Lyons-la-Forêt is a commune of the Euredepartment, Haute Normandie in Northwest France. Lyons-la-Floret is well known within the region due to its architecture, which has been maintained since its founding in the 17th century. It is also a recognized distinct geophysical and geocultural entity that is the end of Vexin normand, and the forest of Lyons. The area around the town and the border with Pays de Bray is known for its traditional bocage landscape of woods, orchards, and cattle pasture.
Geography
Lyons-la-Forêt is located from Rouen and from Gisors. Former name: Saint-Denis-en-Lyons. Lyons was originally the name of the forest Licontio-/Ligontio-, based probably on the Celtic root lic/lig, that is also found in the name of the stream: la Lieure Licoris /Ligoris. Same root as the River Loire < Liger and -ley in Beverley from Celtic *bibro *licos > Old English beofor beaver, *licc stream.
The forest is 10,700 hectares, the largest state forest in Normandy and one of the largest Beech forests in Europe. It is renowned for the "cathedral-like" straightness and height of its trees' trunks. One of its characteristics is it's having so many open spaces and clearings among which lie small villages and hamlets. This makes a transition between the Vexin plateau and the Andelle valley.
Personalities
Henry I of England died on 1 December 1135 of food poisoning from eating "a surfeit of lampreys" at Lyons-la-Forêt. The mucus and serum of several lamprey species, including the Caspian lamprey, river lampreys, and sea lamprey, are known to be toxic and require thorough cleaning before cooking and consumption.
It was also the birthplace of Isaac de Benserade, French poet, who was one of the first intellectuals in France to evoke female homosexuality in a theater play.
Maurice Ravel stayed in Lyons many times from 1917 to 1922. He wrote music including Le Tombeau de Couperin in Le Fresne, one of the old mansions of Lyons-la-Forêt.
Monique de La Bruchollerie, the classical concert pianist, lived there all her life with her family.
Gérard Souzay, the French baritone, lived there for a while during the Second World War, at la Fontaineresse, on the banks of the Lieure.
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann was a renowned French designer of furniture and interiors. His house is described in several publications concerning his life and work.
The artist Paul-Émile Pissarro lived here for some years from 1922, when he bought a house and had the garden designed by his godfather, Claude Monet.
