Bavent
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox French commune
Bavent ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region of north-western France.<ref>INSEE commune file</ref>
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Baventais or Baventaises.<ref>Inhabitants of Calvados Template:In lang</ref>
GeographyEdit
Bavent is located on the northern edge of the Caen plain some 8 km north-east of Caen and 6 km south-west of Cabourg. Access to the commune is by the D513 road from Varaville in the north-east which passes through the commune just north of the village and continues south-west to Hérouvillette. Access to the village is by the D236 which comes from Amfreville in the north-west. The D224 branches from the D513 in the commune and goes west to the village and continues to Goustranville. The D95A goes north from the village to Gonneville-en-Auge while the D95 goes south to Troarn. The D37B branches from the D513 in the west of the commune and goes north to Bréville-les-Monts. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Chateau de Beneauville, Chef-de-Rue, Les Harnots, Grand Plain, La Ritachere, Le Prieure, La Petite Bruyere, Roncheville, and Robehomme. The commune is mostly farmland except for a large forest in the south.<ref name=Google/><ref name=Geo/>
At 1845 hectares, the commune is the largest in the canton of Cabourg. Its highest point (66 m) is located in the west near a place called La Grande Bruyère. Its lowest point (2 m) is at the exit of the Dives from the commune.
Due to its proximity to the sea, Bavent enjoys an oceanic climate. The nearest weather station is 19 km away at Caen-Carpiquet.
The river Dives forms the south-eastern border of the commune as it flows north-east to join the ocean at Houlgate. The Divette rises in the commune and flows north to join the Dives. The Douet du Moulin du Pre rises in the commune and flows north-east to join the Divette north of Varaville. The Saint-Laurent stream flows from the south through the commune and continues to join the Divette just north of the commune. The Ruisseau du Bois de Bavent forms part of the southern border of the commune.<ref name=Google/><ref name=Geo/>
ToponymyEdit
Bavent is attested in the forms: Bavent in 1059,<ref name=Negre>Ernest Nègre, General Toponymy of France, Librairie Droz, 1990, Vol II, 676 pages, p. 829 & 974, Template:ISBN Template:In lang.</ref> Badvento in 1063,<ref name=Negre/> and Batvent in 1066.<ref name=Dauzat>Albert Dauzat and Charles Rostaing, Etymological Dictionary of place names in France, Larousse, Paris, 1963 Template:In lang</ref>
The origin of this place name divides Toponymists:
- Dauzat and Rostaing suggest bat vent meaning "a place where the wind blows"<ref name=Dauzat/>
- René Lepelley makes a similar hypothesis: that of an old mill whose "sails are blown by the wind".<ref name=Lepelley>René Lepelley, Etymological Dictionary of names of communes in Normandy, Éditions Charles Corlet, Condé-sur-Noireau, 1996, BnF 36174448w p. 60 Template:In lang</ref> There is fact a mill at Sénoville (Manche), called La Masse de Bavent.
- Ernest Nègre proposes an explanation of Bavent from a German anthroponym Badvin.<ref name=Negre/>
It is also possible to suggest the Celtic name -ent- Latinized to -entu (m) which is also found in Douvrend (Dovrent in the 12th century)<ref name=Beaurepaire>The Names of communes and old parishes of Seine-Maritime, ed. A. et J. Picard, François de Beaurepaire, preface by Marianne Mulon, 1979, Paris, 180 pages, Template:ISBN, Template:OCLC, p. 5 Template:In lang</ref> preceded by an unknown element in the absence of an older form. The same suffix has been identified in Nogent (Novientum, from novio meaning "new") and Drevant (Derventum from Dervo meaning "oak", cf. Breton derv also meaning "oak").
The name is homophonic with Bavans (Bavens 11th century, the name of a German man Bavo with the Germanic suffix -ingen Romanized to -ingos).
Robehomme is attested in the forms: Raimberti Hulmus in 1083, Rambertihulmus in 1149, and Robbehomme in 1190.<ref name=Negre/>
The first element Robe- comes from the German anthroponym Raimbert. The second element -hommen is widespread in Normandy in this form with the hiatus (the "h" is aspirated): Le Homme (not l'homme cf. Saint-Quentin-sur-le-Homme). This is a toponymic appellative derived from Old Norse holmr meaning "island" or "meadow at the edge of the water". It also took the forms Houlme and Hom. Moreover, there is a hamlet of Hom at Robehomme.
There is also a personal name associated with a Norse appellative topt giving -tot as in Raimbertot at Cauville-sur-Mer (Seine-Maritime).
Bavent appears as Bavent on the 1750 Cassini Map<ref name=Cassini1750/> and as Baven on the 1790 version.<ref name=Cassini1790/>
Robehomme appears as Robehomme on the 1750 Cassini Map<ref name=Cassini1750/> and as Robe homme on the 1790 version.<ref name=Cassini1790/>
HistoryEdit
In 1974 the commune of Bavent (984 inhabitants in 1968) merged with Robehomme (122 inhabitants in 1954).<ref>Template:Cassini-Ehess</ref>
HeraldryEdit
- These arms do not respect the Rule of tincture and are therefore faulty.
AdministrationEdit
{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B=Template:AmboxTemplate:Main other }} List of Successive Mayors<ref>List of Mayors of France Template:In lang</ref>
| From | To | Name | Party | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 1982 | André Yvonnet | Doctor | |
| 1983 | 2008 | Joël Leroy | Professor | |
| 2008 | 2026 | Jean-Luc Garnier | Administrative Officer |
TwinningEdit
Template:See also Bavent has twinning associations with:<ref>National Commission for Decentralised cooperation Template:In lang</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Geiselbach (Germany) since 1988.
- Template:Flagicon Stoke Canon (United Kingdom) since 1983.
DemographyEdit
In 2017 the commune had 1,814 inhabitants.
Template:Historical populations
EconomyEdit
The Terreal Group has a tile production plant in the commune.
The Mesnil pottery of Bavent manufactures finials of Faience. It holds an Enterprise label of living heritage and its expertise is included in the inventory of intangible cultural heritage in France.<ref>Living Heritage website Template:Webarchive Template:In lang</ref>
Culture and heritageEdit
Civil heritageEdit
- The Manoir Venoix (17th century). In 1944 the mansion had significant damage and was renovated in 1948 with some additions and changes.<ref name="Patrimoine">The heritage of the communes of Calvados, vol. 1, Flohic Éditions, 2001, Paris, Template:ISBN, p. 359-362 Template:In lang</ref>
- The Pavilion of Pottery (1842).<ref name="Patrimoine"/>
The commune has a number of buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:
- The Chateau of Bavent (17th century)Template:Mérimée Icon<ref>Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Template:Mérimée Template:In lang</ref>
- The Château of Béneauville (1589)Template:Mérimée Icon<ref>Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Template:Mérimée Template:In lang</ref>
- The Château of Béneauville ParkTemplate:Mérimée Icon<ref>Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Template:Mérimée Template:In lang</ref> The Chateau contains a Clock (16th century)Template:Palissy Icon which is registered as an historical object.<ref>Ministry of Culture, Palissy Template:Palissy Template:In lang</ref>
Religious heritageEdit
- The Church of Saint Hilaire (12th century, much altered in the 19th century).<ref name="Patrimoine"/>
- The Church at Robehomme
SportsEdit
- The Bavent Football Club has a soccer team in the district division.<ref>Ligue Basse-Normandie official website, F.C. Baventais, consulted on 21 August 2014 Template:In lang</ref>
Notable people linked to the communeEdit
- Henri-Gabriel-Marie Le Bègue de Germiny (1811-1900), politician, Mayor of Bavent