Argences
Argences () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region of north-western France. It is in the urban area of Caen, 15 kilometres from the city. The inhabitants of the commune are known as "Argençais" or "Argençaises" The commune has been awarded one flower by the "National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom" in the "Competition of cities and villages in Bloom". Geography. Argences is some 15 km south-east of Caen and 1 km north of Moult. Access to the commune is by the D37 road from Saint-Pair in the north passing through  the commune and the town and continuing to Moult in the south. The D41 road goes east from the town to join the D613 to Caen at Vimont. The D80 road also goes north-east from the town to Saint-Pierre-du-Jonquet. Apart from the town there are also the hamlets of Le Fresne to the north, Le Mesnil in the north-east, and Le Croix de Moult south of the town. The commune consists of a large residential area in the town with a large forest in the north-east (the Bois de Saint-Gilles) with small scattered  forests but mostly farmland. The "Muane" river flows through the town and the commune from south to north. History. In 989 Richard I of Normandy donated land to the Abbey of Fécamp for the curates of Mondeville and Argences. From that date, the domain of Mondeville was managed as an ecclesiastical fief by the Barony of Argences. During the ducal era the wines of Argences were highly regarded. In 1912, the large tile factory at Fresne built a railway line 4 km long connecting Argences to Moult-Argences Station in Moult on the Paris-Cherbourg line. The line from Argences  was closed in 1931 and the nearest station is now Moult-Argences (TER Basse-Normandie). On 16 April 1942 a group of resistance fighters derailed a Maastricht-Cherbourg train two kilometres from Moult-Argences station in Airan commune causing 28 dead and 19 wounded - all German soldiers. On 30 April of that year, in revenge for German retaliation, a new derailment of the same train killed 10 German soldiers and wounded 22 others. Administration. List of Successive Mayors Economy. The newspaper "L'Echo de la Muance" was published in Argences from 1896 to 1897. Activities and events. The association of rural  families organizes dance classes for children and adults (beginners, modern dance, Fit'n dance).