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Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and sumptuous hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film Festival took place in 1999. Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and one of the most prestigious seaside resorts in all of France. As the closest seaside resort to Paris, the city and its region of the Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast) has long been home to French high society's seaside houses and is often referred to as the Parisian riviera. Since the 19th century, the town of Deauville has been a fashionable holiday resort for the international upper class. Deauville is also a desirable family resort for the wealthy. In France, it is known perhaps above all for its role in Proust's In Search of Lost Time.
[edit] History
The history of Deauville can be traced back to 1060, when seigneur Hubert du Mont-Canisy dominated the magnificent land which was previously known as Auevilla. In 1066, Hubert du Mont-Canisy left to follow William the Conqueror to England.
During World War I, wounded soldiers would be cared for in Deauville's famous hotels and casino. Unfortunately, the war also took a heavy toll on Deauville's blossoming market and trade sector as merchants were forced to give many of their products to the war effort.
The combination of the national financial crisis and World War II completely removed the paradisiacal aura of Deauville that would not resurface until the 1950s. During the Second World War, the German Army occupied Deauville. Villas, hotels, and the casino were all occupied or used to some extent by the German forces. Following the invasion of allied forces D-Day, the German troops were pushed out of Deauville and Normandy. Following the war, and perhaps exemplified in the 1960s and beyond, Deauville understood what it represented and decided to act in accordance, playing the cards it had at its disposal: myth and exclusivity. Michel d'Ornano was established as the new mayor and Lucien Barriere succeeded his uncle Francois André at the head of the Hotels and Casinos of Deauville. Deauville became again a centre for high society and celebrities from almost every field. With scenes of award-winning movies being filmed in Deauville (such as Claude Lelouch's "un Homme et une Femme") and endless celebrity traffic, the town has renewed its status as an emblematic resort town of Europe. [edit] Early historyThe first reference to Deauville was in 1060. At this time the village was called A Enilla and looked more like a fishing hamlet than a village. An Enilla comes from the Germanic Auwja Auwa meaning wet meadow. The village was originally up on the hill and a few houses were built next to the St Laurent chapel. Thanks to its situation near the coast, the village had a small harbour of little importance on the river Touques. [edit] Duc de MornyDeauville owes its greater prominence to the Duc de Morny. He described the village as: Cité calme, aux rue désertes, elle forme avec Trouville, animée et bruyante, un contraste absolu. Mais ce manque de vie n'est, en réalité, qu'apparent, car de magnifiques propriétés, de même que les délicieux jardins qui les entourent, sont entretnus avec un soin on ne peut plus raffiné. Translation: "A quiet town, with deserted streets, it forms a complete contrast with the busy and noisy Trouville. But this lack of life is, in reality, only apparent, because the magnificent properties, and their delicious gardens, are maintained with a care that could not be more refined." [edit] DevelopmentIn 1855 land was being bought at 5 centimes/m2; in 1862 the same land was worth 1 franc/m2. The buyer had indeed bought marsh land and sold constructible land. It was in 1858 that doctor Oliffe, who owned a villa in Trouville, decided to create a "town of pleasure" on the deserted sand dunes and in 1862 the first stone of today's Deauville was laid. The duc bought 2.4 square kilometres of marsh land and dunes for 800,000 francs. The Touques was still unchannelled but during the Second Empire the low tides permitted the construction of walls. In the 1860s visits by Napoleon III made the coast of Normandy adjacent to Deauville fashionable, and soon speculators developed the infrastructure necessary to accommodate members of the Imperial court and the growing Parisian bourgeoisie. The railway arrived at Trouville-sur-Mer in 1863. Using the station called Trouville, passengers could reach Deauville in six hours from Paris. Morny, who had influence at Court, managed to persuade the aristocracy that staying on the coast would benefit their health. Land was bought and large villas, sometimes even palaces, were built. A casino and hotels soon followed and rich tourists came in their numbers. A common old joke among locals is that the wealthy bourgeoisie Frenchmen would keep their wife in Deauville and their mistress in Trouville, making light of the disparate socioeconomic statuses of the two neighbouring seaside villages, Trouville being a working class fishing village and Deauville being home to exclusive shops and expensive real estate. The locked harbour was dug up in 1866. Deauville hardly suffered during the First World War. It was during World War II with the German Occupation that Deauville saw most of its leisure properties confiscated for use by the occupying force. [edit] Modern timesDuring the 1960s, Deauville started to see more mass-market visitors. Yet, the town and the surrounding Côte Fleurie are still a high-profile seaside resort, haven for the rich and famous as well as for the more discreet families of French high society such as the Rothschilds who own some Norman manor nearby Deauville. Today, Deauville is easily accessible from Paris thanks in large part to the extension of highway A132. From 26–27 May 2011, Deauville hosted the 37th G8 summit. [edit] Deauville American Film FestivalIn an effort to prolong the summer season Lucien Barriere and Michel d'Ornano agreed to sponsor Lionel Chouchan and Andre Halimi s idea of a film festival that specifically promoted American films, both big-budget and independent features. 1975 was the festival's first year of existence and The Reincarnation of Peter Proud was the first film to be shown in the festival's history. Since 1975 the festival has continued to promote American cinematography as well as bring American and European stars to Normandy. The festival, not at all known for its competitive nature, began to hand out awards in 1995. In 2014 the Festival celebrated its 40th year. [edit] Horse cultureHome to the Deauville-La Touques Racecourse, the countryside around Deauville is the main horse breeding region in France and home to numerous stud farms. As a result, the city is twinned with Lexington, Kentucky and County Kildare in Ireland, both of which are world leaders in breeding thoroughbred racehorses. The important Ventes de Deauville yearling auction is held in mid-August each year at Deauville. Deauville is internationally known for its horse culture, its famous tracks, Yearling sales and its multiple group one annual races. The two famous tracks of Deauville are Deauville la Touques and Clairefontaine: these tracks are active during the months of January, July, August, October, and December. The three most important races that occur in Deauville ever year are the following: Le Maurice de Gheest, Le Jacques le Marois, and Le Morny. More recently Le Prix d'Astarte, (Prix Rothschild) and Le Prix Romanet have gained more prestige in the racing world. Le Grand Prix de Deauville, though not a Group 1 race, remains very prestigious; since its origin the winner's names and emblems are posted on the walls of the grand hall of the race track. Today Deauville also hosts competitions other than simply racing. These competitions include: polo tournaments, horseshows, and the European championship of miniature horses. Find the listing of previous winners and prizes at http://galop.courses-france.com/ [edit] Research Tips
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