Lower Normandy ceased to exist on the 1st of January 2016 when it merged with Upper Normandy. This merger created a single region simply called Normandy following decades of debate about regional efficiency.
The territory spans 10,857 square kilometers across three departments known as Calvados, Manche, and Orne. These units cover only 3.2 percent of the total surface area of France.
Duke William II of Normandy conquered England in 1066 before being buried in Caen. His death triggered a separation of possessions that lasted for centuries until French forces recovered the mainland between 1436 and 1450.
The beaches of Calvados hosted the D-Day landings in June 1944 as part of Operation Overlord. The main thrust of the Allied invasion focused entirely on this western sector where many towns were destroyed or badly damaged by heavy fighting.
This region leads France in producing butter, fromage frais, soft cheeses, cider apples, and leeks. Farmers grow turnips and flax alongside cattle herds that outnumber those anywhere else in the country.
Guy de Maupassant lived here along with Marcel Proust and Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly while composer Erik Satie hailed from this same land. Painter Jean-François Millet came from La Hague and Eugène Boudin was born in Honfleur.