Avranches

Built in the early 11th century, the donjon is the work of Robert of Avranches, illegitimate son of Duke Richard I. Raised on the remains of an ancient Roman castellum, it collapsed in the 19th century after being crossed by a new street. A curtain and a tower adorned with battlements, still present, are wrongly called dungeon today.

Classified as a Historical Monument, the Grand-Doyenne dates from the 12th century. Former mansion of the family Subligny, it became with time the residence of the deans of the cathedral chapter of Avranches.

Rebuilt in the early 10th century, St. Andrew's Cathedral is a Romanesque building completely destroyed in the nineteenth century following the collapse of the vault of the cross. In its place has been laid Thomas Beckett Square at the entrance of which we can discover a tombstone located on the site where Henry II Plantagenet came to penance for the murder of Thomas Beckett.

Formerly located outside the city, the church Notre-Dame des Champs dates from the end of the 17th century. Very simple, it was completely redone in the second half of the 19th century because it became too narrow. Severely damaged by the bombings of 1944, it was reopened to the public in the early 1960s.

Built in the middle of the 17th century, the Basilica of St. Gervais was rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century in a charming neoclassical style. It is still possible to see inside the collections of the small museum of the treasure, with in particular very beautiful pieces of liturgical goldsmith's work.

Opened in the second half of the 2000s, the Scriptorial is the museum of manuscripts of Mont-Saint-Michel. It has more than 200 medieval volumes including rich translations of works of antiquity by Plato, Cicero or Aristotle. He exhibited in particular the first edition of the Encyclopedia of Diderot and Alembert, or the cartulary of Mont-Saint-Michel written over three centuries from the twelfth century. Appreciated for the richness of his illustrations and the quality of his parchment, he lists the charters and other acts of the time. It is all the more valuable as the originals of the texts he presents burned in June 1944.

The Museum of Art and History of Avranches, labeled Museum of France, is also appreciated for its collections.

While strolling in the city, you will also be able to discover the memorial to Patton, the former episcopal palace of the fourteenth century which serves as court of instance, the college of the end of the eighteenth century, the mansions of Malloué and Beaurepaire, or still the old abbey Sainte-Anne de Moutons founded by Louis XIII in the seventeenth century and today serves as a theater and cultural center.

Awarded three flowers in the contest of towns and villages in bloom France, the city also has many green spaces like the garden of plants offering a breathtaking view of the Sée and the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel and which reveals the old well the Abbey of Moutons and the Romanesque portal of the Saint-Georges Chapel of Bouillés, both listed as Historical Monuments.

The market is held every Saturday morning. A Christmas market is also offered in December. Three times a year, the Scriptorial offers temporary exhibitions.

Concerts are offered during the Fête de la Musique on June 21.

A ball, a torchlight retreat and fireworks are organized for July 14 and the national holiday.

Between July and August, the town participates in the Festival des Grandes Marées event, hosting several concerts by national and international artists.

• On 27 april 2024
• 6 Place d'Estouteville, Scriptorial
• Painter Albert Bergevin (1887-1974) left behind numerous diaries, including those from 1939 to 1945, in which he recounts the war in Avranches - the Occupation, the bombings, the Liberation - from a human perspective. - Discover the town through his eyes. - 5 ? Registration required 15h? 16h30 - Meet at Scriptorial 6 Place d ? Estouteville 50300 Avranches 02 33 79 57 00 patrimoine@avranches.fr

• On 29 april 2024
• Saint Martin-des-Champs, Vallée de la Bourdonnière
• Explore, step by step. Reclaim your body, rediscover the pleasure of walking and recharge your batteries in this bucolic setting of woods, fields and streams. - During a sophro'balade, a combination of sophrology, gentle walking and discovery of the area for a moment of letting go, relaxation and escape. - Exact meeting point indicated on registration.

• From 10 to 12 may 2024
• Boulevard Joseau Marigné, Théâtre
• Intergenerational theatrical and musical event with 15 actors from Normandy and two testimonials from André and Rachel Panczer, children who escaped the Holocaust. - Target audience : all ages 11 and up. - At 8.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday.

