Balleroy

Geography

Balleroy is located some 16 km south-west of Bayeux and 21 km north-east of Saint-Lô. Access to the commune is by the D13 road from Cerisy-la-Forêt in the west which passes through the village and continues east to Lingèvres. The D28 road goes south from the village to Planquery. The commune is mainly farmland with the Château de Balleroy grounds just west of the village occupying a substantial land area.

The river Drôme forms the western and north-western borders of the commune as it flows north-east to eventually join the ocean at Port-en-Bessin-Huppain. The Ruisseau de la Commune flows from the west to join the Drome in the commune. The Vesbire forms the south-eastern border of the commune as it flows south-west to join the Drôme.

History

Until 1521 the commune was the property of the lord of Aunay. The lordship of Balleroy was purchased by the Trextot family. Jean de Choisy, counselor, notary and secretary of the king, in turn bought the lordship of Balleroy as well as the lands of Cormolain, Montfiquet, and Vaubadon. He was the son of Jean de Choisy, intendant of Metz, knight, advisor to the king and the Duke of Orléans, Lord of Balleroy, Beaumont, Grandcamp, Léthanville, and Saint-Pierre and he founded the present chateau. He made the inhabitants near the chateau into vassals, forcing them to build their homes there.

In 1634 the Lord of Balleroy obtained the establishment of a weekly market (on Tuesday) and two fairs a year.

During the French revolutionary period of the National Convention (1792-1795), the commune was called Bal-sur-Drôme.

Heraldry

Blazon:

Quarterly: at 1 and 4 Azure, a saltire engrailed of Or cantoned with four roundels the same; at 2 and 3, Argent, three hearts of Gules.

The blazon of quarters 2 and 3 (hearts) is that of the de La Cour de Balleroy family (extinct), the former Marquises of Balleroy.

Administration

Balleroy was part of the Community of communes Intercom Balleroy Le Molay-Littry which included 22 communes and had its seat in Le Molay-Littry.

Balleroy was the seat of the former Canton of Balleroy. Since the 2015 French cantons reform, it is part of the canton of Trévières.

List of Successive Mayors

Twinning

Balleroy has twinning associations with:

• UK Shebbear (United Kingdom) since 1979.
• Denmark Ribe (Denmark) since 1986.
• Burkina Faso Fo (Burkina Faso) since 1989.

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Biardais or Biardaises and Billards or Billardes in French.

|1793 |1228 |1800 |1176 |1806 |1391 |1821 |1326 |1831 |1267 |1836 |1395 |1841 |1310 |1846 |1291 |1851 |1311 |1856 |1244 |1861 |1286 |1866 |1284 |1872 |1220 |1876 |1114 |1881 |1124 |1886 |1110 |1891 |1103 |1896 |1085 |1901 |1059 |1906 |1037 |1911 |1015 |1921 |913 |1926 |850 |1931 |882 |1936 |836 |1946 |950 |1954 |866 |1962 |829 |1968 |757 |1975 |712 |1982 |720 |1990 |613 |1999 |787 |2007 |757 |2012 |985

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has two sites that are registered as historical monuments:

• The Château de Balleroy (1626) was built by the architect François Mansart for Jean de Choisy, advisor to Louis XIII. Its French formal garden are by Henri Duchêne according to plans by André Le Nôtre. It remained in the Balleroy family until 1970. The village was built around the castle.
• The Château de Balleroy Park (1626)

;Chateau of Balleroy Picture Gallery File:Château de Balleroy 2008 PD 02.JPG File:Château de Balleroy 38.JPG File:Château de Balleroy 11.JPG File:Château de Balleroy 04.JPG File:Château de Balleroy 10.JPG File:Château de Balleroy 32.JPG File:Château de Balleroy 24.JPG File:Château de Balleroy 31.JPG File:Château de Balleroy 05.JPG File:Château de Balleroy 09.JPG File:GrundrissSchlossBalleroy.png

Religious heritage

• The Parish Church of Saint-Martin Grounds (1650) are registered as an historical monument. The Church contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
  • A Framed Painting: The Alliance between Abimélek and Abraham (17th century)
  • A Framed Painting: The descendant of Abraham (17th century)
  • A Chalice with Paten (17th century)
  • A Statue: Virgin and child (17th century)
  • A Painting: The Annunciation (18th century)
  • An Episcopal Cross (18th century)
  • A Statue: Saint Martin (17th century)

