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At the time of the Roman conquest three main groups of people were living in the area known today as Calvados.
- The Lexoviens to the East, now known as Pays d'Auge.
- The Baïocassesto the West which has now extended towards the West and South and is known today as Bessin to Virois .
- The Viducasses were between them.
Christinization began at the the end of the second century. The diocese of Bayeux was created around the city at the beginning of the third century and included the Viducasse territory. .
Towards the end of the third century the Saxons came and carried out several raids . Under pressure the Baïocasses and Viducasses joined forces and took Augustodurum as their capital and renamed it Civitas Baiocassium (Bayeux today).
Progressively the authority of the Roman emperor was lost . Clovis became King of the Franks in 481. Normandy was under his control as soon as 486.
The Frankish kingdom was subdivided into counties (comtés) where a count was the representative of the king and governed the county in his name. The bounderies of this county corresponded to the diocese of Bayeux. It remained the same until the creation of the départements in 1791 with minor changes seen in the cartography.
In 884, Rollo, a viking chief attacks and ransacks Bayeux. In 911 he becomes Duke of Normandy when the treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte is signed with Charles the Simple. It comprises only what is known today as Haute-Normandie.
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| Maps to consult |
Cartography of the territory of the Baïocasses and the Viducasses in the 4th century.
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Representation of Bessin according to the cartography of Guillaume Blaeu in 1635.
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Map of Bessin and Bocage according to Guillaume Delisle in 1716
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After successive conquests, the duchy of Normandy extends its sovereignty . The county of Bessin comes under its authority in 924. In this county the city of Vire is a strategic stronghold controlling the Normans and Bretons. Regarding the normand Dukes, the countal title only belonged to the Duke of Normandy..
The Dukes-Counts named Vicomtes to represent them in the various normands counties.
In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, William the Bastard (soon to be called William the Conqueror), became King of England after his victory at Hastings against Harold Godwinson In 1337, the Hundred Year War began and Normandy played an important role
in the various stages of this conflict of troubled times with intervals of peace. The occupation of Normandy ended in 1450 after the bataille of Firmigny (15 km to the West of Bayeux) with the victory of Arthur de Richemont.
This long War over, a period of properity began in Normandy. The growth of the population increased and in 1530 it reached the same level as before the crisis. Manors were built in the countryside as well as luxury private houses and hotels were constructed in the main towns Bayeux and Vire
From this period Normandy was exposed to the new religious ideas of the 16th century. However, there was unrest in Bayeux in 1562 .
Due to the révocation of the Edicts of Nantes
in 1685 many calvanists emigrated to England or Holland. Then a long period of peace and prosperity folowed until the outbreak of the french revolution. The département of Calvados was created in 1790. Around this time the idea of the Bessin area changed and it was reduced.The bounderies to the west were the fronteries of the department. Vire to the south became seperated and furthermore from the middle of the 18th century, Caen was not recognised as part of the Bessin.
From 1795 basse Normandy is strenghtened by royal support . 1795-1799 under the direction of royalist bands, attacks took place mainly in Vire.
The XIX th century was for calvados a time of economic development and important projects. At the end of the century a railroad was planned to link Bayeux to Caumont.
The major event in the recent history of Bessin au Virois was the landing of the allied forces on the 6th of June 1944. This event had a deep impact, all the cities were destroyed except miraculousy Bayeux which was also the first french town to be liberated and became, under Général de Gaulle, the capital of free France until the liberation of Paris two months later.
From 1795, Royal support (chouannerie) strengthens its support in Basse-Normandy. Under the Directoire (1795-1799), royalistes bands attacks some places, especially Vire.
The XIXth century is, for western Calvados, a time of economic development and expensive public work.
A railway is planned to link Bayeux to Caumont l'Eventé.
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The major event in the recent history of Bessin au Virois is the landing of the Allied forces on the 6th June 1944. The destruction of all the cities (except Bayeux miraculously spared) had a deep intact on the territory. Bayeux is the first french city to be freed and becomes, under Général de Gaulle, the capital of Free France until the liberation of Paris two months later. |
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