Coutances () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. History Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town was given the name of Constantia in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus. The surrounding region, called in Latin the pagus Constantinus, subsequently became known as the Cotentin Peninsula. The town was destroyed by invading Normans in 866; they later established settlements and incorporated the whole peninsula into the Duchy of Normandy in 933. On 17 July 1944, during the Battle of Normandy during World War II, the city was bombed during the Allied offensive against the occupying Germans. Geography Climate Coutances has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Coutances is . The average annual rainfall is with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Coutances was on 5 August 2003; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 17 January 1985. Population Sights Coutances Cathedral is one of the major buildings of Norman architecture and contains a chapel and stained glass dedicated to Saint Marcouf. The bishop of Coutances exercised ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Channel Islands until the Reformation, despite the secular division of Normandy in 1204. The final rupture occurred definitively in 1569. Coutances houses a well-known botanical garden and an art museum. Jazz festival Coutances is the location of Jazz sous les pommiers ("Jazz under the apple trees"), an annual jazz festival held since 1982. The festival traditionally takes place during the week of Ascension. International relations Coutances is twinned with: Heraldry See also Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances References Communes of Manche Subprefectures in France Gallia Lugdunensis