Bricquebec

Bricquebec (French pronunciation: [bʁikbɛk]) is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Bricquebec-en-Cotentin.

Bricquebec
Part of Bricquebec-en-Cotentin
Château de Bricquebec
Coat of arms
Location of Bricquebec
Bricquebec Bricquebec
Coordinates: 49°28′00″N 1°38′00″W
Country	France
Region	Normandy
Department	Manche
Arrondissement	Cherbourg
Canton	Bricquebec
Commune	Bricquebec-en-Cotentin
Area 1	32.66 km2 (12.61 sq mi)
Population  (2019)	3,972
• Density	120/km2 (310/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal code	50260
Elevation	7–161 m (23–528 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

As revealed by the etymology of its name, the origin of Bricquebec (from the Scandinavian bekkr, a course of water; in turn from brekka, slope) is connected to the Viking colonisation of the Cotentin Peninsula at the beginning of the 10th century. Tradition attributes the foundation of the château to the Norman, Anslech. The dukes of Normandy made Bricquebec one of their strongholds.

Heraldry

Arms of Bricquebec

The arms of Bricquebec are blazoned : Or, a lion vert armed and langued gules.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Bricquebec is twinned with:

• New Alresford, United Kingdom
• Lachendorf, Germany
• Sremski Karlovci, Serbia

Population

Inhabitants are referred to as Bricquebétais.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1793 4,266 —     1800 4,000 −6.2% 1806 4,345 +8.6% 1821 4,349 +0.1% 1831 4,255 −2.2% 1836 4,414 +3.7% 1841 4,484 +1.6% 1846 4,504 +0.4% 1851 4,446 −1.3% 1856 3,988 −10.3% 1861 3,969 −0.5% 1866 3,779 −4.8% 1872 3,622 −4.2% 1876 3,667 +1.2% 1881 3,757 +2.5% 1886 3,647 −2.9% 1891 3,661 +0.4%

Year Pop. ±% 1896 2,761 −24.6% 1901 2,778 +0.6% 1906 2,817 +1.4% 1911 2,816 −0.0% 1921 2,536 −9.9% 1926 2,596 +2.4% 1931 2,604 +0.3% 1936 2,682 +3.0% 1946 2,882 +7.5% 1954 2,732 −5.2% 1962 2,873 +5.2% 1968 3,063 +6.6% 1975 3,142 +2.6% 1982 3,724 +18.5% 1990 4,363 +17.2% 1999 4,360 −0.1% 2009 4,252 −2.5%

Sights

• Château (XII^e), with polygonal ramparts, towers and turret (historical monument class).
• Château des Galleries (XVI^e/XVII^e)
• Abbaye Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (Cistercian) (XIX^e)
• Château Saint-Blaise (XVII^e/XIX^e)

Events

• Market every Monday morning
• La Sainte Anne traditional fair on the last weekend in July

Personalities

• Jean Le Marois (1776–1836), a general under Napoléon, député of la Manche.
• Armand Le Véel (1821–1905), statue sculptor
• Aristide Frémine (1837–1897), writer
• Roger Lemerre, soccer player, born in 1941, selected for national team of France, 1998–2002
• William Bertram Baron of Briquebec, 1012, father of Hugue (named de Roussel) who was appointed Marshal of England by King William I (Duke of Normandy)
• Olly Southwick, Alresford MVP Astro Christmas Football 2019

See also

• The Trappe de Bricquebec cheese
• The Trappiste de Bricquebec cheese