Country France Department Calvados Canton Trévières Area 61.44 km² Local time Thursday 2:21 AM | Region Normandy Arrondissement Bayeux Intercommunality Isigny-Omaha Intercom Population 2,920 (1999) | |
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Weather 6°C, Wind E at 5 km/h, 97% Humidity | ||
Isigny-sur-Mer ([iziɲi syʁ mɛːʁ]) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It extended on 1 January 2017 by merging with former communes of Castilly, Neuilly-la-Forêt, Les Oubeaux and Vouilly.
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Map of 14230 Isigny-sur-Mer, France
Isigny-sur-Mer was the seat of the canton of Isigny-sur-Mer until 2015, which included 24 communes and had a population of 9,935 inhabitants.
It is part of the communauté de communes Isigny-Omaha Intercom, which includes 59 communes (27,181 inhabitants).
Geography and economy
Positioned at the bottom of the Baie des Veys, Isigny is an important milk production area, known for its AOC butter and cream, as well as its cheeses (Mimolette, Pont-l'Évêque, Camembert, Trésor d'Isigny, etc.) made by the Isigny Sainte-Mère co-operative. Since the second half of the 20th century, oysters have been extensively cultivated nearby in the baie des Veys. A river, the Vire, passes through the commune.
History
The town is well positioned and owes its significance to its industrial history. The industrialisation of milk processing began at the start of the 19th century: many factories were built, especially by the Dupont d'Isigny family, which then diversified and created the famous Isigny caramels. More recently, the co-operative Isigny dairy has dominated. Meanwhile, the agricultural fairs and markets have also contributed to Isigny's reputation.
The d'Isigny family traces back to before the Norman conquest of England, and William The Conqueror (1028–82) had military commanders named d'Isigny. In 1924 Isigny was renamed Isigny-sur-Mer.
The port was important in facilitating inshore navigation, allowing commercial and industrial activity to be developed and maintained (import of wood from the North; export coal from the mine at Littry and butter). Fishing was important until the end of the 1970s (mussel fishing and small vessels crewed by fishermen from the Hogues quarter). The famous "Caïeu d'Isigny" is a hymn to Isigny's sailors and fishermen, created in 1869 by Alfred Rossel (1841–1926).
Isigny was more than 60% destroyed by two bombardments on 8 June 1944 and has since been almost entirely rebuilt. Isigny played its part in the D-Day landings: Twenty small Dutch schuyts were employed by the Americans to bring stores and equipment inland from the larger cargo ships that were moored off-shore. Charles de Gaulle paid its inhabitants visits on 14 June 1944 and 16 June 1946.
The Disney surname derives from the canton of Isigny. The earliest known ancestor of Walt Disney, with a similar name, was Jean-Christophe d'Isigny ("of Isigny"), the branch settled in what is today called Norton Disney in England.
International relations
The commune is twinned with: