| Pont-l'Évêque | |
| Commune Status: | Commune |
| Image Coat Of Arms: | Blason_ville_fr_Pont-l'Evêque_(Calvados).svg |
| Arrondissement: | Lisieux |
| Canton: | Pont-l'Évêque |
| Insee: | 14514 |
| Postal Code: | 14130 |
| Mayor: | Yves Deshayes[1] |
| Term: | 2020 - 2026 |
| Coordinates: | 49.2864°N 0.1847°W |
| Elevation M: | 16 |
| Elevation Min M: | 5 |
| Elevation Max M: | 148 |
| Area Km2: | 12.98 |
Pont-l'Évêque (in French pronounced as /pɔ̃ levɛːk/) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is known for Pont-l'Évêque cheese, a type of soft cheese, the oldest Normandy cheese in production.
During World War II, the town was severely damaged by a two-day battle in August 1944. On 1 January 2019, the former commune of Coudray-Rabut was merged into Pont-l'Évêque.[2]
The town serves as the setting for Gustave Flaubert's story Un cœur simple and features heavily in the book 13 - Lucky For Some which is about the history of the 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion. There are many then and now photographs as well as maps and diagrams of battles that took place in the region.
The river Touques flows through Pont-l'Évêque, which takes its name from a bridge (pont) built over the river. Starting in the 10th century, the local bishop (évêque) took responsibility for building and repairing the bridges and roads in France. Pont-l'Évêque thus means "Bishop Bridge".[3] It was Latinised as Pons-Episcopi.[4] Pont-l'Évêque station has rail connections to Paris, Deauville, Évreux and Lisieux.
Ottery St Mary, United Kingdom (since 1977)[5]Pont-l'Évêque was the birthplace of: