Briouze

The name Briouze probably comes from an older Norman form of the word "boue", or "mud".

• Name — Briouze • Commune Status — Commune • Image Coat Of Arms — Blason Briouze.svg • Arrondissement — Argentan • Canton — Athis-Val de Rouvre • Insee — 61063 • Postal Code — 61220 • Mayor — Jacques Fortis • Term — 2020–2026 • Intercommunality — CA Flers Agglo • Elevation M — 212 • Elevation Min M — 197 • Elevation Max M — 254 • Area Km2 — 17.15 • Population — population_total • Population Date — population_as_of • Population Footnotes — population_footnotes Briouze is a commune in the Orne department of Normandy in northwestern France. It is considered the capital of the pays d'Houlme at the western end of the Orne in the Norman bocage. William de Braose, First Lord of Bramber (Guillaume de Briouze) was granted lands in England after the Norman conquest and used his wealth to build a priory in his home town. The name Briouze probably comes from an older Norman form of the word "boue", or "mud".

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, La Bougonnière,La Grivagère, Saint-Gervais and Briouze. The commune is spread over an area of 17.15 km2 with a maximum altitude of 254 m and minimum of 197 m The commune has 9 watercourses running through it, the rivers Rouvre and the Val du Breuil, plus 7 streams. The seven streams are known as the Maufy, the Roussieres, la Haie, the Arthan, la Prevostiere, the Lange and la Source Philippe. Briouze also has the largest marsh in the Orne department, shared with Bellou-en-Houlme at 167.41 Ha, called the Grand-Hazé.

The 2018 CORINE Land Cover assessment shows the vast majority of the land in the commune, 55% (495 ha) is meadows. The rest of the land is arable land at 29%, urbanised areas at 7%, heterogeneous agricultural land at 5% and wetlands at 3% (55 ha).

Briouze has an oceanic climate with mild winters and temperate summers.

Briouze station has rail connections to Argentan, Paris and Granville.

Grand-Hazé is a 500 acres of Marshland that has been under the protection of the Natura 2000 since 2002, that is shared with Bellou-en-Houlme. The Marshland features Camargue horses and Highland cattle.

• Saint-Gervais Chapel is an eleventh century chapel built between 1080 and 1093 by Guillaume de Briouze. It was listed as a Monument historique in 1975. • Illustration — Chapel of Saint-Gervais • Illustration — Briouze Church • Illustration — Chapel of the community of the Sisters of Notre-Dame de Briouze • Illustration — Briouze station

Since 1996, each year the commune hosts a music festival, Festival Art Sonic at the end of July. The festival attracts about 20,000 people featuring Contemporary music.

• William de Braose, 1st Lord of Bramber (died 1093-1096) lord of Briouze. • Foulques du Merle - (1239 - 1314) was Seigneur of Gacé and Bellou-en-Houlme, and Baron of Le Merlerault, Briouze and Messei. • Alexandre Bisson - (1848 - 1912) French playwright, vaudeville creator, and novelist was born here.

Briouze is twinned with: • Beverungen, Germany