Cormery

Cormery (French pronunciation: [kɔʁməʁi] ^ⓘ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, Centre-Val de Loire. Its inhabitants are called Cormeriens, Cormeriennes.

Cormery
Commune
The abbey in Cormery
Coat of arms
Location of Cormery
Cormery Show map of France Cormery Show map of Centre-Val de Loire
Coordinates: 47°16′05″N 0°50′14″E
Country	France
Region	Centre-Val de Loire
Department	Indre-et-Loire
Arrondissement	Loches
Canton	Bléré
Intercommunality	CC Loches Sud Touraine
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Pascal Debaud[1]
Area 1	6.07 km2 (2.34 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	1,860
• Density	310/km2 (790/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	37083 /37320
Elevation	57–94 m (187–308 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Cormery is located 21 kilometres from Tours and 18 kilometres from Joué-lès-Tours. The area of the town is watered by the Indre river.

History

Cormery Abbey

Main article: Cormery Abbey

In 791, a religious institution was founded by Ithier of St. Martin, abbot of Basilica of St. Martin in Tours and prochancelier of Charlemagne. This edifice was to create a more friendly place for meditation and prayer, plus respect for the rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia. Ithier come here to retreat from the world and its agitations. The modest priory was first called Celle Saint-Paul. Alcuin who succeeded Ithier Cormery led a tremendous spiritual growth and materially transformed the priory into an important abbey by donating important areas. This allowed his successor, Fridugisus, to perform great works.

A protective shadow of the abbey caused many residents to gather and a town was formed which became an important commercial center: since 845 a market is held every Thursday. During the raids of the Vikings up the Loire river, the monks of Saint-Martin first put the holy relics in their safe in Cormery before forced to flee to the east.

The abbey was in ruins in the early eleventh century and was rededicated in 1054. In 1268 to 1271, the abbot was Jean de Brosse, parent of Pierre de Brosse, and close to Philip II of France according to Le Hardi.

In 1562, Cormery was sacked by Huguenots during the Huguenot rebellions.^[3] In 1662, the congregation of St Maur recreated a monastic community that would last until the French Revolution when the monastery was resolved.

Only impressive remains are left of the abbey which is objects of study by historians of the region and a cookie recipe "macaroons Abbey".

List of mayors

List of mayors

Start	End	Name
March 1971	March 1989	Jacques Dupuy
March 1989	June 1995	Bernard Boutet
June 1995	March 2001	Pierre Gargaud
March 2001	March 2008	Jean-Marie Doublé
March 2008		Antoine Campagne

Heraldry

Description of the emblazon
	Original French	Les armes de Cormery se blasonnent ainsi : Mi-parti : au premier d'or à l'aigle bicéphale de sable, au second d'azur aux trois fleurs de lys d'or ; à l'épée basse d'argent, garnie d'or, brochant sur la partition[4]
	English blazon	The arms of Cormery is emblazoned as follows: Mi-party: the first gold double-headed eagle Sable, second azure three gold fleurs-de-lis; the low silver sword, overlaid with gold, surmounting the partition.
	Status	Cormery

Drinking water management

The town of Cormery is part of the SIPTEC (Syndicat Intercommunal de Truyes-Esvres-Cormery).

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	1,032	—
1975	1,106	+0.99%
1982	1,169	+0.79%
1990	1,323	+1.56%
1999	1,542	+1.72%
2007	1,643	+0.80%
2012	1,706	+0.76%
2017	1,780	+0.85%
Source: INSEE[5]

Places and monuments

Ruins of the Abbey

• A lantern of the dead from the twelfth century. Declared a historical monument on 1 December 1920 as a lantern of the dead. (It seems that this is actually a hosanna cross).
• Benedictine abbey: founded in 791 by Ithier, abbot of Saint Martin of Tours
• The Chapel of the Virgin: Built at the end of the 15th century.
• The rectory: Built in the 15th century.

Personalities linked to the town

• Ithier of Saint Martin
• Paul Boyer (slavist) (1864–1949), was born in Cormery

Bibliography

• Engerand, Roland (1947). Cormery, bourg tourangeau, photographies de Sylvain Knecht [Cormery, town of Touraine, Photographs of Synvain Knect] (in French). Éditions Plaisirs de France.

See also

• Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department