Brittany

Brittany(/ˈbrɪtəni/BRIT-ən-ee; French:Bretagne,pronounced[bʁətaɲ];Breton:Breizh,pronounced[bʁɛjs,bʁɛx];Gallo:BertaèynorBertègn,pronounced[bəʁtaɛɲ]) is apeninsula,historical countryandcultural areain the north-west of modernFrance, covering the western part of what was known asArmoricainRoman Gaul. It became anindependent kingdomand then aduchybefore beingunitedwith theKingdom of Francein 1532 as aprovincegoverned as a separate nation under the crown. Brittany is the traditional homeland of theBreton peopleand is one of the sixCeltic nations,retaininga distinct cultural identitythat reflectsits history.
Brittany has also been referred to as Little Britain (as opposed toGreat Britain, with which it shares an etymology).It is bordered by theEnglish Channelto the north,Normandyto the northeast, easternPays de la Loireto the southeast, theBay of Biscayto the south, and theCeltic Seaand theAtlantic Oceanto the west. Its land area is 34,023 km(13,136 sq mi).
Brittany is the site of some of the world's oldest standing architecture, home to theCairn of Barnenez, theTumulus Saint-Micheland others, which date to the early 5th millennium BC.Today, the historical province of Brittany is split among five French departments:Finistèrein the west,Côtes-d'Armorin the north,Ille-et-Vilainein the northeast,Morbihanin the south andLoire-Atlantiquein the southeast.Loire-Atlantiquenow belongs to thePays de la Loireregion while the other four departments make up theBrittany region.
At the 2010 census, the population of historic Brittany was estimated to be 4,475,295. In 2017, the largest metropolitan areas wereNantes(934,165 inhabitants),Rennes(733,320 inhabitants), andBrest(321,364 inhabitants).Brittany is the traditional homeland of theBreton peopleand is one of the sixCeltic nations,retaininga distinct cultural identitythat reflectsits history.A nationalist movementseeks greater autonomy within the French Republic, or independence from it.Thereunification of Brittanyis supported by half of the inhabitants of Brittany and of Loire-Atlantique, and is considered a prerequisite to further autonomy.
The wordBrittany, along with itsFrench,BretonandGalloequivalentsBretagne,BreizhandBertaèyn, derive from theLatinBritannia, which means "land of theBritons". This word had been used by theRomanssince the 1st century to refer to Great Britain, and more specifically theRoman province of Britain. This word derives from aGreekword, Πρεττανική  (Prettanikḗ) or Βρεττανίαι (Brettaníai), used byPytheas, an explorer fromMassaliawho visited theBritish Islesaround 320 BC. The Greek word itself comes from the common Brythonic ethnonym reconstructed as*Pritanī, itself from Proto-Celtic*kʷritanoi(ultimately from Proto-Indo-European*kʷer-'to cut, make').
In Roman times,Armoricaincluded what is now Brittany. This was an indefinite region that extended along theEnglish Channelcoast from theSeineestuary, then along the Atlantic coast to theLoireestuary and, according to several sources, maybe to theGaronneestuary. This term probably comes from aGallicword,aremorica, which means "close to the sea".Another name,Letauia(in English "Litavis"), was used until the 12th century. It possibly means "wide and flat" or "to expand" and it gave theWelshname for Brittany:Llydaw.
After thefallof theWestern Roman Empire, manyCornishBritons settled in western Armorica toescape the Saxonsand the region started to be calledBritannia, although this name only replacedArmoricain the sixth century or perhaps by the end of the fifth.
Breton-speaking people may pronounce the wordBreizhin two different ways, according to their region of origin. Breton can be divided into two main dialects: theKLT(Kerne-Leon-Trégor) and the dialect ofVannes. KLT speakers pronounce it[brɛjs]and would write itBreiz, while the Vannetais speakers pronounce it[brɛχ]and would write itBreih. The official spelling is a compromise between both variants, with azand anhtogether. In 1941, efforts to unify the dialects led to the creation of the so-calledBreton zh, a standard which has never been widely accepted.On its side, Gallo has never had a widely accepted writing system and several ones coexist. For instance, the name of the region in that language can be writtenBertaèyninELGscript, orBertègninMOGA, and a couple of other scripts also exist.
