Bons-Tassilly: Traces of Prehistory and Local History

For travelers interested in historic places, Bons-Tassilly offers several different points of interest. The area's history stretches from Neolithic sites to the events of the Battle of Normandy. In between are the architectural history of the château and the formation of the municipality from Bons and Tassilly.

Prehistory and Protected Sites

The Poussendre polissoir is a Neolithic archaeological site. It was listed as a historic monument by decree on August 24, 1976. A polissoir is a stone used to smooth or polish stone tools; the name thus refers to a specific form of prehistoric work. The Neolithic classification and the monument protection refer to different things: the site belongs to prehistory, while 1976 is the date of its later protection. Neolithic polishing stones at La Brèche au Diable near Bons-Tassilly are also among the area's prehistoric points of interest. Poussendre and La Brèche au Diable are two named places where the area's early history can be experienced; they should not be conflated into a single site.

The Église Saint-Quentin de Tassilly is the Catholic church in Tassilly, which is part of Bons-Tassilly. It is listed as a historic monument; its protected status was established by decree on September 19, 1928. The year 1928, too, is the date the church was protected, not the year it was built. The archaeological site and the church thus represent different kinds of historic places, each with its own protection date.

The Château and the Development of the Municipality

The château offers another perspective on architectural history. It was probably built in 1664 for the Turgot family; the date is uncertain. The central section was destroyed shortly before 1860, and the formal French garden has disappeared. The central section refers to the middle part of the building, so its destruction was a structural loss. A French garden is a formally designed garden; its disappearance affected a different aspect of the château's history than the destruction of the central section.

Bons-Tassilly was formed in 1854 by the merger of Bons and Tassilly. Chronologically, the formation of the municipality falls between the château's probable construction in 1664 and the protection of the Église Saint-Quentin in 1928. The three dates mark different events: construction, merger, and protection as a historic monument.

Remembering the Battle of Normandy

The Battle of Normandy also shaped the area's history. Bons-Tassilly was affected by Operation Tractable, whose aims included supporting the advance of Canadian and Polish troops to liberate Falaise. The scale of destruction in the village itself is particularly striking: 108 aircraft and 433 tons of bombs destroyed almost the entire village. The link with Falaise explains the military context, while the figures for bombs and aircraft convey the destruction locally.

Practical Information

If you would like to visit La Brèche au Diable, you can park in the parking lot at the church in Soumont-Saint-Quentin.

Discover more destinations: Maisons, Écrammeville, Sainte-Marie-Outre-l'Eau, Colombières, Canton of Saint-Sever-Calvados, Saint-Germain-La-Blanche-Herbe, Villy-lez-Falaise, Ablon.

For the broader travel overview: Calvados.