Fécamp

Fécamp
Fécamp 100 0014.JPG
Fécamp from the cliffs
Fécamp is located in France
Fécamp
Administration
Country France
Region Upper Normandy
Department Seine-Maritime
Arrondissement Le Havre
Canton Fécamp
Mayor Patrick Jeanne
(2001–2008)
Statistics
Elevation 0–125 m (0–410 ft)
(avg. 14 m/46 ft)
Land area1 15.07 km2 (5.82 sq mi)
Population2 19,914  (2006)
 - Density 1,321 /km2 (3,420 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 76259/ 76400
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Fécamp is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.

Contents

Geography

Fécamp is situated in the valley of the river Valmont, at the heart of the Pays de Caux, on the Albaster Coast.

History

Origin of the name

According to legend, the trunk of a fig tree carrying the Precious Blood of Christ collected by Joseph of Arimathea was washed ashore on the riverbank at Fécamp in the 1st century. Immediately, a fountain of holy blood gushed from the site and the relic quickly attracted many pilgrims, enhancing the reputation of the city. The name “Fécamp” was artificially connected with this legend by monks: Fici-campus, the camp of the fig tree. Fécamp also is mentioned in 875 under the name Fiscannum and later on in 990 as Fiscannus which stems from the Germanic root fisc (‘Eng – fish’) with an unknown suffix. It used to be the name of the Valmont River.

Pre-history

The prehistoric site, on the high ground inland from the port of Fécamp, reveals human occupation dating back to Neolithic times. Spreading over 21 hectares, surrounded by walls and ditches for a length of nearly 2000 meters, including a praetorian door. Objects recovered range in date from the Neolithic until Roman times..

Roman times

Many items of the Gallo-Roman period have been found locally, particularly coins (including 2 gold Gallic coins found in 1839). A bronze axe, of Celtic design, was unearthed in 1859.

Fécamp was on the ancient road linking up Arques-la-Bataille and Lillebonne with the north of Gaul. The archaeological diggings around the Ducal palace(in the grounds of the present abbey) in 1973-1984 revealed some evidence of the La Tiene Celtic culture and Gallo-Roman works. Two Gallo-Roman cemeteries have also been discovered.

During Roman times, a road linked Fécamp to Étretat, passing through the present-day village of Fond-Pitron. The current D940 follows the original Roman road.

Middle Ages

The Abbey

More from the Middle Ages

The castle was the birthplace of many Norman dukes, including Richard I of Normandy (born 933) and Richard II of Normandy (who died 22 August 1027).

Modern era

A fishing boat returns to port
Fishing boats return to port

The history of Fécamp has always revolved around the fishing industry and its harbour (first mentioned in the 11th century). The reputation of the salt-herrings of Fécamp was established as early as the 10th century, that of smoked herrings from the thirteenth century. An association of whale fishermen was created in the 11th century. Fishing for cod started commercially in the 16th century, under the impetus of Nicolas Selles, an early shipping magnate. Throughout the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, Fécamp had an important role as the chief fishing port in France for cod and cod-related fish. This was the case up until the 1970s, when Canada stopped all access to their fishing grounds. First practiced by three-masted sailing ships, Atlantic fishing trips could last more than six months, the time taken to fill the hold with cod, which were salted to preserve them.

The fishing was actually carried out in small boats, carrying only two or three fishermen. Many of these small boats would be lost in the fog and never returned to the ship. As technology evolved, the three-mast boats disappeared, giving way to steamers, then to diesel-engined vessels. These days, only a small fishing fleet survives, restricted to fishing around coastal waters. In the harbour, pleasure-boats have taken the place of all but a few fishing-boats.

Palais de la Bénédictine

The Bénédictine Palace

Heraldry

Arms of Fécamp

The arms of Fécamp are blazoned :
Vert, 3 tents argent open vert, and on a chief azure, a falcon ?rising? maintaining a cornucopia, from which pours grain over the field, argent.

Education

Fécamp has four high schools:

Civil architecture

Church architecture

Museums

Sites

The sea, from Notre-Dame-de-Salut

People associated with Fécamp

Tony Parker

Twin towns

See also

References

  1. ↑ p 388

External links