation:[viʁ]ⓘ) is a town and a formercommune in theCalvadosdepartment in theNormandyregion in northwesternFrance. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune ofVire Normandie.[2]
The town is located on the riverVire. Much of its surroundings consist of thebocage virois, a type of mixed woodland and pasture common in Normandy.[3]
In 1123,King of England andDuke of NormandyHenry I had a redoubt constructed on a rocky hill top, which was surrounded by theVire river. The redoubt was stoned square at the bottom to assure the defense of theDuchy of Normandy against any attacks fromBrittany orMaine.[4]
At the beginning of the 13th century, KingLouis IX of France ordered that the existing stonework be supplemented with exterior ramparts. However the second precinct was finished only in the early the 14th century.[5]: 7
At the end of the Middle Ages, the village prospered first with leather and then with textiles[6] During theHundred Years' War, Vire was plundered in 1368 by large military companies,[5] and delivered to the English in 1418. The English occupation would end in 1450, with many considering it a time of brutality and oppression. Notably, the execution of Hugues Vaux, owner of the largest farm of the village, after refusing to give up his farm to the English sergeant Fields, caused much grief among the population. Some inhabitants nevertheless benefited from the English occupation. Eugène Vergny, who provided Fields with information about the movement of the French troops, received the property of Vaux after his execution.[4]
During the reign ofLouis XIII, because a number ofFortifications of theMiddle Ages served in rebellions by theHuguenots in particular, the castle and its precinct were dismantled on orders ofCardinal Richelieu.[5]: 7
During the 19th century, the village did not respond well to theIndustrial Revolution and went into an important recession.
The castle of Tracy, the manor of 19th-century the French historianArcisse de Caumont, can be found just north of Vire in the old community of Neuville.[7]
Like many other Norman cities and villages, Vire suffered heavily from British bombings on June 6, 1944, orD-Day, during theSecond World War. 95% of the town was destroyed.[citation needed] One of the two target-marking flare groups was out of alignment and much of the bombing fell across the town of Vire. TheMaster Bomber in charge of the operation identified the problem and issued corrections to the incoming aircraft. Much of the bombing from the first wave of aircraft fell across the town of Vire killing many of the inhabitants. It was a distressing night for many families.[8]After two days of heavy fighting, with 108 soldiers killed and four missing, the town was liberated on 8 August 1944 by the 1st Bn of the 116th Regiment of Infantry of the 29th Infantry Div. of the US Army.
The reconstruction of Vire began in the 1960s.
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| Source:EHESS/Cassini until 1999,[9]INSEE from 2007[10][11][1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In 1953 Vire was merged with the former commune of Neuville and in 1972 with the former commune of Saint-Martin-de-Tallevende. Since January 2016 it has been a delegated commune within the commune ofVire Normandie.[12] Vire is part of thecanton of Vire Normandie.[13]
Vire has a large railway station (Gare de Vire) which has frequent services to Paris and Granville. The nearest airport isCaen – Carpiquet Airport in Caen (40 min drive).
Vire is connected toSaint-Lô andCherbourg-en-Cotentin via RN 174 and to Caen via RD 577 andA84. Vire is also connected toGranville,Villedieu-les-Poêles,Flers,Argentan,Dreux andParis via RD 924.
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| Climate data for Vire (2003–2020 normals, extremes 2003–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.2 (63.0) | 21.9 (71.4) | 24.4 (75.9) | 28.0 (82.4) | 30.5 (86.9) | 37.0 (98.6) | 39.3 (102.7) | 37.2 (99.0) | 32.7 (90.9) | 28.7 (83.7) | 22.7 (72.9) | 17.7 (63.9) | 39.3 (102.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) | 9.0 (48.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 15.6 (60.1) | 18.2 (64.8) | 21.4 (70.5) | 23.5 (74.3) | 22.8 (73.0) | 20.8 (69.4) | 16.6 (61.9) | 12.0 (53.6) | 9.1 (48.4) | 15.8 (60.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) | 5.6 (42.1) | 7.4 (45.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 16.2 (61.2) | 18.0 (64.4) | 17.5 (63.5) | 15.3 (59.5) | 12.6 (54.7) | 8.7 (47.7) | 6.0 (42.8) | 11.3 (52.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) | 2.2 (36.0) | 3.0 (37.4) | 4.6 (40.3) | 7.8 (46.0) | 11.0 (51.8) | 12.5 (54.5) | 12.1 (53.8) | 9.7 (49.5) | 8.6 (47.5) | 5.4 (41.7) | 2.9 (37.2) | 6.9 (44.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −11.1 (12.0) | −10.3 (13.5) | −12.1 (10.2) | −5.1 (22.8) | −2.4 (27.7) | 1.4 (34.5) | 3.5 (38.3) | 3.4 (38.1) | −0.1 (31.8) | −2.7 (27.1) | −7.7 (18.1) | −16.6 (2.1) | −16.6 (2.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 101.2 (3.98) | 78.6 (3.09) | 70.6 (2.78) | 58.4 (2.30) | 67.2 (2.65) | 58.0 (2.28) | 61.7 (2.43) | 71.1 (2.80) | 51.8 (2.04) | 95.1 (3.74) | 101.1 (3.98) | 116.6 (4.59) | 931.4 (36.67) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 15.2 | 12.5 | 11.5 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 8.9 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 8.1 | 12.8 | 14.2 | 15.2 | 138.9 |
| Source: Meteociel[15] | |||||||||||||
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