Brittany has been inhabited by humans since theLower Palaeolithic. This population was scarce and very similar to the otherNeanderthalsfound in the whole of Western Europe. Their only original feature was a distinct culture, called "Colombanian".One of the oldesthearthsin the world has been found inPlouhinec, Finistère.
Homo sapienssettled in Brittany around 35,000 years ago. They replaced or absorbed the Neanderthals and developed localindustries, similar to theChâtelperronianor to theMagdalenian. After thelast glacial period, the warmer climate allowed the area to become heavily wooded. At that time, Brittany was populated by relatively large communities who started to change their lifestyles from a life of hunting and gathering, to become settled farmers. Agriculture was introduced during the5th millennium BCby migrants from the south and east. However, theNeolithic Revolutionin Brittany did not happen due to a radical change of population, but by slow immigration and exchange of skills.
Neolithic Brittany is characterised by importantmegalithic productionand sites such asQuelfénnec, it is sometimes designated as the "core area" of megalithic culture.The oldest monuments,cairns, were followed by princely tombs andstone rows. TheMorbihandépartement, on the southern coast, comprises a large share of these structures, including theCarnac stonesand the Broken Menhir of Er Grah in theLocmariaquer megaliths, the largest single stone erected by Neolithic people.
During theprotohistorical period, Brittany was inhabited by five Celtic tribes:
Those people had strong economic ties to theInsular Celts, especially for thetintrade. Several tribes also belonged to an "Armoricanconfederation" which, according toJulius Caesar, gathered theCuriosolitae, theRedones, theOsismii, theUnelli, theCaletes, theLemovicesand the Ambibarii.The Unelli, Caletes, and Lemovices were respectively located inCotentin(Lower-Normandy),pays de Caux(Upper-Normandy), andLimousin(Aquitaine); the location of the Ambibarii is unknown. The Caletes are sometimes also considered Belgians, andLemovicesis probably a mistake forLexovii(Lower-Normandy).
During theGallic Wars, theVenetiwere defeated in theBattle of Morbihanoff the coast of Brittany. At the conclusion of the Gallic Wars, the region became part of theRoman Republicin 51 BC. It was included in the province ofGallia Lugdunensisin 13 BC. Gallic towns and villages were redeveloped according to Roman standards, and several cities were created. These cities are Condate (Rennes), Vorgium (Carhaix), Darioritum (Vannes) and Condevincum or Condevicnum (Nantes). Together with Fanum Martis (Corseul), they were the capitals of the localcivitates. They all had agrid planand aforum, and sometimes a temple, abasilica,thermaeor anaqueduct, likeCarhaix.
The Romans also built three major roads through the region. However, most of the population remained rural. The free peasants lived in small huts, whereas the landowners and their employees lived in propervillae rusticae. The Gallic deities continued to be worshiped, and were often assimilated to the Roman gods. Only a small number of statues depicting Roman gods were found in Brittany, and most of the time they combine Celtic elements.
During the 3rd century AD, the region was attacked several times byFranks,Alamanniand pirates. At the same time, the local economy collapsed and many farming estates were abandoned. To face the invasions, many towns and cities were fortified, likeNantes,RennesandVannes.
This area was also affected by theBagaudae(also spelled bacaudae) during this period, which were groups of peasant insurgents. 
The Bagaudae achieved some temporary and scattered successes under the leadership of peasants as well as former members of local ruling elites.
Toward the end of the 4th century, theBritonsofDomnonée(modernDevonandCornwall) on theSouth-Western peninsula of Great Britainbegan to emigrate toArmorica,which is why the Breton language is more closely related to recorded Cornish.
The history behind such an establishment is unclear, but medieval Breton, Angevin and Welsh sources connect it to a figure known asConan Meriadoc. Welsh literary sources assert that Conan came to Armorica on the orders of the Roman usurperMagnus Maximus,who sent some of his British troops to Gaul to enforce his claims and settled them in Armorica. This account was supported by the Counts of Anjou, who claimed descent from a Roman soldierexpelled from Lower Brittany by Conan on Magnus's orders.
