 Argentan
is one of the historic centres of Normandy lace-making. Point
d'Argentan is still made there today by the nuns of Argentan's
Benedictine abbey. It is a tranquil, small country town, situated
on a bank of the River Orne. Like many other towns in the region,
Argentan took its share of the damage created by the battle
for Normandy in 1944. Argentan has a beautiful church
and large shopping area with many boutiques and interesting shops,
as well as large supermarkets and out of town shopping warehouses.
There is a large market on Fridays. The French painter Fernand
Léger (1881-1955), one of the original cubists, was born
in Argentan. |
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Normandy gets its name from the Viking Norsemen who
sailed up the River Seine in the 9th century and colonized the
area, making Rouen their capital. Normandy has large ports with
important transatlantic trade, whilst inland it is overwhelmingly
agricultural. The image of Normandy is one of a lush, tranquil,
pastoral region of apple orchards, contented cattle, Calvados
and Camembert. There are ancient picturesque ports such as Honfleur
to visit, seaside resorts with elegant promenades, splendid centuries-old
half-timbered manor houses lining quiet countryside lanes and
extrordinary Romanesque and Gothic architectural treasures. |
