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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name                   = Ablon
|commune status         = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image                  = Ablon - Mairie.JPG
|caption                = Ablon Town Hall
|arrondissement         = Lisieux
|canton                 = Honfleur-Deauville
|INSEE                  = 14001
|postal code            = 14600
|mayor                  = Xavier Canu<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term                   = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality       = [[Communauté de communes du Pays de Honfleur-Beuzeville|Pays de Honfleur-Beuzeville]]
|coordinates            = {{coord|49.3942|0.2967|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m            = 98
|elevation min m        = 0
|elevation max m        = 118
|area km2               = 12
|population             = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
|demonym                = Ablonnais, Ablonnaises
}}
'''Ablon''' ({{IPA|fr|ablɔ̃|-|Fr-Ablon.ogg}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Calvados (department)|Calvados]] [[Departments of France|department]] in the [[Normandy (administrative region)|Normandy]] [[Regions of France|region]] in northwestern [[France]].

==Geography==
Ablon is 5&nbsp;km south east of [[Honfleur]] and 16&nbsp;km north-west of [[Pont-Audemer]] with its northern border on the [[Seine]] Estuary.  It can be reached on Highway D580A from Honfleur turning right on the small country road called ''Cote de Vats'' to reach the village of Ablon. Road D140 (Route de Genneville) from [[Genneville]] in the south passes through the western side of the commune to join the D580a just outside the commune. The D144 road forms the southern border of the commune. Ablon is in the north-eastern corner of the Calvados department with its eastern border being the departmental border with [[Eure]].<ref name=Google>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ablon/@49.4006809,0.2805735,11863m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x47e0348bab7df8a7:0x40c14484fbcfe10?hl=en Google Maps]</ref>

The ''Morelle'' river passes through the north of the commune from east to west although oddly does not form part of the commune. The ''Canal de Retour'' is parallel to it but also does not form part of the commune.<ref name=Google/>

{{Geographic location
|title='''Neighbouring Communes'''<ref name=Google/>
|width=auto
|Centre    = Ablon 
|North     = Seine Estuary
|Northeast = [[Berville-sur-Mer]]
|East      = [[Saint-Pierre-du-Val]]
|Southeast = [[Boulleville]]
|South     = [[Genneville]]
|Southwest = [[Gonneville-sur-Honfleur]]
|West      = [[Equemauville]]
|Northwest = [[Honfleur]]
}}

==Toponymy==
The name of the village is attested as far back as 1180 as Abelon.

One theory states that the town's name comes from the Norse ''Epi-lundr'', meaning “apple orchard”. The nearby village of [[Yébleron]] shares this etymology. The ancient scandinavian ''lundr'' meaning orchard or wood has regularly been followed by the suffix -lon (for example, [[Bouquelon]], [[Écaquelon]], [[Yquelon]], etc.).

Another theory suggests that the town's name derives from the Germanic personal name Abilo, followed by the suffix -o/-one, but this suffix does not usually accompany Germanic personal names. It has also been suggested that the name is based solely on the name ‘Abilo' with no suffix but the usage of a personal name with no suffix or epithet would be exceptional among Norman place names.

A third theory suggests that Ablon comes from the Germanic personal name Abbo followed by the suffix -lon. If this is the case the name of the town means “Abbo's wood”.

The similarity with the nearby village of [[Ablon-sur-Seine]] is coincidental.<ref>Ernest Nègre, Toponymie générale de la France, Droz, Genève, Ch. IV, p. 825, no 14261</ref>

==History==
In 1809, Ablon grew in size following its union with two neighbouring communes: Crémanville and Ableville.<ref name=cassini>{{Cassini-Ehess|65|Ablon}}</ref>

