Ranville

Ranville is a commune of the Calvados département in the Basse -Normandie. Administratively, it is assigned to the Canton of Cabourg and the arrondissement Caen.

• 4.1 Castle Guernon - Ranville
• 4.2 Other Facilities

Geography

The northern French village with 1612 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) is located on the right bank of the Orne. Immediately west of the river runs parallel to the Orne an artificial tributaries, the Canal de Caen à long la Mer, which connects about 15 miles up the Norman capital of Caen with the port of Ouistreham on the English Channel. Ranville is - strategically located - halfway this channel.

Travelers to the West have to cross two bridges between Ranville and the neighboring community Bénouville: the first leads over the Orne and the second over the channel.

History

In November 2000, an archaeological site was discovered from the Lower Palaeolithic to the confluence of the Orne and Aiguillon. In the two following years, excavations were carried out in which animal remains and stone implements have been found that are dated around the year 230,000 BC.

For the Gallo- Roman period led a Roman road, the places Pont-Audemer and Bayeux, which connected by Ranville. The travelers had to rent a boat in Ranville, to continue in Bénouville the way. Only in the 19th century, the ferry was replaced by a swing bridge.

In medieval times, a fief was formed out locally. It belonged to a feudal lord of Germanic origin. His name Rando completed by the Latin place names mission -villa (' Estate' ) gave the place name Ranville (, estate of Rando '). The population lived mainly on farming and inland fishing, but in the 11th century, when the Normans overran England, was limestone, the coveted Pierre de Caen, degraded. This was shipped in large quantities on the Orne to England. Also, river sand was recovered. The fishing and the removal of sand came with the opening of the channel but to a standstill.

In the 19th and 20th century agriculture experienced with the draining of the marshes an upswing. The territory was divided into the following hamlets: Le Bourg Neuf, Le Bas de Ranville, Le Hom, Le Moulin, Le Mariquet, Longueville and Longueval. On August 23, 1857 Canal de Caen à la mer was the Emperor Napoleon III. inaugurated.

In 1934 a new bridge was built over the canal. This bridge, the Pont de Bénouville actually said was, in 1944 as part of Operation Tonga highly competitive during the invasion of Normandy and was nationally known in the sequence under the name Pegasus Bridge. 1944 failed due to an oversight, an attempt German frogmen to blow up the bridge: they blew a neighboring bridge.

In 1994, the bridge was replaced by a larger duplicate, the original of which was shipped to the outside of a museum. Ranville was also the first village in France, which was liberated after the landing of Allied forces in Normandy on 6 June 1944 by the German occupation. This was due the 13th Parachute Battalion of the British Army, which was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Luard. This former manor house Chateau du Heaume then served as the headquarters of the 6th British Airborne Division.

Demographics

The population has risen sharply in the second half of the 20th century.

Economy

In Ranville Ciments Français, a subsidiary of the Italian Italcementi, a cement factory operates.

Attractions

Castle Guernon - Ranville

The Château de Guernon - Ranvillegeht to the mid-18th century back. It bears the name of the very old Norman noble family Guernon which the fief of Ranville acquired in 1751 and was built on the feudal structure. He was Nearly 200 years of family ownership, with the most famous owner of the Count and Minister Martial de Guernon - Ranville was.

During the German occupation of France in World War II, the castle of the Wehrmacht in 1940 was confiscated and placed the Organisation Todt available. At the liberation of Normandy in the night of 5 to 6 June 1944, three members of this organization, still wearing nightgown, was arrested by the Allies. Subsequently, the complex was converted immediately into a military hospital, which was named the Main Dressing Station and was operated by ten British officers and about a hundred soldiers. The medical company supplied the first few days about four hundred wounded and took about forty before emergency surgery. Connecting the war-torn were repatriated by sea.

Today the castle, which has been carefully renovated, a hostel operation for holiday guests. The residences are but partly furnished in the main building in the old stables. The equipment is largely authentic.

Other Facilities

• The bell tower of the old church from the 12th and 13th centuries, built of limestone Pierre de Caen, has been preserved. 1860, the inhabitants demolish the other parts of the ancient Church, since this temple was considered too small and outdated. The tower, which was renovated between 2007 and 2008, stands next to the new church.

• The Château du Mariquet castle dating from the 18th and 19th centuries belonged to 2009, the Rohan - Chabot.

• The Château du Hom Castle

• The Military Museum Memorial Pegasus - Ranville - Bénouville with the original Pegasus Bridge outdoors.

• The British Military Cemetery

• The Horsabrücke, which spans the River Orne, was originally called Pont de Ranville and was during the invasion of Normandy, as well as the Pegasus Bridge, highly competitive. The capture of the bridge by the Allies is discussed in the film The Longest Day.

• The manor house dating from the 16th century on the Rue de la Grange aux Dimes

• Château du Mariquet
• Original Pegasus Bridge at night
• British Military Cemetery

Personalities

• Martial de Guernon - Ranville, jurist and politician who died in 1866 at the Chateau de Guernon - Ranville, whose owner he was.
• The Brotheridge (1915-1944), British Lieutenant, is buried in the military cemetery at Ranville.

Twin Cities

• Moths, Bavaria, Germany
• Petworth, West Sussex, England - since 1989