Saint-Laurent-de-Brèvedent () is a commune in the

Seine-Maritime Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-Inf� ...

department in the

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

region in northern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Geography

A village of

farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

and forestry, by the banks of the St.Laurent river, in the

Pays de Caux The Pays de Caux (, , literally ''Land of Caux'') is an area in Normandy occupying the greater part of the French '' département'' of Seine Maritime in Normandy. It is a chalk plateau to the north of the Seine Estuary and extending to the cl ...

, situated some northeast of

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

, at the junction of the D34, D234 and D111 roads. The commune has a TER railway station and a

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

providing water for the city of

History

The village is named after Lawrence of Rome, patron of the village church. The word "Brévedent" probably has its origins in an early Germanic language as ''beber'' (beaver) and ''daum'' (river), which can be translated as "beaver river" .
The village grew during

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

times, with the construction of the first church in the 12th century. Only the original tower still remains, the rest having been completely rebuilt between 1865 and 1879.
Unusually, a school has existed here since the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, even if it functioned erratically. It was replaced by a new building in 1789, during the French Revolution, then again in 1892 and finally rebuilt in 1994.
The commune enjoyed considerable tourism during the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century, as the opening of the railway station in 1847 allowed the residents of Le Havre to spend weekends here in holiday villas, some of which can still seen in the district of Catillon (now nicknamed the "Riviera").
During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the area, with the calm of the countryside, became a place of refuge for the people of Le Havre, with its proximity and ease of access, far from the industrial and military targets of the large port.

Heraldry

Population

Places of interest

* The nineteenth-century chateau of Aplemont. * William Malet a companion of William the Conqueror, built himself a castle at Graville and a Motte-and-bailey Castle in Aplemont, France (Normandy). * The church of St. Laurent, dating from the twelfth century. * The

and the woods.

References

External links

Official website of the commune
Communes of Seine-Maritime {{LeHavre-geo-stub