Saint-Saëns, Seine-Maritime

Administration
Saint-Saëns


Saint-Saëns
Location within Upper Normandy region Saint-Saëns
Country	France
Region	Upper Normandy
Department	Seine-Maritime
Arrondissement	Dieppe
Canton	Saint-Saëns
Intercommunality	Saint-Saëns-Portes de Bray
Mayor	Jacky Hucher (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	90–229 m (300–751 ft) (avg. 110 m/360 ft)
Land area¹	25.5 km² (9.8 sq mi)
Population²	2,568 (2006)
- Density	101 /km² (260 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	76648/ 76680
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.

Saint-Saëns is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.

1 Geography
2 History
- 2.1 Heraldry
3 Population
4 Main sights
5 People
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Geography

A small town of farming and associated light industry situated by the banks of the Varenne River in the Pays de Bray, some 19 miles (31 km) southeast of Dieppe at the junction of the D929, D12, D99 and the D154 roads. Junction 11 of the A28 autoroute with the A29 autoroute is within the commune’s territory.

History

The year 674 saw the foundation of a monastery on Cateliers hill at the present-day location of the village. The first abbot was Sidonius of Saint-Saëns, an Irish monk and a disciple of St. Philibert of Jumièges. Sidonius died in about 689 and was buried in the monastery.

Called "Sancti Sidonii" city around 830, it was destroyed by the Vikings in the 9th century.
In the 11th century, the lords of Saint-Saens were rich and powerful men. One of them became governor of Rouen and another excelled at the Battle of Hastings. They built again on Cateliers hill, this time a castle and a collegiate church which later became the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Wandrille. In 1127, one Hélie of Saint-Saens was outlawed in England on the orders of Henry I of England for sheltering Guillaume Cliton, rebel claimant to the duchy of Normandy.

The castle was taken in 1204 by King Philip II Augustus and became part of France, like most of Normandy by this time.
In the middle of the twelfth century, a Bernardines convent was founded by Empress Matilda near the village. This was later upgraded to an abbey in 1629. The abbess was a friend of Madame de Maintenon, who often contributed to the beautification of the church.

The castle and village were looted and burned by the English and the Burgundians in 1450 and again by Henry IV of France in 1592. That same year, the Spanish ravaged the manor of Quesnay.

In the 14th century, the town was famous for its drapers, blacksmiths, potters and cutlery. Glassmaking started here in 1450 at the hamlet of Bully and was active until 1807. The tanneries were well-known up until the 19th century. By 1740, there was only one monk left at the monastery and after the Revolution it became the present-day church.

Heraldry

	The arms of Saint-Saëns are blazoned : Argent, six torteaux (gules) 3, 2, 1

Population

Historical population of Saint-Saëns, Seine-Maritime
Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
Population	2479	2463	2426	2339	2138	2553	2568
From the year 1962 on: population without double counting—residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) are counted only once.