A protected natural environment...
The Cotentin peninsula is above all 350 Km of coastline. From the Mont Saint Michel, the royal entryway to the Bay of Veys, visitors can behold a variety of landscapes: bocage, meadows, polders, dunes, cliffs, havens and marshlands... All these places make up a sanctuary with abundant and diverse flora and fauna.
You can also organise a day trip to the Channel Islands, the Chausey Islands or the Isle of Tatihou.
A few famous names...
J.F. MILLET (1814-1875): his scenes of the countryside and peasantry show his attachment to the humble background from which he came; though this did not stop him from becoming one of the founders of the Barbizon school – Visit his birthplace of Gréville-Hague
Alexis DE TOCQUEVILLE (1805-1859): a political thinker, historian and writer. He stands out for his analyses of the French revolution, the progression of democracy in the West and in America – Tocqueville-related places to visit: château de Nacqueville, château de Tourlaville, château de Tocqueville
Barbey D'AUREVILLY (1808-1889): popularly known as the Constable of Literature; this writer became one of the theorists of Dandyism. His literary work is set against the backdrop of the Cotentin peninsula and blends historical realism, supernaturalism and romantic exaltation (e.g.: The She-Devils) - Visit: the Barbey d'Aurevilly museum in Saint Sauveur le Vicomte
Coutances, city of art and history...
Representative of the region’s cultural wealth and traditions, Coutances, in the shadow of Notre Dame Cathedral, claims the title of the cultural capital of the Manche. Regardless of the season, the cultural events organised (theatre, concerts, exhibitions, festivals, etc.) are always in full swing.
"Jazz sous les pommiers" (Jazz under the apple trees) is a perfect example of this drive (link to: Coutances City/ Jazz sous les pommiers)
A land of art and history...
The Normans, a great building people, have left us unparalleled spiritual and architectural heritage. While walking across the varied landscapes, you will see manors, fortified farms, churches and grand châteaux and abbeys.
Naturally, these builders and conquerors sometimes felt the need to go beyond their regional borders and you will see how the sons of a humble Norman lord founded a powerful kingdom in Sicily and in so doing joined in the conquest of Southern Italy (Tancrède museum in Hauteville la Guichard).
The Cotentin peninsula is among the regions that give their inhabitants sufficiently strong roots, emboldening them to travel afar. Some famous figures are examples of this openness to the outside.