The army recruited forFlavius Aetiusto combatAttila the Hunat theBattle of the Catalaunian Plainsincluded Romans, Visigoths, Franks, Alans and Armoricans, amongst others.  The Alans were placed front and centre, opposite the Huns. The Armoricans supplied archers who attacked the Huns' front lines during the main battle and thwarted Attila's night assault on the Roman camp with a hail of arrows "like rain".  After the battle was won, Aetius sent the Alans to Armorica and Galicia.
The late 5th century Brittonic leaderRiothamusreceived correspondence from the eminent Roman juristSidonius Apollinarisand was called "King of the Britons" byJordanes.  Some suggest that he was a Breton, though others believe that he was from Britain, pointing to the passage that he arrived in the land of the Biturges "by way of Ocean", which would hardly have been efficient or required for a Breton.  Both historians describe Riothamus's losing battle against KingEuricof the Visigoths atDéolsaround the year 470.
In response to a plea from the Roman EmperorAnthemius, Riothamus had led twelve thousand men to establish a military presence inBourgesin central Gaul, but was betrayed byArvandus, the Praetorian Prefect of Gaul, and subsequently ambushed by Euric's army.After a long battle, the Armorican survivors escaped toAvalloninBurgundy, after which they are lost to history.  According to Breton king-lists, Riotham survived and reigned as Prince ofDomnoniauntil his death sometime between 500 and 520, though this may have been a different person.
Brythonic (British Celtic) settlement increased during theAnglo-Saxon invasion of Britainin the 5th and 6th centuries to seek refuge from the Anglo-Saxon invaders. It is from this event that Brittany derives its name.
Scholars such asLéon Fleuriothave suggested a two-wave model of migration from Britain which saw the emergence of an independent Breton people and established the dominance of theBrythonicBreton languagein Armorica.Theirpetty kingdomsare now known by the names of the counties that succeeded them—Domnonée(Devon),Cornouaille(Cornwall),Léon(Caerleon); but these names in Breton andLatinare in most cases identical to their British homelands. (In Breton and French, however,GwenedorVannetaiscontinued the name of the indigenousVeneti.) Although the details remain confused, these colonies consisted of related and intermarried dynasties which repeatedly unified (as by the 7th-centurySaint Judicaël) before splintering again according to Celtic inheritance practices.
At the beginning of the medieval era, Brittany was divided among three kingdoms,Domnonea,CornouailleandBroërec. These realms eventually merged into a single state during the 9th century.The unification of Brittany was carried out byNominoe, king between 845 and 851 and considered as the BretonPater Patriae.Among the immigrant Britons, there were some clergymen who helped theevangelisationof the region, which was still pagan, particularly in rural areas.
His sonErispoesecured the independence of the new kingdom of Brittany and won theBattle of JenglandagainstCharles the Bald. The Bretons won another war in 867, and the kingdom reached then its maximum extent: It received parts ofNormandy,MaineandAnjouand theChannel Islands.
Brittany was heavily attacked by theVikingsat the beginning of the 10th century. The kingdom lost its eastern territories, includingNormandyandAnjou, and the county ofNanteswas given toFulk I of Anjouin 909. Nantes was seized by the Vikings in 914. At this time Brittany was also called Lydwiccum.
Nantes was eventually liberated byAlan II of Brittanyin 937 with the support of his godbrother KingÆthelstanof England.
Alan II totally expelled the Vikings from Brittany and recreated a strong Breton state. For aiding in removing the problem, Alan paid homage toLouis IV of France(who was Æthelstan's nephew and had returned from England in the same year as Alan II) and thus Brittany ceased to be a kingdom and became a duchy.
Several Breton lords helpedWilliam the Conquerorto invade England and the Bretons formed over a third of the landing force in 1066. They received large estates there (e.g. William's double-second cousinAlan Rufusand the latter's brotherBrian of Brittany). The Bretons helped to liberate the Cornish, replacing Anglo-Saxon land owners. Some of these lords were powerful rivals.
Medieval Brittany was far from being a united nation. The French king maintained envoys in Brittany, alliances contracted by local lords often overlapped and there was no specific Breton unity. For example, Brittany replacedLatinwith French as its official language in the 13th century, 300 years before France did so, and theBreton languagedid not have formal status.
Theforeign policyof the Duchy changed many times; the Dukes were usually independent, but they often contracted alliances with England or France depending on who was threatening them at that point. Their support for each nation became very important during the 14th century because the English kings had started to claim the French throne.
