Saint-Valery-Sur-Somme
Saint-Valery-Sur-Somme is a little fishing town on the coast of northern France. Largely ignored, it is defended by the Castle, which bears no name beyond that of Saint Valery. Pilgrims and priests once visited the Chapel Saint Valery, but even that has slowed in these trying times.
History
The history of the commune dates back to before the era of the Roman invasion when it was a small settlement inhabited by Gauls. The Roman invasion encouraged the small hamlet to grow into a small village and after the Romans left France the village soon came under the power of the Franks.
In 611, the monk Gualaric (Walric), also known as Valery, arrived in the area. He installed himself as a hermit on the headland of the site of Leuconaus, now the Cap Hornu. His virtue and miracles quickly attracted disciples. These disciples formed a primitive abbey. The saint was then buried there in 622 and the "Chapelle des marins" was erected in 628 by Saint Blimont over his burial place. Clotaire II (King of Neustrie) provided the foundations of the new abbey in 627. The relics of the saint attracted many pilgrims to the abbey which had become known as Saint-Valery. During the 8th and 9th century, the abbey and village were plundered and devastated on several occasions by the Vikings.
The village grew during the 10th and 11th centuries and was historically significant as the site where William the Conqueror assembled his fleet before sailing to invade England in 1066. During the many wars between the French and the English the village passed between French, English and Burgundian ownership. The English destroyed the abbey and cloister in order to strengthen the nearby St Valery castle. In 1431, Joan of Arc, captive of the English, was held prisoner in the local prison, whence she was then conveyed to Rouen and burnt at the stake. The cell in which she was held can still be found near part of the old village walls.
Comments