Last modified: 2021-06-17 by ivan sache
Keywords: mesnils-sur-iton | damville |
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The municipality of Mesnils-sur-Iton (6,126 inhabitants in 2018; 6,761 ha) is located 20 km south of Évreux. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 as the merger of the former municipalities of Condé-sur-Iton, Damville, Gouville, Manthelon, Le Roncenay-Authenay and Le Sacq. The municipality was joined on 1 January 2019 by the former municipalities of Buis-sur-Damville, Grandvilliers and Roman.
Olivier Touzeau, 26 January 2021
Flag of Damville - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 26 January 2021
The flag of Damville (photo, photo) is white with the municipal coat of arms, "Or a cross gules cantonned by sixteen alerions azure", that is, the arms of Montmorency.
Matthew IV of Montmorency aka the Great (1252-1305) supported king Philip III the Bold (r. 1270-1285) in the Aragonese Crusade that ended with the king's death. The next king, Philip IV the Fair (r. 1285-1314) rewarded him with the title of chamberlain and the domain of Damville, which became one of the jewels of the Montmorency lineage. In 1294, Matthew fought against the English in Guyenne. Appointed admiral, he commanded with John of Harcourt the fleet that burned down the port of Dover and sacked the English coast in 1295. During the war against the Flemings, he seized Veurne and Kortrijk in 1303 and contributed the next year to the decisive victory of Mons-en-Pévèle.
Charles of Montmorency (1537-1612) was made duke of Damville and peer of France in 1610 by Louis XIII (r. 1610-1643). He was subsequently known as Charles of Montmorency-Damville.
Charles of Montmorency fought in the royal army during the Wars of Religion, in the battles of Dreux in 1562, Saint-Denis in 1567, during which his father, Constable Anne of Montmorency (1493-1567), was killed, and Moncontour in 1569. In 1574, he joined the Malcontents (Unhappy) party that opposed to Henry III (r. 1674-1689), and reconciled five years later with the king.
During the League uprising, Charles de Montmorency supported Henry IV (1589-1610) in the battle of Arques; his loyalty was rewarded with the title of admiral of France and Brittany.
[Daniel Dessert. Les Montmorency. Mille ans au service des rois de France]
Olivier Touzeau & Ivan Sache, 27 January 2021