The history of Deauville

Originally, in 1060, Deauville was only a small unknown village surrounded by marshes to which was attributed the Latin name "Auevilla" which evolved in "d'Auville" or "Dosville" later. It had only a hundred inhabitants and a small church on Mount Canisy. They fed on farming, livestock and culture.

Around the 19th century, the Duke of Morny, half-brother of Napoleon III, stayed in Deauville. Having noticed that this village of 200 ha in front of Trouville begins to be abandoned, he took the initiative to buy it for 800,000 francs to the municipality  in order to build a city with the help of the Banker Armand Donon and Dr. Joseph Olliffe.

In 1859, in the spirit of competing with the neighboring city, the Duke of Morny built a seaside resort centered on three poles, including the casino by the sea, the hippodrome on the way out of the Auge country and a flow basin near the railway station, connected to Paris. It is only after 4 years of work that Deauville has emerged from the marshes to become a modern city.

Luxurious residences, recreation centers, prestigious hotels have been set up, forging the reputation of the city and multiplying the inhabitants by ten. As the visitors began to come in large numbers, the promotion of the city is floundering following the death of Morny in 1865, pursued by the Second World War and the fall of the Empire in 1870.

Fortunately, the city has recovered as well as its historical monuments, its cultural heritages and its hotel, decisive points of Deauville. Since the end of the war until today, the municipality is constantly renovating and becomes the favorite destination of wealthy people and movie stars.