Cherbourg (Municipality, Manche, France)

Last modified: 2003-12-27 by
Keywords: manche | cherbourg | stars: 3 (black) | discs: 3 (yellow) | crown: mural (yellow) |
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by Arnaud Leroy

Source: Michel Hersent

• Presentation of the municipality
• Description of the flag
• Variant of the municipal flag

See also:

• France
• Manche (Department, France)
• Yacht Club of the Navy - Cherbourg

Presentation of the municipality

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

Description of the flag

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 of the municipal flag

by Arnaud Leroy

The variant municipal flag of Cherbourg is a banner of the municipal arms.

Ivan Sache, 25 March 2002