TheBreton War of Succession, a local episode of theHundred Years' War, saw the House ofBlois, backed by the French, fighting with the House ofMontfort, backed by the English. The Montforts won in 1364 and enjoyed a period of total independence until the end of the Hundred Years' War, because France was weakened and stopped sending royal envoys to the Court of Brittany.
English diplomatic failures led to the Breton cavalry commanders Arthur, Comte de Richemont (later to becomeArthur III, Duke of Brittany) and his nephewPeter II, Duke of Brittanyplaying key roles on the French side during the deciding stages of the war (including the battles ofPatay,FormignyandCastillonand theTreaty of Arras).
Brittany importantly lost theMad Waragainst France in 1488, mostly because of its internal divisions that were exacerbated by the corruption at the court ofFrancis II, Duke of Brittany. Indeed, some rebel Breton lords were fighting on the French side.
As a result of theMad War, the DukeFrancis IIcould not have his daughterAnnemarried without the king of France's consent. Nonetheless, she married theHoly Roman Emperorin 1490,  leading to a crisis with France.Charles VIII of FrancebesiegedRennesand had the marriage cancelled. He eventually marriedAnne of Brittany. After he died childless, the duchess had to marry his heir and cousinLouis XII. Anne unsuccessfully tried to preserve Breton independence, but she died in 1514, and the union between the two crowns was formally carried out byFrancis Iin 1532. He granted several privileges to Brittany, such as exemption from thegabelle, a tax on salt that was very unpopular in France.Under theAncien Régime, Brittany and France were governed as separate countries but under the same crown, so Breton aristocrats in the Frenchroyal courtwere classed asPrinces étrangers(foreign princes).
From the 15th to the 18th century, Brittany reached an economic golden age.The region was located on the seaways near Spain, England and theNetherlandsand it greatly benefited from the creation of aFrench colonial empire. Local seaports likeBrestandSaint-Brieucquickly expanded, andLorient, first spelled "L'Orient", was founded in the 17th century.Saint-Malothen was known for itscorsairs, Brest was a major base for the French Navy andNantesflourished with theAtlantic slave trade. On its side, the inland providedhempropes and canvas andlinensheets. However,Colbertism, which encouraged the creation of many factories, did not favour the Breton industry because most of the royal factories were opened in other provinces. Moreover, several conflicts between France and England led the latter to restrain its trade, and the Breton economy went into recession during the 18th century.
Two significant revolts occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries: theRevolt of the papier timbré(1675) and thePontcallec conspiracy(1719). Both arose from attempts to resist centralisation and assert Breton constitutional exceptions to tax.
Many Bretons crossed the Atlantic to support theAmerican War of Independence.These included many sailors such asArmand de Kersaintand soldiers such asCharles Armand Tuffin, marquis de la Rouërie.
The Duchy was legally abolished with theFrench Revolutionthat began in 1789 – and in 1790 the province of Brittany was divided into fivedepartments: Côtes-du-Nord (laterCôtes-d'Armor),Finistère,Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Inférieure (laterLoire-Atlantique) andMorbihan. Brittany essentially lost all its special privileges that existed under the Duchy. Three years later, the area became a centre ofroyalistand Catholic resistance to the Revolution during theChouannerie.
During the 19th century, Brittany remained in economic recession, and many Bretons emigrated to other French regions, particularly to Paris. This trend remained strong until the beginning of the 20th century. Nonetheless, the region was also modernising, with new roads and railways being built, and some places being industrialised.Nantesspecialised inshipbuildingand food processing (sugar, exotic fruits and vegetables, fish, etc.),Fougèresin glass and shoe production, andmetallurgywas practised in small towns such asChâteaubriantandLochrist, known for itslabour movements.
The region remained deeply Catholic, and during theSecond Empire, the conservative values were strongly reasserted. When the Republic was re-established in 1871, there were rumours that Breton troops were mistrusted and mistreated atCamp Conlieduring theFranco-Prussian Warbecause of fears that they were a threat to the Republic.
During the 19th century, theBreton languagestarted to decline precipitously, mainly because of theFrancizationpolicy conducted under theThird Republic. On one hand, childrenwere not allowed to speak Breton at school, and were punished by teachers if they did.Famously, signs in schools read: "It is forbidden to speak Breton and to spit on the floor" ("Il est interdit de parler Breton et de cracher par terre").