• On 12 may 2024
• Place Littré
• As part of the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, the Flame of Liberty will cross France to the United States of America, stopping first in the United Kingdom and then in Avranches. On May 08,2024, at around 5:00 pm, the flame will be taken from the tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe, which has been burning since November 11,1923. It will be transported in a convoy of vintage 1944 military vehicles along the Route de la Liberté from the village of Saint-Symphorien-le-Château to Cherbourg, accompanied by 44 young Frenchmen. A copy of this flame will be deposited at Southwick-House, near Portsmouth, which was the headquarters of the Allied naval forces from 1943 onwards, and will then travel to America, where the French flame will light up the graves of unknown soldiers in the Arlington military cemetery in Virginia. - The aim of this initiative is to express France ? S gratitude to its two allies, for without their commitment, France and Europe would not have been able to regain their freedom. - Further information : https://laflammedelaliberte.com - Place Littré, 50300 Avranches 02 33 89 29 40 mairie@avranches.fr

• On 25 may 2024
• 6 Place d'Estouteville, Scriptorial
• Painter Albert Bergevin (1887-1974) left behind numerous diaries, including those from 1939 to 1945, in which he recounts the war in Avranches - the Occupation, the bombings, the Liberation - from a human perspective. - Discover the town through his eyes. - 5 ? Registration required 15h? 16h30 - Meet at Scriptorial 6 Place d ? Estouteville 50300 Avranches 02 33 79 57 00 patrimoine@avranches.fr

• On 6 june 2024
• Saint Martin-des-Champs, Vallée de la Bourdonnière
• Explore, step by step. Reclaim your body, rediscover the pleasure of walking and recharge your batteries in this bucolic setting of woods, fields and streams. - During a sophro'balade, a combination of sophrology, gentle walking and discovery of the area for a moment of letting go, relaxation and escape. - Exact meeting point indicated on registration.

• On 8 june 2024
• Ancien haras
• For its spring concert, the Ensemble Vocal et Instrumental de la Baie has chosen a program essentially devoted to Mozart in his Salzburg period. Conducted by Vincent Le Tortorec, the orchestra will perform Symphony no. 29 in A major. This justly famous work is characteristic of the "gallant" style practiced by the 18-year-old composer at the time. The choir and a quartet of soloists then join the orchestra for the famous Coronation Mass, written for Salzburg in 1779 and used at the coronation of the Bohemian king in 1791. The famous Laudate Dominum from Vespers for a Confessor completes the program. - A dozen students from the music school's orchestra will join the Evib orchestra, thanks to a partnership with the arts school, for two pieces in this concert.

• On 28 june 2024
• Jardin des plantes, Place Carnot
• Welcomed in March 2023 during the Boréales concert, when she accompanied cellist Hermine Horiot, this talented pianist returns as soloist to present an exceptional program based on the composers Bach, Rameau, Debussy and Ravel, specially conceived around the theme "Sauvage", the emblem of the École des Arts season. - A musician of great delicacy, this sensitive performer has made a name for herself by winning numerous international titles. - She oscillates between tradition and modernity, and will be taking part in an open-air recital in the verdant setting of the Jardin des Plantes. - A piano teacher at the Académie Philippe Jaroussky, and supported by several Foundations, the artist has for some years favored multiple artistic experiences. Her eclectic choices range from the Baroque to the Classical and Romantic repertoires. Winner of several international competitions, this young woman with a passion for literature, poetry and theater, as well as contemporary music, regularly invests her piano talent in the cause of women. - PROGRAMME : - - Bach : Partita no 2 BWV 826. - - Rameau : "Prélude", "Les Trois Mains", "Les Sauvages", "L'Entretien des muses", "Les Cyclopes". - - Debussy : Preludes "Les Collines d'Anacapri", "Brouillards", "La Danse de Puck", "Les Fées sont d'exquises danseuses", "Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest". - - Ravel : Gaspard de la nuit (Ondine, Gibet, Scarbo). - for all. - Tickets available from the Tourist Information Offices of the Office de Tourisme Mont Saint-Michel - Normandie.

• On 20 july 2024
• Saint Martin-des-Champs, Vallée de la Bourdonnière
• Explore, step by step. Reclaim your body, rediscover the pleasure of walking and recharge your batteries in this bucolic setting of woods, fields and streams. - During a sophro'balade, a combination of sophrology, gentle walking and discovery of the area for a moment of letting go, relaxation and escape. - Exact meeting point indicated on registration.