Combray (French pronunciation: [kɔ̃bʁɛ] ) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in north-western France.[3] The commune is part of the area known as Suisse Normande.[4]

Combray
The church in Combray
The church in Combray
Location of Combray
Map
Combray is located in France
Combray
Combray
Combray is located in Normandy
Combray
Combray
Coordinates: 48°57′00″N 0°26′17″W / 48.95°N 0.4381°W / 48.95; -0.4381
CountryFrance
RegionNormandy
DepartmentCalvados
ArrondissementCaen
CantonLe Hom
IntercommunalityCingal-Suisse Normande
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Roger Havas[1]
Area
1
4.51 km2 (1.74 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
144
 • Density32/km2 (83/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
14171 /14220
Elevation88–230 m (289–755 ft)
(avg. 187 m or 614 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Combray is also an imagined village in Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time), a book which was strongly inspired by the village of his childhood, Illiers, which has now been renamed Illiers-Combray in his honor. Combray is the title of the first part of the first volume of À la recherche du temps perdu, titled Du côté de chez Swann (Swann's Way).

There is a medieval motte-and-bailey castle.[5]

Geography edit

The commune is part of the area known as Suisse Normande.[4]

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, Les Gosselins, Les Soyers, Le Hamel, Le Bas de la Courrière and Combray.[6]

The commune has 2 watercourses running through it The Pont de Combray stream and La Vallee des Vaux stream.

Population edit

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1962122—    
1968123+0.8%
197595−22.8%
1982100+5.3%
199098−2.0%
1999130+32.7%
2008130+0.0%

References edit

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 9 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Combray sur le site de la communauté de communes Archived 2010-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b "Map of Suiss Normande" (PDF).
  5. ^ Arcisse de Caumont, Statistika monumentalne Calvados
  6. ^ a b "Google Maps". Google Maps.