View source for Coutances

{{Short description|Commune in Normandy, north-western France}}

{{Infobox French commune
|name                   = Coutances
|commune status         = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]] and [[Communes of France|commune]]
|image                  = Coutances vue nord.jpg
|caption                = Coutances Cathedral
|image coat of arms     = Blason Coutances.svg
|arrondissement         = Coutances
|canton                 = Coutances
|INSEE                  = 50147
|postal code            = 50200
|mayor                  = Jean-Dominique Bourdin<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term                   = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality       = Coutances Mer et Bocage
|coordinates            = {{coord|49.05|-1.44|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m            =
|elevation min m        = 12
|elevation max m        = 150
|area km2               = 12.51
|population             = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}

'''Coutances''' ({{IPA|fr|kutɑ̃s|-|Fr-Paris--Coutances.ogg}}; [[Norman language|Norman]]: ''Couotaunches'') is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Manche]] [[Departments of France|department]] in [[Normandy (administrative region)|Normandy]] in north-western France.

==History==
[[File:Cobra Coutances.jpg|thumb|left|American armored and infantry forces pass through Coutances, France, in July 1944]]
The capital of the [[Unelli]], a [[Gauls|Gaulish]] tribe, the town was given the name of ''Constantia'' in 298 during the reign of [[Roman Emperor]] [[Constantius Chlorus]]. The surrounding region, called in [[Latin]] the ''pagus Constantinus'', subsequently became known as the [[Cotentin Peninsula]].

The town was destroyed by the invading [[Normans]] in 866; they later established settlements and incorporated the whole [[list of peninsulas|peninsula]] into the [[Duchy of Normandy]] in 933.

On 17 July 1944, during the [[Battle of Normandy]] during [[World War II]], the city was bombed during the Allied offensive against the occupying Germans.

==Geography==
===Climate===
Coutances has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Coutances is {{cvt|11.2|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1061.2|mm}} with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{cvt|17.5|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{convert|5.5|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Coutances was {{cvt|38.9|C}} on 5 August 2003; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-14.4|C}} on 17 January 1985.
{{Weather box
|collapsed = y
|location= Coutances (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1974–present)
|metric first= Y
|single line= Y
|Jan record high C = 15.5
|Feb record high C = 21.5
|Mar record high C = 24.6
|Apr record high C = 26.9
|May record high C = 30.5
|Jun record high C = 34.4
|Jul record high C = 39.5
|Aug record high C = 38.9
|Sep record high C = 33.0
|Oct record high C = 28.6
|Nov record high C = 21.9
|Dec record high C = 16.6
|Jan record low C = -14.4
|Feb record low C = -13.0
|Mar record low C = -5.4
|Apr record low C = -2.5
|May record low C = -1.1
|Jun record low C = 2.7
|Jul record low C = 4.6
|Aug record low C = 3.9
|Sep record low C = 0.5
|Oct record low C = -2.8
|Nov record low C = -5.5
|Dec record low C = -7.1
|Jan high C = 8.8
|Feb high C = 9.6
|Mar high C = 12.0
|Apr high C = 14.7
|May high C = 17.8
|Jun high C = 20.6
|Jul high C = 22.5
|Aug high C = 22.5
|Sep high C = 20.3
|Oct high C = 16.4
|Nov high C = 12.3
|Dec high C = 9.4
| year high C = 15.6
|Jan mean C = 6.0
|Feb mean C = 6.3
|Mar mean C = 8.2
|Apr mean C = 10.3
|May mean C = 13.3
|Jun mean C = 16.1
|Jul mean C = 17.9
|Aug mean C = 17.9
|Sep mean C = 15.8
|Oct mean C = 12.7
|Nov mean C = 9.2
|Dec mean C = 6.5
| year mean C = 11.7
|Jan low C = 3.2
|Feb low C = 3.0
|Mar low C = 4.4
|Apr low C = 5.9
|May low C = 8.8
|Jun low C = 11.6
|Jul low C = 13.4
|Aug low C = 13.4
|Sep low C = 11.3
|Oct low C = 9.1
|Nov low C = 6.0
|Dec low C = 3.6
| year low C = 7.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 109.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 86.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 75.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 71.7
|May precipitation mm = 68.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 64.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 67.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 79.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 82.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 120.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 122.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 144.4
|year precipitation mm = 1092.8
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 16.6
| Feb precipitation days = 13.5
| Mar precipitation days = 12.6
| Apr precipitation days = 11.4
| May precipitation days = 9.9
| Jun precipitation days = 9.7
| Jul precipitation days = 10.1
| Aug precipitation days = 10.1
| Sep precipitation days = 11.0
| Oct precipitation days = 14.6
| Nov precipitation days = 16.8
| Dec precipitation days = 17.2
| year precipitation days =153.5
|source 1 = Meteociel<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=50147001|title=Normales et records pour Coutances (50)|publisher=Meteociel|access-date=16 November 2024}}</ref>}}

==Population==
{{Historical populations
|source = INSEE<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-50147#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|percentages = pagr
|align = none
|1968 |9061
|1975 |9869
|1982 |9930
|1990 |9715
|1999 |9522
|2007 |9483
|2012 |9114
|2017 |8501
}}

==Sights==
[[Coutances Cathedral]] is one of the major buildings of [[Norman architecture]] and contains a chapel and stained glass dedicated to [[Saint Marcouf]]. The [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances|bishop of Coutances]] exercised ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the [[Channel Islands]] until the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]], despite the secular division of Normandy in 1204. The final rupture occurred definitively in 1569.

Coutances houses a well-known botanical garden and an art museum.

==Jazz festival==
Coutances is the location of ''[[Jazz sous les pommiers]]'' ("Jazz under the apple trees"), an annual jazz festival held since 1982. The festival traditionally takes place during the week of [[Feast of the Ascension|Ascension]].

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}

Coutances is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ochsenfurt]] in Germany 
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Troina]] in [[Sicily]], Italy 
*{{flagicon|UK}} [[Ilkley]] in [[England]], United Kingdom<ref name="Archant twinning 3">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|title=British towns twinned with French towns ''[via WaybackMachine.com]''|access-date=2013-07-20|archive-date=5 July 2013|work=Archant Community Media Ltd}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilkleygazette.co.uk/news/news_local/4401914.Ilkley_and_Coutances_celebrate_twin_ship/|title=Ilkley and Coutances celebrate twin-ship|date=29 May 2009|work=Ilkley Gazette|publisher=Newsquest Media Group|access-date=2009-06-27}}</ref> 
||

*{{flagicon|UK}} [[Saint Ouen, Jersey|Saint Ouen]] in [[Jersey]], [[Channel Islands]]
*{{flagicon|CAN}} [[La Pocatière, Quebec|La Pocatière]] in [[Québec]], Canada 
|}

===Heraldry===
{{Blazon-arms
|img1=Blason Coutances.svg
|legend1=Arms of Coutances
|text=The arms of Coutances are [[blazon]]ed :<br />''Azure, in fess 3 columns argent, and on a chief gules, a leopard Or armed and langued azure.''

}}

== See also ==
{{Commons category|Coutances}}
*[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Manche communes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Communes of Manche]]
[[Category:Subprefectures in France]]
[[Category:Gallia Lugdunensis]]


{{Coutances-geo-stub}}