Carentan: Hotel de Ville, detail of north wing

This wing is at right angles to the later main building (now the Town Hall), which is pictured in my January photo.

This wing housed the original Augustinian convent, built in luxurious Renaissance style in 1644-52; here was a school where the convent's 80 nuns taught young girls, no doubt daughters of the local nobility and other notables of the town.

There is a later southern wing (built 1717-19) , in French rustic style, which housed the convent's wash-house, stables and bakery.


Until about ten years ago the Town Hall's internal courtyard contained numerous trees and somewhat chaotic parking for municipal police and other employees. The trees have now gone and a capacious public car park has been created. This means that a photographer can finally see the buildings and take photographs such as this one, but the courtyard is totally different in character.