|
Bernay |
|
| Hôtel de la Gabelle | |
|
Bernay
|
|
|
Location within Upper Normandy region
Bernay
|
|
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Upper Normandy |
| Department | Eure |
| Arrondissement | Bernay |
| Canton | Bernay-Est, Bernay-Ouest |
| Intercommunality | Bernay et ses environs |
| Mayor | Hervé Maurey (NC) (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 87–173 m (285–568 ft) (avg. 108 m/354 ft) |
| Land area1 | 24.03 km2 (9.28 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 10,480 (2008) |
| - Density | 436 /km2 (1,130 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 27056/ 27300 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Bernay is a commune in the west of the Eure department about fifty km from Évreux in northern France. The city is in the Pays d'Ouche and the Lieuvin. On its territory run the Charentonne, a tributary of the Risle and the Cosnier.
Contents |
The etymological origin of Bernay indicates that it is a marshy place, which does not surprise since the Charentonne river comes to butt against a slope ("les Monts") and receives the Cosnier river that has an important flow.
Between 996 and 1008, the duke of Normandy, Richard II, offered this area in dowry to his wife, Judith of Brittany, who built a Benedictine abbey at once. The monks organized the site by important hydraulic work: cleansing, mills, fisheries... and the construction of an abbey which remains a jewel of the Norman Romanesque architecture . To cover the expenses and to ensure their defense, they yielded a part of their property in 1048.
The commercial activity attested since 1198 takes its rise on the principal axis of the town. The industry of cloth is famous, the fairs are numerous (the "Foire Fleurie" at the time of Palm Sunday is memorable), because of the diversity and the abundance of the agricultural produce of the area. Besides Bernay holds a big market each Saturday. The veneration of "Notre-Dame de la Couture" as of 13th century, is the origin point of important pilgrimages which attract crowds from all Normandy; the diocesan Marian pilgrimage still takes place each Whit Monday.
During the 19th century, important installations of roadway system modernize the city, and the evolution of the industrial structure is directed towards the circumference of the city. This development will continue during last century, with the arrival of new industries and the considerable extension of Bernay on the slopes overhanging the traditional center, which has remained faithful to its origins.
During World War II, the city escaped the Canadian bombardment in August 1944 thanks to a thick layer of cloud, thus preserving the historical center.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1793 | 5,705 | — |
| 1800 | 6,271 | +9.9% |
| 1806 | 6,521 | +4.0% |
| 1821 | 6,332 | −2.9% |
| 1831 | 6,605 | +4.3% |
| 1836 | 7,244 | +9.7% |
| 1841 | 6,871 | −5.1% |
| 1846 | 7,512 | +9.3% |
| 1851 | 7,362 | −2.0% |
| 1856 | 7,237 | −1.7% |
| 1861 | 7,566 | +4.5% |
| 1866 | 7,510 | −0.7% |
| 1872 | 7,281 | −3.0% |
| 1876 | 7,643 | +5.0% |
| 1881 | 7,989 | +4.5% |
| 1886 | 8,310 | +4.0% |
| 1891 | 8,016 | −3.5% |
| 1896 | 7,966 | −0.6% |
| 1901 | 8,159 | +2.4% |
| 1906 | 8,115 | −0.5% |
| 1911 | 7,883 | −2.9% |
| 1921 | 7,440 | −5.6% |
| 1926 | 7,587 | +2.0% |
| 1931 | 7,700 | +1.5% |
| 1936 | 7,783 | +1.1% |
| 1946 | 8,174 | +5.0% |
| 1954 | 8,798 | +7.6% |
| 1962 | 9,349 | +6.3% |
| 1968 | 10,009 | +7.1% |
| 1975 | 10,539 | +5.3% |
| 1982 | 10,548 | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 10,582 | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 11,022 | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 10,480 | −4.9% |