Unfamiliar benefactor leaves Normandy town a life-changing legacy
Thiberville in Normandy has received millions of euros in an inheritance from a stranger, a Parisian named Roger Thiberville. The surprising aspect is not only the amount but also the fact that the man had never been there. Before his death, he had just one wish.
The Norman town of Thiberville gained a fortune thanks to an inheritance from Roger Thiberville, a Parisian who had never visited the town.
The only connection the deceased had with the town was their shared name.
Roger Thiberville, a meteorologist from a family of vineyard owners, left an inheritance to the town without any conditions, except for one: he wished to be buried in the local cemetery.
Rich plans for the future
The residents and authorities are surprised and are contemplating how best to use the received funds.
According to "The Guardian," the amount is equivalent to the town's budget for five years.
Guy Paris, the mayor of Thiberville, emphasizes that the town plans to manage the inheritance prudently. ""It's an exceptional sum of money. Obviously the amount is beyond imagination," he said on a local radio station.
The plans include paying off a bank loan for the construction of an elementary school and investing in infrastructure projects, such as a garden with a playground or a pétanque court with solar panels.
Thiberville, which has 1,773 residents, does not have to share the inheritance with the neighbouring villages of Le Planquay and La Chapelle-Hareng. A proposal to merge with them was previously rejected, which now proves advantageous for the town. This allows Thiberville to decide independently on the allocation of the received funds.
The town, although modest, has a late 19th-century castle and a former ribbon factory. Now, thanks to the unexpected inheritance, it has a chance for development and improving the quality of life for its residents.
