Lillebonne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lillebonne is a town of France in the département of Seine-Maritime, 3.5 miles north of the Seine and 24 miles east of Le Havre by railway. As of 2004, the town has a population of 9,600.
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[edit] History
Lillebonne under the Romans, Juliobona, was the capital of the Caletes, or inhabitants of the Pays de Caux, in the time of Julius Caesar, by whom it was destroyed. It was afterwards rebuilt by Augustus, and before it was again ruined by the barbarian invasions it had become an important centre whence Roman roads branched out in all directions. It was an administrative, military and commercial city located close to the Seine. This made it a great transportation route between Brittany (current England) and the remainder of the Roman Empire. It was also a crossroads of communication in order to bring Roman ways to Harfleur, Etretat, Dieppe, Evreux and Rouen.
The remains of Roman baths and of a theater capable of holding 3,000 persons have been brought to light. Many Roman and Gallic relics, notably a bronze statue of a woman and two fine mosaics, have been found and transported to the museum at Rouen. In the Middle Ages the fortifications of the town were constructed out of materials supplied by the theater. The town recovered some of its old importance under William the Conqueror.
[edit] Geography
Lillebonne lies in the valley of the Bolbec River at the foot of wooded hills.
[edit] Sights
The church of Notre Dame, partly modern, preserves a Gothia portal of the 16th century and a graceful tower of the same period. The park contains a fine cylindrical donjon and other remains of a castle founded by William the Conqueror and rebuilt in the 13th century.
The Gallo-Roman Amphitheater of Lillebonne was built in the first century and was altered in the second century so that it could be used as both an amphitheater and a theater. Part of its remains are still visible today from Félix Faur Square, and the foundations of some of its remnants (the wings and backdrop) remain under the square.
[edit] Economy
The principal industries are cotton-spinning and the manufacture of calico and candles.
[edit] Twin towns
Lillebonne is twinned with the towns of Wellington, Somerset, England, and Immenstadt, Bavaria, Germany.
[edit] References
http://www.ot-lillebonne.fr/guide_accueil.pdf (French)
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
