Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Gallic leader Vercingetorix surrenders to Julius Caesar
Right
Battle of Formigny
Moments in History
58-51 BC: Roman Invasion
By 56 BC the Romans had
swept through the region, con-
quering the Celtic Gallic settlers.
They built roads, amphitheatres,
viaducts and major fortified
settlements, including Rotomagus
(Rouen), Augustodurum (Bayeux)
and Mediolanum (Evreux).
1204: Union of Normandy
and France
Since the accession of Henry II,
King of England and Duke of
Normandy, the French had tried
to wrest control of the duchy
from England. They succeeded in
1204, when King John lost
Normandy to Philippe Auguste.
911: Treaty of St-Clair-
sur-Epte
By the early 10th century, the
Carolingian king, Charles the
Simple, realized that the Vikings,
who had invaded in 800, would
not go away quietly, so he ceded
Rouen and the east of the
region, making their leader Rollo
the first duke of Normandy.
1315: Normandy Charter
Signed by Louis X, this
charter gave the region provincial
autonomy, a sovereign court of
justice in Rouen, and control
over taxes. In return, local taxes
were increased dramatically -
amounting to a quarter of the
entire country's tax bill.
1450: French Recovery of
Normandy
In the final phase of the Hundred
Years' War, the decisive Battle of
Formigny saw the French using
guns and heavy cavalry to inflict
a major defeat on English
archers. This battle marked the
end of fighting in Normandy and
led to its recovery by France.
1066: Norman Conquest
When Edward the Confessor
died without an heir, his cousin
William saw his chance to claim
the English throne. He sailed for
England on 27 September 1066,
triumphed at Hastings on 14
October, and was crowned King
of England on Christmas Day.
1789: Caen Revolt
During the French Revolution,
there were royalist pockets
throughout Normandy, but Caen
became a centre for the
republican Girondin movement
(many of whose members
originally came from the
Gironde). Like the republicans
who stormed the Bastille, their
Norman counterparts demolished
the château prison in Rouen.
Viking longship
For more on the Norman invasion of England
See pp12-15
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