Picauville (French pronunciation: ​[pikovil]) is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, the former communes of Amfreville, Cretteville, Gourbesville, Houtteville and Vindefontaine were merged into Picauville.[2] On 1 January 2017, the former commune of Les Moitiers-en-Bauptois was merged into Picauville.[3] The inhabitants are called Picauvillais. Picauville also has a 17th century castle, classified as a historical landmark by the French government, called the Isle-Marie Castle. Parts of the structure date to the 11th century.

Picauville
Commune
The church of Saint-Candide
Coat of arms
Location of Picauville
Picauville Show map of France Picauville Show map of Normandy
Coordinates: 49°22′46″N 1°24′01″W
Country	France
Region	Normandy
Department	Manche
Arrondissement	Cherbourg
Canton	Carentan-les-Marais
Intercommunality	Baie du Cotentin
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Marie-Hélène Perrotte
Area 1	64.89 km2 (25.05 sq mi)
Population  (Jan. 2019)[1]	3,263
• Density	50/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	50400 /50360
Elevation	2–30 m (6.6–98.4 ft) (avg. 26 m or 85 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Heraldry

The arms of Picauville are blazoned : Or, a crown of thorns sable between 3 mallets vert, and on a chief gules a leopard Or.

World War II

Picauville was one of the first towns liberated by Allied forces following the Normandy landings in early June 1944; German General Wilhelm Falley was killed there by an American paratrooper shortly after the invasion began. Engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground to the northwest of the town. Declared operational on 26 June, the airfield was designated as "A-8", it was used by the 405th Fighter Group which flew P-47 Thunderbolts until mid-September when the unit moved to St. Dizier, near Nancy.[4] Afterward, the airfield was closed.[5][6] A cairn marking the location of the airfield is on the east side of the D69, 2.3 km outside of Picauville on the way to Gourbesville (49°23'34.19"N, 1°25'07.69"E).[7]

See also

• Communes of the Manche department

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Picauville.

• Picauville Public Library official website (médiathèque de Picauville)

This Manche geographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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[de] Picauville

[ru] Пиковиль