Last modified: 2005-03-05 by ivan sache
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![[Flag of Ivry-la-Bataille]](../images/f/fr-27-ib.gif)
by Arnaud
Leroy
See also:
The small city of Ivry-la-Bataille (2,700 inhabitants) is located in
Upper-Normandy, on the river Eure, 30 km south-east of Evreux and 70 km west of Paris.
The name of the city probably comes from the Latin toponym Ibriacum,
coming itself from a Celtic root meaning ford or bridge. This etymology
is consistent with the location of Ivry on the river Eure.
The patron saint of Ivry is saint Martin, which indicates that the
local parish is very old. The cult of saint Martin was one of the
earliest ones in the beginning of christianization of Gaul. There are
several villages called Saint-Martin all over France and Martin is
still the most widespread family name in France.
There are four cities and villages called Ivry in France:
Ivry-en-Montagne, Ivry-la-Bataille, Ivry-le-Temple and Ivry-sur-Seine.
Here the qualifying term la Bataille refers to the battle that took
place near Ivry on 14 March 1590, which was the last fighting between
King Henri IV and his challengers from the ultra-Catholic Holy League.
In the Middle Ages, Ivry was defended by a big fortress built in the second half of the Xth century by Raoul of Ivry, Count of Bayeux and half-brother of Duke of Normandy Richard III. In the XIth and XIIth centuries, the fortress was disputed among