At the same time, theCeltic Revivalled to the foundation of theBreton Regionalist Union(URB) and later to independence movements linked to Irish, Welsh, and Scottish and Cornish independence parties in the UK, and topan-Celticism. However, the audience of these movements remained very low and their ideas did not reach a large public until the 20th century. TheSeiz Breurmovement, created in 1923, permitted a Breton artistic revivalbut its ties withNazismand thecollaborationismof theBreton National Partyduring World War II weakened Breton nationalism in the post-war period.
Brittany lost 240,000 men during theFirst World War.TheSecond World Warwas also catastrophic for the region. It was invaded byNazi Germanyin 1940 and freed afterOperation Cobrain August 1944. However, the areas aroundSaint-NazaireandLorientonly surrendered on 10 and 11 May 1945, several days after the German capitulation. The two port towns had been virtually destroyed by Allied air raids, likeBrestandSaint-Malo, and other towns, such asNantesandRennes, had also suffered.
In 1956, Brittany was legally reconstituted as theRegion of Brittany, although the region excluded the ducal capital ofNantesand thesurrounding area. Nevertheless, Brittany retained its cultural distinctiveness, and a new cultural revival emerged during the 1960s and 1970s. Bilingual schools were opened, singers started to write songs in Breton, and ecological catastrophes such as theAmoco Cadiz oil spillor theErika oil spilland water pollution from intensive pig farming favoured new movements to protect the natural heritage.
Brittany as a political entity disappeared in 1790, when it was divided into fivedépartements. The Breton départements more or less correspond to the nine Catholicdiocesesthat appeared at the beginning of the Middle Ages. They were often called "pays" or "bro" ("country" in French andBreton) and they also served as fiscal and military districts.Brittany is also divided betweenLower Brittany("Basse Bretagne" and "Breizh Izel"), corresponding to the western half, whereBretonis traditionally spoken, andUpper Brittany("Haute Bretagne" and "Breizh Uhel"), corresponding to the eastern half, whereGallois traditionally spoken. The historical Breton dioceses were:
During theFrench Revolution, four dioceses were suppressed and the five remaining ones were modified to have the same administrative borders as thedépartements.
Brittany has several historical capital cities. When it was an independent duchy, theEstates of Brittany, which can be compared to a parliament, met in various towns:Dinan,Ploërmel,Redon,Rennes,Vitré,Guérande, and, most of all,Vannes, where they met 19 times, andNantes, 17 times. The Court and the government were also very mobile, and each dynasty favoured its own castles and estates. The dukes mostly lived inNantes,Vannes,Redon,Rennes,Fougères,Dol-de-Bretagne,DinanandGuérande. All these towns except Vannes and Guérande are located inUpper Brittany, thus not in the Breton speaking area.
Among all these towns, onlyNantes,RennesandVannes, which were the biggest ones, could really pretend to the capital status. The dukes were crowned in Rennes and they had a large castle there; it was however destroyed during the 15th century. Vannes, on its side, was the seat of the Chamber of Accounts and of the Parliament until the union with France. The Parliament was then transferred to Rennes, and the Chamber of Accounts to Nantes. Nantes, nicknamed "the city of the Dukes of Brittany", was also the permanent residence of the last dukes. TheChâteau des ducs de Bretagnestill stands in the city centre. Nowadays,Rennesis the only official capital of theregion of Brittany. It is also the seat of anecclesiastical provinceencompassing Brittany and thePays de la Loireregion.
During theFrench Revolution, Brittany was divided into fivedépartements, each made up of three or fourarrondissements. The arrondissements are further divided incantons, which are themselves made up of one or severalcommunes. The communes and the départements have a local council elected by their citizens, but arrondissements and cantons are not run by elected officials. The cantons serve as anelectoraldistrict for the election of the département councils and arrondissements are run by a subprefect appointed by theFrench president. The president also appoints a prefect in each département.
Because the départements are small and numerous, the French government tried to create wider regions during the 20th century. For the Breton nationalists, it was an occasion to recreate Brittany as a political and administrative entity, but the new region had to be economically efficient.Nantesand itsdépartement,Loire-Atlantique, raised concerns because they were off-centered, more integrated with theLoire Valleythan with the Breton peninsula. The French government and local politicians also feared thatNantes, because of its population and its former Breton capital status, would have maintained a harmful competition withRennesto get the regional institutions and investments.
