The riverside promenade along the Bordel, a protected tomb in the Church of Saint-Germain, and Tessel’s history during the Second World War offer three distinct starting points. They range from a specific burial site to the river landscape and the events of the summer of 1944. When planning your trip, you can decide whether your interest lies more in the landscape, cultural heritage, or regional history.
Tomb and Inscription in Saint-Germain
The tomb of the priest Nicole Levilain, who died around 1400, is located in the Church of Saint-Germain in Tessel. The tomb includes a bas-relief and an inscription set into a wall niche. A bas-relief projects slightly from its background; together with the inscription, it offers two distinct ways to engage with the tomb: its visual design and its written text. Since 23 May 1933, the tomb has been classified as a protected movable object. Around five centuries separate the approximate date of death from this classification. At the burial site, the memory of a person and the later history of its protection can thus be distinguished at two points in time.
Along the Bordel: Riverside Promenade and Landscape
Tessel lies on the edge of the Caen plain and the bocage countryside. The Bordel is a tributary of the Seulles and flows into the Seulles at Fontenay-le-Pesnel. Within Tessel, the Bordel runs for 2.527 km. A promenade runs along its banks here. The length given describes the river’s course through the town; the promenade, as a riverside path, offers a separate way to explore the landscape. This distinction helps avoid confusing the river’s length with the length of a walk. Together, the river, the riverside promenade, and the town’s location on the edge of the Caen plain and the bocage provide a tangible view of Tessel’s landscape.
Tessel and the Fighting of 1944
The Battle of Fontenay-Rauray, fought from 25 to 28 June 1944, is part of Tessel’s history during the Second World War. During the fighting, hundreds of combatants fell on Tessel’s wooded ridge. The ridge links the local landscape with a clearly dated chapter of wartime history. Heavy fighting also took place in nearby Rauray during Operation Epsom, which aimed to capture Caen. At Brettevillette, German troops held the high ground, dominating the plain from there and hindering the British advance. The ridge locates some of the fighting directly in Tessel; Rauray and Brettevillette broaden the picture of the military context at the time.
Another place of remembrance is the military cemetery at Fontenay-le-Pesnel, with 509 grave markers. A local tradition about the manor house at Bretteville tells of a different historical connection: Charlotte Corday is said to have visited the manor house a few days before her journey to Paris to see her aunt, Madame de Bretteville.
Discover more destinations: Champ-Du-Boult, Gonneville-Sur-Mer, Valsemé, Le Mesnil-Mauger, Canapville, Longues-Sur-Mer, Deauville, Bernières-le-Patry.
For the wider travel overview: Calvados.
