Thury-Harcourt ( French pronunciation: [tyʁi aʁkuʁ] ) is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France . On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Thury-Harcourt-le-Hom . The town is 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of Caen , in the Orne valley. It is part of Norman Switzerland , which attracts visitors for various sports and outdoor activities with its hilly terrain.
7-695: The original name is Thury, but the Marquis of Thury received a benefice from Henry d'Harcourt under the name of the Duke of Harcourt in 1709, requiring a change of name. The town was occupied by the forces of Nazi Germany in June 1940 after France's surrender ended the Battle of France . For four years the village lived under Nazi occupation as part of the German military administration in occupied France during World War II . Thury-Harcourt
14-638: The Normandy landings the town was bombed for the first time on 30 June 1944; the château escaped damage. It was during fierce fighting against the British 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division on 13–4 August 1944 that the German forces retreated from the town and set fire to the chateau, which had suffered little damage up to that point. The fire destroyed many public archives, a library of nearly 15,000 volumes, and hundreds of family records. Thury-Harcourt railway station
21-447: The towns of Le Gardeur and Repentigny in Quebec . Henry d%27Harcourt Henri d'Harcourt, 1st Duke of Harcourt (2 April 1654 – 19 October 1718) was a French noble, created the first Duke of Harcourt and Marshal of France by king Louis XIV . The duke also acted as extraordinary ambassador to Madrid. As son of François III d'Harcourt, Marquis of Beuvron and of Harcourt, he
28-528: Was a member of the ancient House of Harcourt that dates back to the 11th century. Aged 18, he entered in the army and participated in all the wars of his time. He was present at the Battle of Sinsheim (1674), Battle of Turckheim (1675), Siege of Cambrai (1677) , Siege of Philippsburg (1688) and Battle of Neerwinden (1693) . In 1695 and 1696, he commanded the Army of the Moselle as a lieutenant general. In 1697, he
35-407: Was appointed extraordinary ambassador to Spain, which was in a crucial period when King Charles II of Spain died without a successor. It is unknown which role he played in the intrigues following Charles's death, but it resulted in the installation of a Bourbon on the throne of Spain. When he returned to France, the grateful Louis XIV made him a Duke in 1700 and a Marshal of France in 1703. During
42-504: Was destroyed by air strikes in 1944 and reconstructed in the 1950s. The passenger line opened in 1873 and was closed in 1971. Freight service stopped in 1983. A tourist train from Louvigny (close to Caen ) to Clécy operated from 1991 to 1994. In the sixteenth century many families emigrated to Canada , taking with them the curate and abbot of the parish, (Lesueur). He founded the parish Saint-Sauveur, Quebec . Pierre Legardeur got general control of Nouvelle-France and gave his name to
49-535: Was liberated by British soldiers who were part of the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division . The 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division fought their way into and through Thury-Harcourt in August 1944. At the local elections of March 2014, the mayor Paul Chandelier was re-elected. The municipal council consists of 19 members, including the mayor and 5 deputy mayors. In the battles of the Second World War , after
#93906