Several drafts for French regions had been proposed since the 1920s, and the definitive regions were drawn in 1956. The new Brittany had four départements, andLoire-Atlantiqueformed thePays de la Loireregion together with parts ofAnjou,MaineandPoitou. In 1972, the regions received their present competencies, with an elected regional council. Since then, theregion of Brittanyhas had its owncounciland administrative bodies.
When theregion of Brittanywas created, several local politicians opposed the exclusion ofLoire-Atlantique, and the question still remains.
The obstacles to reunification are the same as in 1956: havingNantesin Brittany could harm the position ofRennesand create an economic imbalance betweenLowerandUpper Brittany. Moreover, thePays de la Loireregion could not exist withoutLoire-Atlantique, because it would lose its political and economic capital. Without Loire-Atlantique, the other départements would not form an efficient region any more, and would have to integrate neighbouring regions such as theCentre-Val de LoireandNouvelle-Aquitaine.
However, several institutions have backed the reunification, such as the regional council of Brittany since 2008 and the Loire-Atlantique council since 2001. Some politicians likeJean-Marc Ayrault, the former French prime minister and formermayorofNantes, favour instead the creation of a "Greater West region", which would encompass Brittany and thePays de la Loireregion. Polls show that 58% of the Bretons and 62% of the inhabitants inLoire-Atlantiquefavour the reunification.
Until the end of the 20th century, Brittany had been characterised by a strong Catholic and conservative influence. However, some areas such as the industrial region aroundSaint-NazaireandLorientand the surroundings ofTréguierare traditional Socialist and Communist strongholds. Left-wing parties, mainly theSocialist partyandthe Greens, have become more powerful after the 1970s and they have formed a majority in theRegional Council of Brittanysince 2004. TheLoire-AtlantiqueandIlle-et-Vilainecouncils have also been held by the left since 2004.
The Socialist party has held theCôtes-d'Armorcouncil since 1976, and theFinistèrecouncil since 1998. On its side,Morbihanremains a right-wing stronghold. The local parties have a very small audience, except theUnion Démocratique Bretonnewhich has seats at the Regional Council and in other local assemblies. It advocates more autonomy for the region and its positions are very close to the Socialist parties. It also has a strong ecological orientation. The audience of far-right parties is lower in Brittany than in the rest of France.
Brittany is the largest Frenchpeninsula. It is around 34,030 km(13,140 sq mi) and stretches toward the northwest and the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered to the north by theEnglish Channel, to the south by theBay of Biscayand the waters located between the western coast andUshantIsland form theIroise Sea.
The Breton coast is very indented, with many cliffs,riasandcapes. TheGulf of Morbihanis a vastnatural harbourwith some forty islands that is almost a closed sea. In total, around 800 islands lie off the mainland; the largest beingBelle Île, in the south. Brittany has over 2,860 km (1,780 mi) of coastline; it represents a third of the total French coastline.
The region is generally hilly because it corresponds to the western end of theArmorican Massif, a very old range that also extends inNormandyand thePays de la Loireregion. Because of this continuity, the Breton border with the rest of France is not marked by any strong geographical landmark, apart from the riverCouesnon, which separates Brittany fromNormandy.
The Armorican Massif reaches its maximum elevation outside of Brittany, in neighbouringMayenne, at 417 m, and slopes towards the west before straightening on its western extremity, with theMontagnes Noiresand theMonts d'Arrée. The highest hill in Brittany is theRoc'h Ruzin the Monts d'Arrée, at 385 m (1,263 ft). It is closely followed by several neighbouring hills culminating at around 384 m above sea level.
Coastal areas are usually namedArmororArvor("by the sea" in Breton), and the inland is calledArgoat("by the forest"). The best soils were primitively covered by large forests which had been progressively replaced bybocageduring theMiddle Ages. The Breton bocage, with its small fields enclosed by thick hedgerows, has almost disappeared since the 1960s to fit the modern agricultural needs and methods, particularly mechanisation.
