Saint-Lô

Common card · No. 301545

Saint-Lô (US: , French: [sɛ̃ lo] ; Breton: Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy. Although it is the second largest city of Manche after Cherbourg, it remains the prefecture of the department. It is also chef-lieu of an arrondissement and two cantons (Saint-Lô-1 and Saint-Lô-2). The place name derives from that of a local saint, Laud of Coutances. The commune has 19,471 inhabitants as of 2023 who are called Saint-Lois(es) in French. The names of Laudois(es), Laudien(ne)s or Laudinien(ne)s are also cited. A martyr city of World War II, Saint-Lô was decorated with the Legion of Honour in 1948 and was given the nickname "Capital of the Ruins", a phrase popularised by Samuel Beckett.

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