Ablon was the site of a [[Alfred Nobel|Nobel]] [[dynamite]] factory from 1879 until 1989.{{Mérimée Icon}}<ref name=Dynamite>Ministry of Culture, Mérimée {{Mérimée|IA14000758|IA14000758 Dynamite Factory}} {{in lang|fr}}{{Camera}}</ref> The factory ceased operations following an explosion on 3 March 1988 which killed 5, including the factory's director, and left 8 injured. Windows were broken more than a kilometre away in the village of [[Honfleur]].<ref>[http://aria.ecologie.gouv.fr/barpi_stats.gnc?Destination=contexte&contexte=/barpi_3858.jsp Record of Accident]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on the A.R.I.A. database</ref><ref>[http://barpipdf.geniecube.info/155.pdf Detailed Record of Accident]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on the A.R.I.A. database</ref>

==Administration==
{{incomplete list|date=April 2021}}
'''List of Successive Mayors of Ablon'''<ref>[http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/resultcommune.php?id=18565 List of Mayors of France] {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! From !! To !! Name !! Party 
|-
| 2001 || 2008 || Christian Trocque || [[Union for a Popular Movement|UMP]] 
|-
| 2008 || Current || Xavier Canu || [[Miscellaneous right|DVD]]
|}

==Population==
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Ablonnais'' or ''Ablonnaises'' in French.<ref>[https://www.habitants.fr/calvados-14 Le nom des habitants du 14 - Calvados], habitants.fr</ref>

{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS (1793-1999)<ref name="cassini">{{Cassini-Ehess|65|Ablon}}</ref> and INSEE<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/7633058?geo=COM-14001#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|1793 |324
|1800 |259
|1806 |332
|1821 |982
|1831 |901
|1836 |738
|1841 |702
|1846 |702
|1851 |721
|1856 |660
|1861 |719
|1866 |660
|1872 |638
|1876 |628
|1881 |650
|1886 |660
|1891 |740
|1896 |757
|1901 |803
|1906 |741
|1911 |760
|1921 |728
|1926 |772
|1931 |741
|1936 |775
|1946 |841
|1954 |813
|1962 |852
|1968 |866
|1975 |838
|1982 |880
|1990 |940
|1999 |1047
|2009 |1184
|2014 |1205
|2020 |1194
}}

==Culture and heritage==

===Civil heritage===
The commune has two buildings that are registered as historical monuments:
*The '''Chateau of Ablon''' (1767 and 1845){{Mérimée Icon}}<ref>Ministry of Culture, Mérimée {{Mérimée|PA00111828|PA00111828 Chateau of Ablon}} {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
*The '''Dynamite Factory''' (1885 to 1916).{{Mérimée Icon}}<ref name=Dynamite/> The factory contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
**A Dreiswerke moulding machine (1952){{Palissy Icon}}<ref>Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|IM14002731|IM14002731 Dreiswerke moulding machine}} {{in lang|fr}}{{Camera}}</ref>
**A Weighing machine (20th century){{Palissy Icon}}<ref>Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|IM14002730|IM14002730 Weighing machine}} {{in lang|fr}}{{Camera}}</ref>
**A Nitroglycerine production line (20th century){{Palissy Icon}}<ref>Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|IM14002729|IM14002729 Nitroglycerine production line}} {{in lang|fr}}{{Camera}}</ref>

;Other sites of interest:
*'''La Houssaye Manor-farm'''

===Religious heritage===
[[File:Ablon - Église Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens 01.JPG|thumb|The Church of Saint-Pierre]]

The '''Parish Church of Saint-Pierre''' contains one item that is registered as an historical object:
*A [[Baptismal font]] (12th  century){{Palissy Icon}}<ref>Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM14000001|PM14000001 Baptismal font}} {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Communes of the Calvados department]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ablon.fr Ablon official website] {{in lang|fr}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312070047/http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1087&CommuneId=17279 Ablon on the old IGN website] {{in lang|fr}}
*[http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=0.2967,49.3942&z=7.92265E-5&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&l=ADMINISTRATIVEUNITS.BOUNDARIES$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes Ablon on Géoportail], [[Institut géographique national|National Geographic Institute]] (IGN) website {{in lang|fr}}
*[http://rumsey.geogarage.com/maps/cassinige.html?lat=49.3942&lon=0.2967&zoom=13 ''Ablon'' on the 1750 Cassini Map]

{{commons category}}

{{Calvados communes}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Communes of Calvados (department)]]