Basly

Basly (French pronunciation: [bali] ^ⓘ) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region of north-western France.^[2]

Basly
Commune
The old Lavoir at Basly
Location of Basly
Basly Show map of France Basly Show map of Normandy
Coordinates: 49°16′48″N 0°25′19″W
Country	France
Region	Normandy
Department	Calvados
Arrondissement	Caen
Canton	Courseulles-sur-Mer
Intercommunality	CC Cœur de Nacre
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Yves Gauquelain
Area 1	3.92 km2 (1.51 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[1]	1,043
• Density	270/km2 (690/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	14044 /14610
Elevation	18–62 m (59–203 ft) (avg. 70 m or 230 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Basliens or Basliennes.^[3]

Geography

Basly is located some 6 km south-east of Courseulles-sur-Mer and 10 km north-west of Caen. Access to the commune is by the D79 road from Bény-sur-Mer in the north-east which passes through the village and continues south-east to Colomby-sur-Thaon. The D83 comes from Douvres-la-Délivrande in the north-east through the village then south-west to Thaon. The D404 passes through the north-east corner of the commune and the D141 from Fontaine-Henry to Colomby-sur-Thaon passes through the south-west corner. The commune is entirely farmland.^[4][5]

The Mue river forms the border of the south-western corner of the commune as it twists around then flows north-west to join the Seulles at Reviers.^[4][5]

History

At a place called Campagne in the commune (near the Moto-Club) many archaeological remains have been found. This is on a spur blocked by the valley of the Mue. The most famous remains are those of a habitat from the first Iron Age (the Hallstatt culture) with an associated rectangular necropolis. There is archaeological evidence of a Neolithic stockade in medieval times.

Basly appears as Basly on the 1750 Cassini Map^[6] and the same on the 1790 version.^[7]

Administration

Basly Town Hall

List of Successive Mayors^[8]

From	To	Name	Party	Position
1800	1844	Louis
1860	1879	Paisant
1879	1891	Viel
1894	1896	Maillard
1894	1896	Viel
1896	1903	Legras
1903	1904	Marie
1942	1953	Leboucher
1953	1959	Marie
1959	1965	Leboucher
1965	1971	Marie
1971	1979	Vauvert
1979	1983	Coutard
1983	1989	Lemarchand
1989	2008	François Oudin
2008	2026[9][10]	Yves Gauquelain		Retired

The Municipal Council is composed of 15 members including the Mayor and 4 deputies.^[11]

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 1,105 inhabitants.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 511 —     1800 500 −0.31% 1806 546 +1.48% 1821 518 −0.35% 1831 444 −1.53% 1836 466 +0.97% 1841 439 −1.19% 1846 427 −0.55% 1851 440 +0.60% 1856 446 +0.27% 1861 448 +0.09% 1866 385 −2.99% 1872 370 −0.66% 1876 389 +1.26% 1881 377 −0.62% 1886 343 −1.87% 1891 326 −1.01% 1896 285 −2.65%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 263 −1.59% 1906 269 +0.45% 1911 252 −1.30% 1921 217 −1.48% 1926 202 −1.42% 1931 211 +0.88% 1936 213 +0.19% 1946 241 +1.24% 1954 258 +0.86% 1962 237 −1.06% 1968 272 +2.32% 1975 383 +5.01% 1982 672 +8.36% 1990 633 −0.74% 1999 657 +0.41% 2007 910 +4.16% 2012 1,137 +4.55% 2017 1,105 −0.57%
Source: EHESS[12] and INSEE[13]

Culture and heritage

Religious heritage

The Church bell tower

The Church of Saint Georges Bell Tower (12th century) is registered as an historical monument.^[14]

Festivals and events

The Town Hall garden

Sports

• The Football Club of Basly has two soccer teams in district divisions.^[15]
• The 'Moto Club was created in 1977 and has a motocross circuit and a driving school.^[16]

Notable people linked to the commune

• Déodat de Basly (1862 at Basly - 1937), religious and Franciscan theologian.

See also

• Communes of the Calvados department