Last modified: 2003-12-27 by ivan sache
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![[Flag of Cherbourg]](../images/f/fr-50-ch.gif)
by Arnaud Leroy
Source: Michel Hersent
See also:
Cherbourg is a city of c. 90,000 inhabitants, sous-préfecture of the department of Manche, located on the northern coast of the Cotentin peninsula.
The origin of the name of Cherbourg is dubious. In the XIIth century, Jean de Marmoutier claimed that the city had been built by Julius Caesar. The early mention of the city dates back to XIth century, and is Caesaris Burgus, Caesar's city!
Cherbourg is an important military port, sheltered by a huge sea
wall which was built from 1783 to 1853. The building of the military
port started under Napoléon I, but the port was inaugurated
only in 1858 by Napoléon III. The artificial harbour of
Cherbourg is the largest in the world.
During the Second World War, the 7th Corps of the US Army seized the
port of Cherbourg, which was obstructed with floating mines and
partially destroyed. The port was refurbished extremely quickly and
progressively replaced the artificial port of Arromanches for the
resupplying of the Allied troops. The seizure of Cherbourg (26-27
June 1944) was a major event of the Battle of Normandy, because it
allowed the unloading of heavy equipment necessary to carry on the
Battle. From 12 August 1944 onwards, the pipeline PLUTO (Pipe
Line Under The Ocean) linked Isle of
Wight to Cherbourg and provided oil for the Allied troops.
The arsenal of Cherbourg is constituted of the military port and the Direction of vessels building, specialized in submarines.
Cherbourg has inspired several moviemakers such as Marcel
Carné (La Marie du Port, 1950), Jacques Demy (Les
Parapluies de Cherbourg,1964), François Truffaut (Les
Deux Anglaises et le Continent, 1971), Joseph Losey (Les
Routes du Sud, 1978),and Eric Rohmer (Le Rayon Vert,
1986).
Cherbourg is the birth city of the painter Jean-François
Millet (1814-1875), one of the founders of the Barbizon School, and
of the actor Jean Marais (1913-1998).
Sources: Guide Vert Michelin Normandie-Cotentin
Ivan Sache, 25 March 2002
The flag of Cherbourg is blue with the municipal coat of arms placed in the middle of the flag.
Ivan Sache, 25 March 2002
![[Variant flag of Cherbourg]](../images/f/fr-50-c1.gif)
by Arnaud Leroy
The variant municipal flag of Cherbourg is a banner of the municipal arms.
Ivan Sache, 25 March 2002