Fermanville () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Manche Manche (, ) is a coastal French département in Normandy, on the English Channel, which is known as ''La Manche'', literally "the sleeve", in French. It had a population of 495,045 in 2019.department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in north-western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Located on the Channel coast between

Cherbourg-en-Cotentin Cherbourg-en-Cotentin () is a city in the department of Manche, Normandy, northwestern France, established on 1 January 2016.

and

Barfleur Barfleur () is a commune and fishing village in Manche, Normandy, northwestern France. History During the Middle Ages, Barfleur was one of the chief ports of embarkation for England. * 1066: A large medallion fixed to a rock in the harbour ...

, Fermanville is divided into small hamlets on either side of the Cap lévi, the headland forming the eastern end of the bay of Cherbourg, and the valley of the small river Poult. It marks the entrance to the natural region of the

Val de Saire The Val de Saire (or Vale of the River Saire) is an area situated in the north of the Cotentin Peninsula, to the east of Cherbourg in the French region of Lower Normandy. To the south lies the Plain. It is named after the river Saire, which flow ...

. The village's economy is based on

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

. Fermanville has two important Paleolithic sites in France, including the oldest known submerged habitat in Europe. Cap Levi and its coves were during Antiquity and the Middle Ages a point of passage to Great Britain. A strategic point with the development of the military port of Cherbourg from the end of the 18th century, the coastline of the commune was fortified several times until the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

: the German batteries protecting Cherbourg experienced the last fighting of the liberation of the Nord-Cotentin in June 1944. The commune is home to three

monuments historiques ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

: the manor house of Inthéville, the stele for Marie Ravenel and the Cap Lévi lighthouse. Other notable buildings include the Cap Lévi Fort and Fermanville Viaduc.

History

French submarine ''Prométhée'' sank off Fermanville on 7 July 1932.

Places of interest

* Fort Lévi : fort built in 1801 on

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

's orders ; * Railway viaduct located in the ''vallée des moulins'' village, used until 1951 for the Cherbourg-Barfleur train ;

History

Places of interest

See also