History of Normandy

Why not settle down on a bench on the beautiful Jean Louvel esplanade to discuss the fascinating history of Normandy? Although William the Conqueror is most often mentioned, it’s worth tracing the origins of this celebrated land of the Northerners, and finding out how it all began. In the 9th century, the banks of the English Channel and the Seine were the scene of major Viking raids. At the time, this territory was part of West Francia, ruled by the Carolingian king Charles the Simple. The Vikings were Scandinavian people, also known as “Normans”, who ransacked towns, villages, abbeys and churches. Their attacks became more frequent and more violent. Their drakkars, famous boats with dragon bows, crept up the rivers and sowed terror in their wake. All this had been going on since the reign of Charlemagne, and despite the efforts of the various Carolingian kings to stop them, with fortified bridges and specialised armies, nothing seemed to work. The Vikings seemed invincible. They set Rouen on fire and even besieged Paris. The ransoms were increasingly difficult to pay for the towns that were captured. However, everything came to an end in 911, when the Scandinavian chieftain Rollon was defeated during the siege of Chartres. Charles the Simple chose this moment to negotiate with the invader. The famous Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte was signed, marking a turning point in history. The King of Francia ceded Rollon a vast territory and gave him his daughter in marriage. In exchange, the Viking chieftain agreed to convert to Christianity and to defend the territory from future attacks by his fellow countrymen. The lands of this new Christian prince with Viking blood would be the equivalent of present-day Upper Normandy. It was Rollon and his descendants who founded the dynasty of the Dukes of Normandy. These included William the Long Sword, Richard the Fearless, Robert the Magnificent, then his son William the Conqueror and later the famous Richard the Lionheart, son of Henry II, King of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine. They went on to build one of the most powerful states in Europe, which prospered for over 300 years and even managed to conquer the English crown. Yes, if you’ve never heard of them before, that’s where the term Anglo-Norman comes from, simply referring to interactions between these two cultures. That’s it for the historical digression and the birth of Normandy, land of the northerners.