is a city in
Normandy , northern
France , on the
English Channel , at the mouth of the
Seine .
Population of the city (
Commune ) at the
1999 census was 190,905 inhabitants (186,700 inhabitants as of February
2004 estimates). Population of the whole metropolitan area (''
Aire Urbaine '') at the 1999 census was 296,773 inhabitants.
It was the
Port -of-call for French
Ocean Liners making the
Transatlantic Crossing (''cf''
Cruise Ship ). Le Havre is known as "La Porte Océane". It is the second largest city in Normandy after
Rouen . It is the second largest export port in France.
Le Havre has been classified as a
World Heritage Site since July 2005. The city has one university and a strong sporting heritage, with “
Le HAC ”, the oldest professional association
Football Club in France.
Le Havre is a
Commune and a ''
Sous-préfecture '' of the
Seine-Maritime ''
Département ''. The current mayor of Le Havre is Antoine Rufenacht.
Le Havre is bordered by the towns of
Montivilliers ,
Harfleur ,
Gonfreville-l'Orcher . The Seine River separates Le Havre from
Honfleur . To the east lies the
Pont De Normandie .
The city was founded in
1517 , when it was named ''Franciscopolis'' after
Francis I Of France , and subsequently named ("Heaven of Grace"; hence
Havre De Grace, Maryland ). ''Le Havre'' simply means ''the harbour'' or ''the port''. Its construction was ordered to replace the ancient harbours of
Honfleur and
Harfleur whose utility had decreased due to silting. The history of the city is inextricably linked to its harbour. In the 18th century, as trade from the
West Indies was added to that of France and Europe, Le Havre began to grow. During the 19th century, it became an industrial center.
The city was devastated during the style by
Auguste Perret . It was designated
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2005.
Le Havre was heavily bombed during the
Second World War . Many historic buildings were lost as a result.
- Cathedral : the first stone of the building was laid in 1536. It is the seat of the Bishop of Le Havre.
- Church of St. Joseph : it is one the most recognized symbols of the city. The belltower is one of the tallest in France, rising to a height of 106 metres. It was designed by Auguste Perret .
- Church of St. Michel
- Church of St. Vincent
- Church of St. François
- Church of St. Anne
- Church of St. Marie
- St. Michel d'Ingouville chapel (15th century)
- Graville Abbey is a monastery dedicated to Sainte Honorine, set in grounds on the northern bank of the Seine River .
- Musée des Beaux-Arts and other artists who lived and worked in Normandy . Some of the paintings are from Eugène Delacroix , Gustave Courbet , Edgar Degas , Édouard Manet , Pierre-Auguste Renoir , Georges Seurat , Raoul Dufy , Alfred Sisley . One of the museum's latest purchases is ''Vague, par temps d'orage'' by Gustave Courbet. The collection of Olivier Senn ( 1864 - 1959 ), given to the museum in 2004 , contains more than 205 paintings.
- Musée du Vieux Havre
- Musée d'histoire natuelle (Museum of Natural History)
- The Shipowner home (18th century)
- The former tribunal (18th century)
- Le Havre town Hall : the modern Belfry contains offices
- The "Volcan", cultural center built by Oscar Niemeyer
- Square St. Roch
- Japanese Garden
- Villa Maritime
Le Havre has well developed national road, rail and air links (Octeville airport) and is two hours by train from Paris. Local transport is based primarily on an extensive bus network. The city has plans for a tram network. A ferry service to
Portsmouth in the
United Kingdom runs from the Terminal de la Citadelle. The service is operated by
LD Lines .
Sister Cities /
Twin Towns incude:
Le Havre was the birthplace of:
- Georges De Scudéry ( 1601 - 1667 ), Novelist , Dramatist and Poet
- Madeleine De Scudéry ( 1607 - 1701 ), writer
- Jacques-Henri Bernardin De Saint-Pierre ( 1737 - 1814 ), writer and botanist
- Charles Alexandre Lesueur ( 1778 - 1846 ), naturalist, artist and explorer
- Casimir Delavigne ( 1793 - 1843 ), poet and dramatist
- Gabriel Monod ( 1844 - 1912 ), historian
- Louis Bachelier ( 1870 - 1946 ), mathematician
- Raoul Dufy ( 1877 - 1953 ), painter
- André Caplet ( 1878 - 1925 ), composer and conductor
- René Coty ( 1882 - 1962 ), French President ( 1954 - 1959 )
- Arthur Honegger ( 1892 - 1955 ), composer, a member of Les Six
- Jean Dubuffet ( 1901 - 1985 ), artist
- Raymond Queneau ( 1903 - 1976 ), poet and novelist
