# Pont-l'Abbé

Pont-l'Abbé (French pronunciation:; Breton: Pont-'n-Abad, "Abbot's bridge") is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
The self-styled capital of Pays Bigouden (roughly the region between the river Odet and the Bay of Audierne), Pont-l'Abbé was founded in the 14th century by a monk of Loctudy who built the first bridge across the river estuary, hence the name. The same monk also built the first castle.

## Geography
### Climate

Pont-l'Abbé has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Pont-l'Abbé is 12.8 °C (55.0 °F). The average annual rainfall is 993.3 mm (39.11 in) with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 18.7 °C (65.7 °F), and lowest in January, at around 7.5 °C (45.5 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Pont-l'Abbé was 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) on 16 July 2006; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −10.8 °C (12.6 °F) on 2 January 1997.
Climate data for Pont-l'Abbé (1981–2010 averages, extremes 1994−2020) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) | 18.6 (65.5) | 22.5 (72.5) | 28.0 (82.4) | 31.4 (88.5) | 35.4 (95.7) | 37.1 (98.8) | 36.6 (97.9) | 32.3 (90.1) | 28.1 (82.6) | 21.5 (70.7) | 19.1 (66.4) | 37.1 (98.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.9 (51.6) | 11.8 (53.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 16.1 (61.0) | 19.3 (66.7) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.4 (74.1) | 24.1 (75.4) | 21.9 (71.4) | 18.1 (64.6) | 14.2 (57.6) | 11.2 (52.2) | 17.3 (63.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) | 8.0 (46.4) | 9.4 (48.9) | 11.2 (52.2) | 14.3 (57.7) | 17.0 (62.6) | 18.5 (65.3) | 18.7 (65.7) | 16.6 (61.9) | 14.0 (57.2) | 10.5 (50.9) | 7.8 (46.0) | 12.8 (55.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) | 4.2 (39.6) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.2 (43.2) | 9.4 (48.9) | 11.8 (53.2) | 13.5 (56.3) | 13.3 (55.9) | 11.3 (52.3) | 10.0 (50.0) | 6.8 (44.2) | 4.4 (39.9) | 8.4 (47.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.8 (12.6) | −6.6 (20.1) | −7.0 (19.4) | −1.6 (29.1) | 0.3 (32.5) | 4.1 (39.4) | 6.5 (43.7) | 6.1 (43.0) | 3.2 (37.8) | −1.6 (29.1) | −3.7 (25.3) | −7.7 (18.1) | −10.8 (12.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 114.8 (4.52) | 92.7 (3.65) | 72.4 (2.85) | 78.1 (3.07) | 69.3 (2.73) | 43.3 (1.70) | 53.1 (2.09) | 59.1 (2.33) | 62.3 (2.45) | 103.4 (4.07) | 126.2 (4.97) | 118.6 (4.67) | 993.3 (39.11) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 14.8 | 12.1 | 11.9 | 11.2 | 9.9 | 6.8 | 9.4 | 8.2 | 8.7 | 14.0 | 16.4 | 15.5 | 138.9 |
| Source: Meteociel ||||||||||||||

