Everything about Saint-valery-sur-somme totally explained
Saint-Valery-sur-Somme is a town and
canton of the
Somme département. The village is a popular tourist destination because of its medieval character and ramparts, gothic church and long waterside boardwalk.
Geography
The commune is on the
Picardie coast adjacent to the Baie de la Somme and at the mouth of the
Somme river. It is 30km north west of
Abbeville and to the west of the battlefields of the
Somme. The majority of the commune lies adjacent to the sea and the Somme river on the Quai du Romerel, Quai Courbet, Quai Jeanne d'Arc, Quai Blavet and the Quai Perree. The oldest part of the commune lies on the northern coast to the north west of the main settlement. To the south is the main road, the CD940 between
Abbeville and
Cayeux-sur-Mer.
Population
History
The history of the commune dates back to before the era of the
Roman invasion when it was a small settlement inhabitated by
Gauls. The Roman invasion encouraged the small hamlet to grow into a small village and after the Romans left France the village soon came up the power of the
Franks.
In
611, the Gualaric monk known as Valery arrived in the area. He installed himself as a hermit on the headland of the site of Leuconaus. His virtue and miracles quickly attracted disciples. These disciples formed a primitive abbey. The saint was then buried there in
622 and became known as
Saint Blimont.
Clotaire II (King of Neustrie) provided the foundations of the new abbey in
627. The relics of the saint attracted many pilgrims to the abbey which had become known as Saint-Valery. During the 8th and 9th century, the abbey and village were plundered and devastated on several occasions by the
Vikings.
The village grew during the 10th and 11th centuries and was historically significant as the site where
William the Conqueror assembled his fleet before sailing over to
England in
1066. During the many wars between the
French and the
English the village passed between French, English and Burgundian ownership. The English destroyed the abbey and cloister in order to strengthen the nearby St Valery castle. In
1431,
Joan of Arc, captive of the
English, was held prisoner in the local prison where she was then conveyed to
Rouen and burnt at the stake. The cell in which she stayed can still be found near part of the old village walls.
The commune found peace and prosperity during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The abbey was rebuilt and still stands today. The activity of the port flourished, thanks to the export of the wines and the growth of the
herring industry. It was near enough to
Paris to be one of the earlier suppliers of the
chasse marée merchants. The commune mirrors the history of France, becoming a site of religious conflict between
Protestants and
Catholics and later as a source of conflict during the
French revolution.
The commune was popular during the 19th century with artists and writers and
Victor Hugo,
Jules Verne,
Sisley and
Degas all had villas here at one time or another.
Places of interest
The abbey church
Railway
Saint-Valery has a station (and out-of-season terminus) of the narrow gauge "
Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme" (Somme Bay Railway), which is now largely a tourist attraction. Running around the entire length of the bay, this railway connects
Le Crotoy with
Noyelles-sur-Mer, and Saint-Valery; in the summer season trains also run from Saint-Valery to
Cayeux-sur-Mer and the sands at Brighton Plage.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Saint-valery-sur-somme'.
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