Clécy

Clécy is a French Commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.

In 1932 it was awarded the title The Capital of Norman Switzerland by the Tourism Minister Monsieur Gourdeau.

Geography

Clécy and its surroundings

Clécy is on the River Orne, in the middle of Norman Switzerland, about 35 kilometres (22 mi)s south of Caen. Covering 2,463 hectares (6,090 acres) it is the largest communne in the canton of Thury-Harcourt.

Called the "Capital of Norman Switzerland", this village owes its fame to the rugged and verdant Armorican massif, with valleys through which the Orne flows.

Plenty of outdoor activities are available: kayaking, paragliding, climbing, hill walking and mountain biking, taking advantage of the geology of Norman Switzerland.

History

The name "Clécy" is mentioned in 860 in the reign of Charles the Bald.

When French cantons were created, Clécy was the capital of the canton. This ceased to be the case after restructuring in 1801.

Clécy has a wealth of historical treastures: Châteaux and manor houses are spread all over Clécy and its surroundings. The Château de la Landelle is one of the oldest.

More recently, painters such as Pissaro, Moteley and Hardy have painted landscapes around Clécy.

Administration

List of Mayors

Start	End	Name	Party	Profession
1989	March 2008	Claude Hergault	Independent	-
March 2008	current	Michel Bar	Independent	Farmer

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1962	1,275	—
1968	1,238	−2.9%
1975	1,187	−4.1%
1982	1,197	+0.8%
1990	1,182	−1.3%
1999	1,252	+5.9%
2008	1,225	−2.2%

Its inhabitants are called Clécyens.

Economy

• Fromagerie Vallée (Valley Cheesemaker)

Sights

Clécy town centre

• The Château de La Landelle is one of the oldest monuments in the village. At its base it is in the form of a cross, originally on one floor, but was changed to two floors when the wings were reworked. In the Second World War it was occupied by the Germans.
• Rochers des Parcs (Park rocks)
• Pain de sucre (Sugarloaf)
• Musée Hardy (Hardy Museum)
• Musée du chemin de fer miniature (Museum of miniature trains)
• Manoir de Placy (Placy Manor) (16th century)
• Eglise St Pierre (St Paul's church) (15th century)
• Clécy Viaduct (1866)

Personalities

• Paul-Émile Pissarro prolific landscape painter who moved to Clécy in 1936.

See also

• Communes of the Calvados department

References

• INSEE

External links

• Clécy sur le site de la communauté de communes
• Chemin de fer miniature de Clécy