Several forests still exist, such as thePaimpont forest, sometimes said to be the ArthurianBrocéliande. The poor and rocky areas are covered by largeheathlandandmoorlands, and Brittany has severalmarshes, like theBrière, included in aregional natural park. Another regional park encompasses theMonts d'Arréeand theIroiseseacoast. The Iroise Sea is also aUNESCO biosphere reserve.
The Breton peninsula appeared during theCadomian Orogeny, which formed its northern coastline, betweenGuingampandFougères. The southern part emerged during theHercynian orogeny. At the same time, an intense volcanic activity left large quantities ofgranite. Between the Cadomian and Hercynian periods, the region was submerged several times and the sea leftfossilsandsedimentary rocks, mostlyschistandsandstone. Because of the absence oflimestone, soils in Brittany are usually acid.
TheArmorican massifstraightened and flattened several times during the formation of thePyreneesand theAlps. Changes in sea levels and climate led to a strong erosion and to the formation of moresedimentary rocks.Metamorphismis responsible for the distinctive local blue schist and for the richsubsoilof theGroix island, which comprisesglaucophaneandepidote.
During theQuaternaryglaciations, Brittany was covered byloessand rivers started to fill the valleys with alluvial deposits. The valleys themselves were a result of a strong tectonic activity between theAfricanand theEurasian Plate. The present Breton landscape did not acquire its final shape before one million years ago. The Breton subsoil is characterised by a huge amount offracturesthat form a largeaquifercontaining several millions square meters of water.
Brittany lies within thenorth temperate zone. It has a changeable,maritime climate, similar toCornwall. Rainfall occurs regularly but sunny, cloudless days are also common. In the summer months, temperatures in the region can reach 30 °C (86 °F), yet the climate remains comfortable, especially when compared to the French regions located south of theLoire. The temperature difference between summer and winter is about 15 degrees, but it varies depending on the proximity of the sea. The weather is generally milder on the seacoast than inland but rainfall occurs with the same intensity on both. TheMonts d'Arrée, despite their low elevation, have much more rainfall than the rest of the region. The south coast, betweenLorientandPornic, enjoys more than 2,000 hours of sunshine per year.
Brittany's wildlife is typical of France with several distinctions. On one hand, the region, due to its long coastline, has a rich oceanic fauna, and some birds cannot be seen in other French regions. On the other hand, the species found in the inland are usually common for France, and because Brittany is a peninsula, the number of species is lower in its western extremity than in the eastern part.
A variety of seabirds can be seen close to the seaside, which is home to colonies ofcormorants,gulls,razorbills,northern gannets,common murresandAtlantic puffins. Most of these birds breed on isolated islands and rocks and thus are hard to observe. The inland is home to common European species includingpheasants,barn swallows,woodcocks,common swifts, andpartridges.
LikeCornwall,Walesand Ireland, the waters of Brittany attract marine animals includingbasking sharks,grey seals,leatherback turtles, dolphins,porpoises,jellyfish, crabs andlobsters.Bassis common along the coast,small-spotted catsharkslive on thecontinental shelf,rattailsandanglerfishpopulate the deep waters. River fish of note includetrout,Atlantic salmon,pikes, shades andlampreys. The Breton rivers are also home tobeaversandottersand to some invasive American species, such as thecoypuwhich destroys the ecosystem and accelerated the extinction of theEuropean mink.
Among the invertebrates, Brittany is notably home to theescargot de Quimper, thefreshwater pearl musseland thewhite-clawed crayfish.The larger Breton mammals died out during the modern period, including thewolf. Today, mammals of note includeroe deer,wild boar, foxes,haresand several species ofbat.
Brittany is widely known for theBreton horse, a local breed ofdraft horse, and for theBrittany gun dog. The region also has its own breeds of cattle, some of which are on the brink of extinction: theBretonne Pie Noir, theFroment du Léon, theArmoricanand the Nantaise.
The Breton forests, dunes, moorlands and marshes are home to several iconic plants, such as endemiccistus,asterandlinariavarieties, thehorseshoe vetchand thelotus maritimus.
Brittany has the same education system as the rest of France. As in other French regions, formal education before the 19th century was the preserve of the elite. Before 1460, Brittany did not have a university, and Breton students had to go toAngers,PoitiersorCaen. TheUniversity of Nanteswas founded under the dukeFrancis II, who wanted to affirm the Breton independence from France. All the traditional disciplines were taught here: arts, theology, law and medicine. During the 17th century, it had around 1,500 students. It declined during the 18th century, mostly becauseNanteswas flourishing with theAtlantic slave tradeand paid no attention to its cultural institutions.
