Stage town for the sixth time
Calvados sub-prefecture (14)
Population: 17,200 (Virois and Viroises)
Personalities: Jean Drucker, Michel Drucker, Francis Letellier (television), Guy Degrenne (industrialist), René Castel (poet), Raymond Lefèvre (writer and pacifist activist), Thierry Gouvenou (cyclist)
Specialities: andouille de Vire. Apples and apple products (cider, calvados)
Sport: Virois Football Association. Robert-Auvray racecourse
Festivals: Les Virevoltés (street shows)
Business: Guy Degrenne (tableware). Food industry (Le Rustique). Machine tools (Thibaut), automotive (Novares)
Labels: town in bloom (*)
Websites: www.virenormandie.fr / www.paysdevire-normandie-tourisme.fr
VIRE AND CYCLING
For Tour de France followers,Vire is much more than just the capital of andouille sausages: it's also the birthplace of Thierry Gouvenou, the Tour de France's race director and the man who, along with Christian Prudhomme, masterminds its itininerary. In this role since 2014, this map and topography enthusiast has made his mark. As a rider, he took part in seven Tours de France between 1994 and 2001, notably with BigMat-Auber, where he rode alongside another native of Vire, David Bréard. Thierry Gouvenou won the Paris-Roubaix amateur race, finishing seventh in the pro race in 2002. Vire has featured on the Tour de France route five times, four times between 1935 and 1939 and a fifth time in 1997, when Mario Cippolini won one of his 12 stage victories.
SIGHTS
Ruins of the Vire keep
Construction: 11th-12th centuries
Style: medieval
History: built by Henry I to protect the principality's south, it passed to French crown in 1203, endured sieges, pillaging, and was ordered demolished by Richelieu in 1630. Only two wall sections remain
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1913
Church of Notre-Dame de Vire
Construction: 13th to 16th centuries
Style: Gothic
History: started around 1230, restored post-WWII, retains early Romanesque elements
Characteristics: granite, classical Gothic with flamboyant additions and Romanesque remains
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1862
Porte de l'Horloge
Construction: 13th to 15th centuries
Style: medieval
History: main gate, raised to belfry in 1480; clock added in 1499
Characteristics: towers with machicolations, moat, balustrade; includes memorial to 1944 bombing victims
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1886
Vire Museum
Construction: 18th-century Hôtel-Dieu
Opening: 1866
Style: classic
History: housed in former Hôtel-Dieu; reopened in 2021 after renovation
Characteristics: history of the bocage and its people
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1975. Museum of France. Môm'art label 2023
Town Hall
Construction: 1951 to 1956
Style: modern
History: built after WWII bombing, designed by Claude Herpe
Characteristics: tiered terraces and high windows for light
Listed as: Historical Monument in 2010
TO EAT
Andouille from Vire: Artisanal sausage made from pig's digestive tract, smoked over beech wood for a month, cooked for six hours. Known for its elliptical shape, strong taste, and natural casing "robe"