;Church of Saint Martin Picture Gallery File:Église Saint-Martin de Balleroy 11.JPG|The Nave File:Église Saint-Martin de Balleroy 17.JPG|Painting: The Descendant of Abraham File:Église Saint-Martin de Balleroy 09.JPG|The Confessional

Activities and events

Each year a gathering of hot air balloons took place at the Château de Balleroy. This gathering took place for the last time in 1999 when Malcolm Forbes, the chateau's owner, would have celebrated his 80th birthday.

Since 2007 in the face of demand from the public, the festival was again held at the end of June but this no longer happens in the castle. This was held by the village festival committee who organized a small gathering. The festivities are now held above the village at the stadium.

Notable people linked to the commune

• Louis Charles d'Hervilly (1756-1795), Count of Hervilly, knight, Marquis of Leschelles, married Marie Louise Augustine La Cour de Balleroy (1758-1830) on 7 October 1778 at the Château de Balleroy which was the Château for his wife's family.
• Louis James, from an old Balleroy family (James from Lalande). He left to live in Auxerre (Yonne) where he founded the first modern department store in association with the local merchant Lesseré. As he was unmarried, he brought in a nephew (Achille) and niece (Hortense) to share in the very successful business: it was the time of "Bonheur des Dames" (Happiness of Women). The stores Soisson & James were transferred to Eurodif in 1970.
• Count Albert de Balleroy (1828-1872), MP for Calvados, painter specialising in hunting scenes, shared a studio on Rue Lavoisier in Paris with Édouard Manet
• Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), American press billionaire, owner of the Chateau from 1970.

References

References

1. (December 2024). "Populations de référence 2022". [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques.
2. [https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/eli/arrete/2015/12/23/INTB1601506A/jo/texte Arrêté préfectoral] 23 December 2015 {{in lang. fr
3. [https://www.google.com/maps/place/14490+Balleroy,+France/@49.1811939,-0.8386409,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x480bb0378c67e50d:0x40c14484fbcfc20 Google Maps]
4. fr
5. Department of Calvados Annual, 1850, p.364
6. [http://www.ouest-france.fr/le-maire-denis-legrand-se-represente-aux-elections-1862421 ''The Mayor Denis Legrand wins election after the death of Yves Houel''], [[Ouest-France]] {{in lang. fr
7. [http://www.ouest-france.fr/le-nouveau-maire-gilbert-montaigne-presente-son-equipe-2116323 ''The new Mayor Gilbert Montaigne presents his team''], [[Ouest-France]], {{in lang. fr
8. [https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/cncdext/dyn/public/atlas/rechercheAtlasFrance.html National Commission for Decentralised cooperation] {{in lang. fr
9. [https://www.habitants.fr/calvados-14 Le nom des habitants du 14 - Calvados], habitants.fr
10. {{Cassini-Ehess. 2509. Balleroy
11. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2123878?geo=COM-14035 Populations légales 2012], INSEE
12. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée {{Mérimée. PA00111028. PA00111028 Chateau of Balleroy {{in lang. fr{{Camera
13. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée {{Mérimée. IA14003351. IA14003351 Chateau of Balleroy Park {{in lang. fr
14. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée {{Mérimée. PA00111029. PA00111029 Church Grounds {{in lang. fr{{Camera
15. Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy. PM14001327. PM14001327 Framed Painting: The Alliance between Abimélek and Abraham {{in lang. fr
16. Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy. PM14001326. PM14001326 Framed Painting: The descendant of Abraham {{in lang. fr
17. Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy. PM14000036. PM14000036 Chalice with Paten {{in lang. fr{{Camera
18. Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy. PM14000035. PM14000035 Statue: Virgin and child {{in lang. fr{{Camera
19. Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy. PM14000034. PM14000034 Painting: The Annunciation {{in lang. fr
20. Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy. PM14000033. PM14000033 Episcopal Cross {{in lang. fr
21. Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy. PM14000032. PM14000032 Statue: Saint Martin {{in lang. fr
22. fr
23. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070703230919/http://www.chateau-balleroy.com/us/albert.htm Albert de Balleroy Archive website]