History of Vierville
An illustrated history of Vierville-sur-Mer: its origins, estates, former harbour, the Revolution, land surveys, seaside holidays, war, reconstruction and remembrance.
The archives of a village in the Bessin
Vierville-sur-Mer,
through places
and documents.
Photographs, postcards, plans, letters and eyewitness accounts introduce the history of the village, its hamlets and its coast.
Browse maps and plans
Explore by place
- The village centre and its streetsHomes, school and everyday life
- The beach and seafrontVillas, sea bathing and landscapes
- Saint-André’s ChurchImages and history of the building
- Châteaux and manor housesLe Vaumicel, Vierville and Than
Passing on a lifetime of research
Yves Cordelle’s research
Yves Cordelle created this website to share his research on Vierville-sur-Mer. He brought together photographs, postcards, plans, letters and eyewitness accounts, connecting the documents to tell the story of these places and the people who lived there.
In 2026, his grandson, Yohann Cordelle, began redesigning the site to bring this work to renewed attention and pass it on to others.
How the site began and how it is being passed onExplore the documents
Five routes through the archives
Places and heritage
Explore Vierville-sur-Mer and the Bessin through Yves Cordelle’s archives: churches, châteaux, hamlets, the beach, landscapes and neighbouring villages.
Everyday life in the past
Discover everyday life in Vierville-sur-Mer: farming, trades, the little railway, holidays, school, village celebrations and municipal archives.
War and reconstruction
Letters, eyewitness accounts and photographs tell the story of Vierville under occupation, the fighting of 1944, destruction, reconstruction and remembrance.
Maps and landscapes
Historic maps of the Bessin, Vierville’s land surveys, aerial photographs and coastal landscapes: an illustrated guide to the archives collected by Yves Cordelle.