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Coutances is a commune of Normandy, France, in the Manche département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. Population (1999): 9,546.
HistoryCapital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town took 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 invading Normans in 866, who later established settlements and incorporated the whole peninsula into the Duchy of Normandy in 933. In 1973, Gavray amalgamated Le Mesnil-Bonant and Le Mesnil-Hue. Le Mesnil-Bonant (old INSEE code: 50307) and Les Mesnil-Hue (old INSEE code: 50314) kept the statute of communal partners in 1973. Le Mesnil-Bonant no longer has the statute in 1988 SightsCoutances Cathedral is one of the major buildings of Norman architecture and contains a chapel and stained glass dedicated to Saint Marcouf. The bishop of Coutances exercised ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Channel Islands until the 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. ArrondissementThe Arrondissement of Coutances are made up of 10 cantons and 13 communes:
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