Lyons-la-Forêt
Encyclopedia
Lyons-la-Forêt is a commune
in the Eure
department in Haute Normandie in northern France
.
Because of its architecture which has been maintained as it was at the beginning of the 17th century, it is also a well-known landmark within the very distinct geophysical and geocultural entity that is the end of Vexin normand and the forest of Lyons around the town is the border with Pays de Bray
known for its traditional bocage
landscape of woods, orchards and cattle economy.
and 28 km (17.4 mi) from Gisors
.
Former name: Saint-Denis-en-Lyons.
Lyons was originally the name of the forest < Licontio-/Ligontio-, based probably on the Celtic root lic/lig, that is to find also in the name of the stream running here: la Lieure < Licoris /Ligoris. Same root as the River Loire < Liger and -ley in Beverley
(Yorkshire
) from Celtic *bibro- *licos > Old English beofor beaver, *licc stream.
In 1135 Henry I of England
, also known as “Henri Beauclerc”
, died at the Lyons castle, at the time called Saint-Denis-en-Lyons.
The town and the castle were occupied by King Philip II Augustus of France in 1193 but the following year, Richard I of England
, back from captivity, obtained the restitution of Lyons; the king of England and duke of Normandy resided frequently here until 1198. In 1202 Philip II Augustus conquered back the city, and after him several French kings sojourned here, attracted by the Lyons forest and the good hunting grounds.
From 1359 to 1398 the castellan domain of Lyons was part of Blanche de Navarre
's dower
after she became widow of king Philip VI of France
. In 1403-1422 it was the dower of Isabeau de Bavière, wife of king Charles
. In 1419, in the course of the Hundred Years War, the English took Lyons.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Eure
Eure
Eure is a department in the north of France named after the river Eure.- History :Eure is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
department in Haute Normandie in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Because of its architecture which has been maintained as it was at the beginning of the 17th century, it is also a well-known landmark within the very distinct geophysical and geocultural entity that is the end of Vexin normand and the forest of Lyons around the town is the border with Pays de Bray
Pays de Bray
The Pays de Bray is a small natural region of France situated to the north-east of Rouen, straddling the French départements of the Seine-Maritime and Oise...
known for its traditional bocage
Bocage
Bocage is a Norman word which has entered both the French and English languages. It may refer to a small forest, a decorative element of leaves, a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture, or a type of rubble-work, comparable with the English use of 'rustic' in relation to garden...
landscape of woods, orchards and cattle economy.
Geography
Lyons-la-Forêt is located 34 km (21.1 mi) from RouenRouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
and 28 km (17.4 mi) from Gisors
Gisors
Gisors is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located northwest from the center of Paris.Gisors, together with the neighbouring communes of Trie-Château and Trie-la-Ville, form an urban area of 12,669 inhabitants...
.
Former name: Saint-Denis-en-Lyons.
Lyons was originally the name of the forest < Licontio-/Ligontio-, based probably on the Celtic root lic/lig, that is to find also in the name of the stream running here: la Lieure < Licoris /Ligoris. Same root as the River Loire < Liger and -ley in Beverley
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley...
(Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
) from Celtic *bibro- *licos > Old English beofor beaver, *licc stream.
History
An early mention of a ducal residence in Lyons can be found in 936, when William I, Duke of Normandy used to stay here.In 1135 Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, also known as “Henri Beauclerc”
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, died at the Lyons castle, at the time called Saint-Denis-en-Lyons.
The town and the castle were occupied by King Philip II Augustus of France in 1193 but the following year, Richard I of England
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, back from captivity, obtained the restitution of Lyons; the king of England and duke of Normandy resided frequently here until 1198. In 1202 Philip II Augustus conquered back the city, and after him several French kings sojourned here, attracted by the Lyons forest and the good hunting grounds.
From 1359 to 1398 the castellan domain of Lyons was part of Blanche de Navarre
Blanche d'Evreux
Blanche of Navarre was Queen consort of France as the wife of King Philip VI of France.She was the second child and daughter of Queen Joan II of Navarre and King Philip III of Navarre...
's dower
Dower
Dower or morning gift was a provision accorded by law to a wife for her support in the event that she should survive her husband...
after she became widow of king Philip VI of France
Philip VI of France
Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
. In 1403-1422 it was the dower of Isabeau de Bavière, wife of king Charles
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
. In 1419, in the course of the Hundred Years War, the English took Lyons.
Population
Sights
- Roman theatre (private property)
- Castle of Henry I of EnglandHenry I of EnglandHenry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
(private property) - Covered market place (18th century)
- Church Saint-Denis (12th and 18th centuries)
- Town hall (17th century)
- Houses built in typical Normandy style (17th and 18th centuries)
- The forestForestA forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
is 10,700 hectareHectareThe hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s, the largest in NormandyNormandyNormandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and one of the largest BeechBeechBeech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forestForestA forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s in Europe. It is renowned for the "cathedral-like" straightness and height of its trees' trunks. One of its characteristics is its having so many open spaces and clearingClearingClearing may refer to:* Glade , a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area* Deforestation, the clearing away of trees to make farmland* Clearing , the process of settling a transaction after committing to it...
s among which lie small villages and hamlets. This makes a transition between the VexinVexinThe Vexin is a historical county of northwestern France. It covers a verdant plateau on the right bank of the Seine comprising an area east-to-west between Pontoise and Romilly-sur-Andelle , and north-to-south between Auneuil and the Seine near Vernon...
plateau and the Andelle valley.
Personalities
- Henry I of EnglandHenry I of EnglandHenry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
died on 1 December 1135 of food poisoningFoodborne illnessFoodborne illness is any illness resulting from the consumption of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as chemical or natural toxins such as poisonous mushrooms.-Causes:Foodborne illness usually arises from improper handling, preparation, or...
from eating "a surfeit of lampreyLampreyLampreys are a family of jawless fish, whose adults are characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. Translated from an admixture of Latin and Greek, lamprey means stone lickers...
s" (of which he was excessively fond) at Lyons-la-Forêt (then Saint-Denis-en-Lyons). - Lyons-la-Forêt was the birthplace of Enguerrand de MarignyEnguerrand de MarignyEnguerrand de Marigny was a French chamberlain and minister of Philip IV the Fair.He was born at Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy, of an old Norman family of the smaller baronage called Le Portier, which took the name of Marigny about 1200....
(1260–1315), chamberlainGrand Chamberlain of FranceThe Grand Chamberlain of France was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, a member of the Maison du Roi , and one of the Great Offices of the Maison du Roi during the Ancien Régime...
and minister of Philip IV the FairPhilip IV of FrancePhilip the Fair was, as Philip IV, King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.-Youth:A member of the House of Capet, Philip was born at the Palace of...
. - It was also the birthplace of Isaac de BenseradeIsaac de BenseradeIsaac de Benserade was a French poet.Born in Lyons-la-Forêt in the Province of Normandy, his family appears to have been connected with Richelieu, who bestowed on him a pension of 600 livres. He began his literary career with the tragedy of Cléopâtre , which was followed by four other pieces...
, French poet (1612–1691), who was one of the first intellectuals in France to evoke female homosexuality in a theater play. - Maurice RavelMaurice RavelJoseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
wrote music in Le Fresne, one of the old mansions of Lyons-la-Forêt, where he came for many years.