Le Havre is a city in Normandy, northern France, on the English Channel at the mouth of the Seine. Population: 200,000. It was the port-of-call for French ocean liners making the Transatlantic crossing (cf Cruise ship).

Abbey of Graville, Le Havre

Administration

Le Havre is a commune and a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Maritime département.

History

An old house in Le Havre

The city was founded in 1517, when it was named Franciscopolis after Francis I of France, and subsequently named Le Havre-de-Grâce (hence Havre de Grace, Maryland). Le Havre simply means the harbour or the port. Its construction was ordered to replace the ancient harbours of Honfleur and Harfleur whose utility had decreased due to silting.

The city was devastated during the Battle of Normandy and rebuilt in modernist style by Auguste Perret.

Miscellaneous

Twin towns

St. Joseph's church, interior, Le Havre

Sister cities/Twin towns inlude:

• Dalian, China
• Southampton, United Kingdom

Births

Le Havre was the birthplace of:

• Georges de Scudéry (1601-1667), novelist, dramatist and poet
• Madeleine de Scudéry (1607-1701), writer
• Gabriel Monod (1844-1912), historian
• Arthur Honegger (1892-1955), composer, a member of Les Six
• Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985), artist
• Raymond Queneau (1903-1976), poet and novelist.
• René Coty (1882-1962), French president (1954-1959)
• Raoul Dufy

External link

Le Havre/Seine/Honfleur

• City council website (http://www.ville-lehavre.fr)