## Population

Inhabitants of Pont-l'Abbé are called in French Pont-l'Abbistes.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1793 | 1,698 | — |
| 1800 | 1,884 | +1.50% |
| 1806 | 1,883 | −0.01% |
| 1821 | 2,115 | +0.78% |
| 1831 | 2,785 | +2.79% |
| 1836 | 3,163 | +2.58% |
| 1841 | 3,325 | +1.00% |
| 1846 | 3,626 | +1.75% |
| 1851 | 3,810 | +0.99% |
| 1856 | 3,947 | +0.71% |
| 1861 | 4,286 | +1.66% |
| 1866 | 4,526 | +1.10% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1872 | 4,739 | +0.77% |
| 1876 | 4,991 | +1.30% |
| 1881 | 5,110 | +0.47% |
| 1886 | 5,729 | +2.31% |
| 1891 | 5,536 | −0.68% |
| 1896 | 5,797 | +0.93% |
| 1901 | 6,315 | +1.73% |
| 1906 | 6,432 | +0.37% |
| 1911 | 6,652 | +0.67% |
| 1921 | 6,637 | −0.02% |
| 1926 | 6,724 | +0.26% |
| 1931 | 6,656 | −0.20% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1936 | 6,563 | −0.28% |
| 1946 | 6,644 | +0.12% |
| 1954 | 6,393 | −0.48% |
| 1962 | 6,396 | +0.01% |
| 1968 | 6,791 | +1.00% |
| 1975 | 7,325 | +1.09% |
| 1982 | 7,266 | −0.12% |
| 1990 | 7,374 | +0.18% |
| 1999 | 7,849 | +0.70% |
| 2007 | 8,093 | +0.38% |
| 2012 | 8,374 | +0.68% |
| 2017 | 8,250 | −0.30% |
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017) :

## Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan concerning the Breton language through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on 2 February 2008.
In 2008, 5.08% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.
The Fête des Brodeuses (Embroideress' Festival) in July is one of Brittany's major traditional gatherings, and includes a Breton Mass at the Notre-Dame des Carmes church.

## Sights

* Pont-l'Abbé castle dates from the 14th to the 18th centuries. The "wedding" room is decorated with Mathurin Méheut pieces of art (Sainte-Marine port), Henri Sollier and Jacques Godin. Once bigger, the castle lost its ramparts during the 19th century. Today only the bridge, the keep, and a very small part of the ramparts, in the garden nearby, can be seen. The structure now serves as the city hall, housing also the Bigouden Museum, offering a fine collection of costumes and Bigouden head-dresses,
* Church of Notre-Dame des Carmes dates from 1383-1420 in the Gothic style, with many old statues and a very fine rose window over the high altar that is considered the loveliest in Brittany.
* Church of Lambour (13th-16th century) had its roof removed in 1675 in the reign of Louis XIV in reprisal against the "Red Bonnets" uprising.
* The Monument aux Bigoudens is a masterpiece in granite by François Bazin (1931) and shows a group of four Bigoudène women and a child in traditional costume from the beginning of the 20th century, all of them thinking of a son, a father, a husband or a grandson battling the elements on the high seas.
* The Manoir de Kernuz was restored c. 1850 by the historian of Brittany, Armand du Chatellier.
* The Manoir de Kerazan located between Pont-l'Abbé and Loktudi delivers a fine art of Architecture.
* The Chapel of Treminoù (the missings in Breton) on the road to St-Jean-Trolimon, celebrates the memory of the Breton insurgents slaughtered by the French army of Louis XIV. In particular, A gathering in the last week of September and a funfair festival in the City recalls this period of Brittany's history.
* A few Menhirs still island upright around the city.
* Down to the river by the sea, lies a ria, having given its name to Loktudi (Loch Tudi, the lagoon of Saint Tudi) and Isle Tudi, which shares some beautiful sights.
* Present view of the Castle's keep, south view.
* the Castle's keep, north view.
* the Castle's keep, from Rue Kereon, 1921.

## International relations

Pont-l'Abbé is twinned with:
* Betanzos, Spain
* Schleiden, Germany
* Bantry, Ireland

## Personalities

* Vincent Riou, a yacht race Sailor who distinguished himself at Vendée Globe Challenge 2004-2005 (1st) and 2008-2009 (3rd) with act of bravery, saving Jean Le Cam's life, who was sinking near of Cape Horn.
* Jérôme Kerviel, the trader formerly with Société Générale in Paris that was linked with losses of approximately €4.9 billion (US$7.16 billion) stemming from fraudulent equity index futures trading, grew up in Pont-l'Abbé.
* Gaël Julien, a racing driver currently competing in the European Le Mans Series.
* Serge Duigou, historian, specialising in the history of Brittany.
* Régis Le Bris, French football manager currently the head coach of EFL Championship club Sunderland.