Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from Le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Honfleur are called Honfleurais.

It is especially known for its old port, characterized by its houses with slate-covered frontages, painted frequently by artists. There have been many notable artists, including Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet and Johan Jongkind. They all met at La Ferme Saint Siméon, which is now a five-star hotel, and created the "Saint Siméon gathering", contributing to the appearance of the Impressionist movement. The Sainte-Catherine church, which has a bell tower separate from the principal building, is the largest wooden church in France.

History

thumb|[[Eugène Boudin, Navires dans le Port à Honfleur, 1856, Princeton University Art Museum]]

The first written record of Honfleur is a reference by Richard III, Duke of Normandy, in 1025. By the middle of the 12th century, the city represented a significant transit point for goods from Rouen to England.

Located on the estuary of one of the principal rivers of France with a safe harbour and relatively rich hinterland, Honfleur profited from its strategic position from the start of the Hundred Years' War. The town's defences were strengthened by Charles V in order to protect the estuary of the Seine from attacks by the English. This was supported by the nearby port of Harfleur. However, Honfleur was taken and occupied by the English in 1357 and from 1419 to 1450. When under French control, raiding parties often set out from the port to ransack the English coasts, including partially destroying the town of Sandwich, in Kent, England, in the 1450s.

At the end of the Hundred Years' War, Honfleur benefited from the boom in maritime trade until the end of the 18th century. Trade was disturbed during the wars of religion in the 16th century. The port saw the departure of a number of explorers, in particular in 1503 of Binot Paulmierde Gonneville to the coasts of Brazil. In 1506, local man Jean Denis departed for Newfoundland island and the mouth of the Saint Lawrence. An expedition in 1608, organised by Samuel de Champlain, founded the city of Quebec in modern-day Canada.

After 1608, Honfleur thrived on trade with Canada, the West Indies, the African coasts and the Azores. As a result, the town became one of the five principal ports for the slave trade in France. During this time the rapid growth of the town saw the demolition of its fortifications on the orders of Colbert.

thumb|Honfleur harbour, now, a busy tourist spot

The wars of the French Revolution and the First Empire, and in particular the continental blockade, caused the ruin of Honfleur. It only partially recovered during the 19th century with the trading of wood from northern Europe. Trade was however limited by the silting up of the entrance to the port and development of the modern port at Le Havre. The port however still functions today.

After the Normandy landings, Honfleur was liberated together by the British army – 19th Platoon of the 12th Devon's, 6th Air Landing Brigade, the Belgian army (Brigade Piron) on 25 August 1944 and the Canadian army without any combat.

Toponymy

Mentioned as Huneflet in 1025; Hunefloth in 1051-66; Hunefleth in 1082-87; Honneflo in 1198; Honnefleu in 1255; Honflue in 1246; Honeflo[u] in 1256; Honnefleu in 1588, up to the 16th century.

thumb|Port d'Honfleur

Traditional pronunciation: [ɦɔ̃'flø] or [xɔ̃'flø]/ [xɔ̃fjø] with the h strongly aspirated, like in 'loch'. It is lost nowadays.

The marker -fleur, formerly -fleu which is widespread in Normandy (Cf. Barfleur, Vittefleur, Harfleur, Crémanfleur, Fiquefleur and La Gerfleur stream), which means 'stream, river running into the sea', was still in use in the 13th century as written in a document le fleu de Lestre, meaning "the Lestre river".

It could come from a word of Old Norse origin flodh But according to its numerous old mentions and those of Barfleur in -fleth, it is more probably the OE flēot 'run of water',

Geography

thumb|[[The Lighthouse at Honfleur by Georges Seurat, 1886]]

Honfleur is in the Norman département of Calvados in the traditional district of pays d'Auge. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine, across from Le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie (nicknamed by the locals "Honfleur bridge"). The town is at the eastern extremity of the coastline called the Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast).

Like most of northern France, Honfleur has an oceanic climate with warm summers, cool winters, rain all year round and few extremes of temperature.

Population

The population has hovered between 6,600 and 10,000 since 1793. In 1973 Honfleur absorbed the commune Vazouy (80 inhabitants in 2023). The population data in the table below refer to the commune of Honfleur proper, in its geography at the given years.

Administration

Honfleur is the seat of the canton of Honfleur-Deauville and of the communauté de communes du Pays de Honfleur-Beuzeville.

In 1973 Honfleur merged with the commune of Vasouy (former INSEE code 14725). It was built on the model of a market hall, Église Saint-Étienne (St. Stephen's Church) is an old parish church in Gothic style, dating in part to the 14th and 15th centuries. It is the oldest church in the city. It is constructed of chalk with flint and of Caen stone, the city of Honfleur being located at the border of those two calcareous rock formations. The bell tower is covered with a façade essentage of chestnut wood. Today, it has become the Maritime Museum. La Forge is the house of Florence Marie, who was an artist. It also contains a garden and her art. There are different types of art including paintings, sculptures, and mosaïques. Marie's artistic eye is shown through the decorations on display at his house.

Naturospace is a lepidopterarium home to about 150 species of butterfly.

Notable people

thumb|130px|[[Eugène Boudin, ca.1880's]]

thumb|130px|[[Eric Satie, 1920]]

  • Alphonse Allais (1854–1905), writer and humourist
  • Louis Andlauer (1876–1915), organist and composer
  • Eugène Boudin (1824–1898), landscape painter.
  • Marcel Caens (1919–2006), classical trumpeter
  • Denis of the Nativity (1600–1638), (né Pierre Berthelot), Catholic martyr
  • Michel Danino (born 1956), Hindutva author
  • Jean Dries (1905-1973), painter and curator of the Museum Eugène Boudin
  • Hugues Gall (born 1940), opera manager
  • Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin (1768–1839), rear admiral
  • Sophie Mallebranche (born 1976), textile designer
  • Christopher Rocancourt (born 1967), impostor and con artist
  • Erik Satie (1866–1925), composer and musician
  • Albert Sorel (1842–1906), a French historian.
  • Pascal Lecocq (born 1958), fine art surrealist painter, workshop and gallery from 1988 to 2000.
  • Félix Vallotton (1865–1925), painter with studio in Honfleur

Twin towns – sister cities

Honfleur is twinned with:

  • Burlington, United States
  • Plyos, Russia
  • Sandwich, England, United Kingdom
  • Visé, Belgium
  • Wörth am Main, Germany

See also

  • Port of Honfleur
  • Communes of the Calvados department

References

  • Official City Website
  • Tourist Office / Convention Bureau
  • Honfleur Phonebook
  • Photos of Honfleur
  • Photos from Honfleur
  • A puzzle of disappearing grandeur in Honfleur, can you help? Personal blog.
  • The shocking life story of Christophe Rocancourt, son of Honfleur, conman to the world – with pics