Falaise, Calvados
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Commune of Falaise |
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| Location | |
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Basse-Normandie |
| Department | Calvados |
| Arrondissement | Caen |
| Canton | Chief town of 2 cantons Falaise-Nord Falaise-Sud |
| Intercommunality | Pays de Falaise |
| Mayor | Eric Macé |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 89 m–188 m (avg. 132 m) |
| Land area¹ | 11.84 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
8434 |
| - Density | 712/km² (1999) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 14258/ 14700 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
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Falaise is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in Normandy, northwestern France. Population (1982) 8,820; (1990) 8,387; (1999) 8,797.
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[edit] Geography
Falaise lies on the Ante River, about 20 miles (32 kilometres) southeast of Caen.
[edit] History
The town was the birthplace of William I the Conqueror, first of the Norman kings of England. The castle (12th-13th century), which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of the dukes of Normandy.
The town is known for the battle of the "Falaise pocket" during the Allied reconquest of France in August 1944 in which two German armies were encircled and destroyed by the British 2nd Army. Some 10,000 German troops were killed and 50,000 taken prisoner. Two-thirds of Falaise was destroyed by Allied bombing before the town was taken by Canadian and Polish troops. Falaise was largely restored after the war.
[edit] Activities
Exhibits at the Museum of the Battle of the Falaise Pocket include several military vehicles, pieces of artillery, and other weapons. The weekly market takes place on Saturdays.
[edit] External links
- Castle William-the-Conqueror in Falaise, France. (Official website in English)
- Normandieweb on Falaise (in French)
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