Lillebonne is a town and commune of France in the département of Seine-Maritime, 3.5 miles north of the Seine and 24 miles east of Le Havre by railway. As of 2004, the town has a population of 9,600.

History

Lillebonne under the Romans, Juliobona, was the capital of the Caletes, or inhabitants of the Pays de Caux, in the time of Julius Caesar, by whom it was destroyed. It was afterwards rebuilt by Augustus, and before it was again ruined by the barbarian invasions it had become an important centre whence Roman roads branched out in all directions. It was an administrative, military and commercial city located close to the Seine. This made it a great transportation route between Brittany (current England) and the remainder of the Roman Empire. It was also a crossroads of communication in order to bring Roman ways to Harfleur, Étretat, Dieppe, Évreux and Rouen.

The remains of Roman baths and of a theater capable of holding 3,000 persons have been brought to light. Many Roman and Gallic relics, notably a bronze statue of a woman and two fine mosaics, have been found and transported to the museum at Rouen. In the Middle Ages the fortifications of the town were constructed out of materials supplied by the theater. The town recovered some of its old importance under William the Conqueror.

Geography

Lillebonne lies in the valley of the Bolbec River at the foot of wooded hills at the junction of the D982, D29 and the D81 roads.,

Sights

Castle of William of Normandy in Lillebonne

Orpheus Mosaic found in Lillebonne is now housed in the Museum of Antiquities in Rouen

Gallo-Roman Theater/Amphitheater of Lillebonne

Economy

The principal industries are cotton-spinning and the manufacture of calico and candles.

Twin towns

• Wellington, Somerset, England
• Immenstadt, Bavaria, Germany.

External links and references

• Tourism office of Lillebonne

ceb:Lillebonne de:Lillebonne es:Lillebonne fr:Lillebonne it:Lillebonne nl:Lillebonne pl:Lillebonne pt:Lillebonne vo:Lillebonne