Sainte-Mère-Église(French pronunciation:[sɛ̃tmɛʁeɡliz]) is acommunein the northwestern FrenchdepartmentofManche,inNormandy.[3]On 1 January 2016, the former communes ofBeuzeville-au-Plain,Chef-du-Pont,ÉcoquenéauvilleandFoucarvillewere merged into Sainte-Mère-Église.[4]On 1 January 2019, the former communes ofCarquebutandRavenovillewere merged into Sainte-Mère-Église.[5]

Sainte-Mère-Église
Church with Parachute Memorial
Church with Parachute Memorial
Coat of arms of Sainte-Mère-Église
Location of Sainte-Mère-Église
Map
Sainte-Mère-Église is located in France
Sainte-Mère-Église
Sainte-Mère-Église
Sainte-Mère-Église is located in Normandy
Sainte-Mère-Église
Sainte-Mère-Église
Coordinates:49°24′32″N1°19′05″W/ 49.4089°N 1.3181°W/49.4089; -1.3181
CountryFrance
RegionNormandy
DepartmentManche
ArrondissementCherbourg
CantonCarentan-les-Marais
IntercommunalityBaie du Cotentin
Government
• Mayor(2020–2026)Alain Holley[1]
Area
1
52.27 km2(20.18 sq mi)
Population
(2022)[2]
2,910
• Density56/km2(140/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+02:00(CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
50523/50480
Elevation1–41 m (3.3–134.5 ft)
(avg. 34 m or 112 ft)
1French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2(0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

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Sainte-Mère-Église lies in a flat area of theCotentin Peninsulaknown locally asle Plain(as opposed to the standard French termla plaine).[6]The Plain is bounded on the west by theMerderetRiver and by the English channel to the east, and by the communes ofValognesandCarentanto the north and south, respectively. Besides Sainte-Mère-Église, the Plain's other major town isMontebourg,and its coast includesUtah Beach.

Although most of the Cotentin Peninsula belongs to theArmorican Massif,the Plain is part of theParis Basin.[7]Argillaceous limestone from theSinemurian[7]contributes to the region's dairy product appellation (AOC) Isigny-Sainte-Mère, which it shares withBessin.

Horse breeding has long been practiced in the Plain, which is regarded as the cradle of theAnglo-Norman horsebreed, the product of English stallions and mares from theCotendin Peninsula.[8]

History

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Founded in the eleventh century, the earliest records (1080–1082) include theLatinnameSancte Marie Ecclesia,meaning "Church of St. Mary", while a later document written in the local language,Norman,in 1317 mentionsSaincte Mariglise.The current French form of the name means "Holy Mother Church".

The town was involved in theHundred Years' Warand theWars of Religion.

D-Day battle

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The town played a significant part in theWorld War IINormandy landingsbecause of its position in the middle of routeN13,which the Germans would have used to counterattack Allied landings onUtahandOmaha Beaches.In the early morning of 6 June 1944, mixed units of theU.S. 82nd AirborneandU.S. 101st AirborneDivisions occupied the town inMission Boston,making it one of the first towns liberated in the invasion.

The early airborne landings, at about 1:40 a.m., resulted in heavy casualties. Some buildings in town caught fire that night, illuminating the sky, and making easy targets of the descending men. Some were killed by the fire. Many hanging from trees and utility poles were shot.

A well-known incident involved paratrooperJohn Steeleof the505th Parachute Infantry Regiment(PIR), whose parachute got caught on the tower roof and spire of the town church. He hung there for two hours, pretending to be dead until the Germans took him prisoner. Steele later escaped and rejoined his division when U.S. troops of the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment attacked the village, capturing 30 Germans and killing 11. The incident was portrayed in the movieThe Longest Dayby actorRed Buttons.

The village in 1944

At 5 a.m., a force led by Lieutenant Colonel Edward C. Krause of the 505th PIR took the town with little resistance. Allegedly, the German garrison was confused and had retired for the night. However, heavy German counterattacks began later in the day and into the next. The lightly armed troops held the town until reinforced by tanks from nearbyUtah Beachin the afternoon of 7June.

Krause and Lieutenant ColonelBenjamin H. Vandervoortreceived theDistinguished Service Crossfor their actions during the capture of the town. Sgt. George Bowler Tullidge III received theBronze Star;his parents would distributeA Paratrooper's Faith,a collection of Tullidge's letters home plus Bible verses, throughout the 82nd Airborne until 1995. 2nd Lt. Thomas J. Tighe of the 70th Tank Battalion was killed when his tank was hit by German artillery fire on the morning of June 7; he received the Silver Star posthumously.[9]

Paratrooper Henry Langrehr crashed through a greenhouse roof, as retold inThe Longest Day.On 6November 2007, he received theLegion of Honourmedal from thePresident of France,Nicolas Sarkozyalong with five other men.

Heraldry

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blazon1
The arms of Sainte-Mère-Église areblazoned:

Azure, a church Argent roofed Or charged with the capital letters A and M Sable, issuant from a base Gules charged with a léopard d'or; in chief 2 mullets Argent hanging from parachutes Argent.

(On a blue background; a white/silver church, roofed with yellow/gold, marked with the capital letters A and M in black. The red base contains a yellow/gold lion walking to the left. At the top; two white/silver five-pointed stars hang from white/silver parachutes.)



Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
19683,216
19753,220+0.02%
19823,171−0.22%
19903,160−0.04%
19993,099−0.22%
20073,158+0.24%
20123,163+0.03%
20173,077−0.55%
Source: INSEE[10]

Sights

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Tourism in Sainte-Mère-Église today centres on its role in the D-Day invasion. There are many small museums (such as theAirborne Museum) and World War II-related gift shops and eating places. A dummy paratrooper hangs from the church spire, commemorating the story of John Steele.

Behind the church is aspring,believed bypilgrimsto have healing powers, dedicated toSaint Mewan(Saint Méen).

Sainte-Mère-Église is twinned with the English village ofSturminster MarshallinDorset.

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Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^"Répertoire national des élus: les maires".data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises(in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^"Populations de référence 2022"(in French).The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.19 December 2024.
  3. ^INSEE commune file
  4. ^Arrêté préfectoral2 December 2015(in French)
  5. ^Arrêté préfectoral27 December 2018(in French)
  6. ^PlainWikimanche.
  7. ^abGuide géologique Normandie Maine. Editions DUNOD. 2ème édition. Page75.ISBN2-10-050695-1.
  8. ^Rémy Villand, « Au pays des herbages et des marais »,La Manche au passé et au présent,éd. Manche-Tourisme, 1984, p. 49.
  9. ^Armor in Operation Neptune (Establishment of the Normandy Beachhead), a research report prepared by Committee 10, Officers Advanced Course, the Armored School, Fort Knox, Kentucky, May 1949, page 34
  10. ^Population en historique depuis 1968,INSEE

Further reading

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