16–29 June 2026 – Exhibition: ‘Gatteville in the aftermath of the Second World War’

The former town hall in Gatteville welcomed more than 500 visitors between 16 and 29 June for this exhibition. The theme: Getting things back on track following the Normandy landing.

Gatteville was liberated on 21 June 1944, but the bombing raids of May and June 1944 had destroyed many buildings, both public and private. The entire coastal area was mined, rendering it unusable and dangerous, and infrastructure was prioritised for military operations as the war continued.

This marked the start of a period of around fifteen years of reconstruction, revival and modernisation of the country, in which Gatteville played a full part and devoted all its energy.

This exhibition lists and details the many projects that resulted: the school, the road network, Tue-Vaques, the sea wall, the presbytery, and so on. This period shaped the landscape we know today.

The sheer scale of the initiatives undertaken is impressive and helps us understand why this marked the beginning of what came to be known as the ‘Trente Glorieuses’.