Amayoreventually asked the university to be relocated toRennes, more devoted to culture and science, and the faculties progressively moved there after 1735.The transfer was interrupted by theFrench Revolution, and all the French universities were dissolved in 1793.
Napoleonreorganised the French education system in 1808. He created new universities and invented twosecondary education institutions: thecollègesand thelycéeswhich were opened in numerous towns to educate boys and form a new elite. A newUniversity of Renneswas progressively recreated during the 19th century.
In the meantime, several laws were promoted to open schools, notably for girls. In 1882,Jules Ferrysucceeded in passing a law which made primary education in France free, non-clerical (laïque) and mandatory. Thus, free schools were opened in almost every villages of Brittany.
Jules Ferry also promoted education policies establishing French language as the language of the Republic, and mandatory education was a mean to eradicate regional languages and dialects. In Brittany, it was forbidden for the pupils to speakBretonorGallo, and the two were strongly depreciated. Humiliating practices aimed at stamping out the Breton language and culture prevailed in state schools until the late 1960s.
In response, theDiwan schoolswere founded in 1977 to teach Breton byimmersion. They have taught a few thousand young people from elementary school to high school, and they have gained more fame owing to their high level of results in school exams.
A bilingual approach has also been implemented in some state schools after 1979, and some Catholic schools have done the same after 1990. Besides, Brittany, with the neighbouringPays de la Loireregion, remains a stronghold for Catholic private education with around 1,400 schools.
During the 20th century, tertiary education was developed with the creation of theÉcole centrale de Nantesin 1919, theUniversity of Nantesin 1961, theESC Bretagne Brestin 1962, theUniversity of Western Brittanyin 1971, theÉcole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagnein 1977 and theUniversity of Southern Brittanyin 1995. TheCatholic University of the West, based inAngers, also opened classes in several Breton towns. In 1969, theUniversity of Renneswas divided between theUniversity of Rennes 1and theUniversity of Rennes 2 – Upper Brittany. After theSecond World War, theEcole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, the foremost Frenchmilitary academy, settled inCoëtquidan.
Brittany, apart from some areas such asLorient,NantesandSaint-Nazaire, has never been heavily industrialised. Today, fishing and agriculture remain important activities. Brittany has more than 40,000 farms, mostly oriented towards cattle, pig and poultry breeding, as well as cereal and vegetable production. The number of farms tends to diminish, but as a result, they are merged into very large estates. Brittany is the first producer in France for vegetables (green beans, onions,artichokes, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.). Cereals are mostly grown for cattle feeding. Wine, especiallymuscadet, is made in a small region south ofNantes. Brittany is the first region in France for fishing. The activity employs around 15,000 people, and more than 2500 firms work in fish and seafood processing.
Although relatively new, the Breton industry has been constantly growing since 1980. Food processing (meat, vegetables, etc.) represents a third of the industrial jobs, but other activities are also important for the local economy.Shipbuilding, both commercial and military, is implanted inSaint-Nazaire(Chantiers de l'Atlantique),LorientandBrest;Airbushas plants inSaint-NazaireandNantes; andPeugeothas a large factory inRennes. Brittany is the second French region for telecommunication and the fifth for electronics, two activities mainly developed inRennes,Lannionand Brest.
The unemployment rate in Brittany is lower than in other French regions and it is usually around 6 or 7% of the active population.Because of theglobal financial crisis started in 2007, unemployment rose to 8.7% in theRegion Brittanyand 8.4% inLoire-Atlantiquein late 2012. However, these figures remain under the French national rate (9.9% at the same period).Some industries, such as construction, industry, catering or transport, usually have difficulties finding employees.
In 2018,Region Brittany's gross domestic product reached 99 billioneuros. It was the ninth richest region in France and it produced 4% of the national GDP. The BretonGDP per capitawas around 29,694 euros in 2018.It was lower than the French result, 30,266 euros, below theEuropean Unionone, 30,900 euros. The GDP of theLoire-Atlantiquedépartementis around 26 billion euros, and the GDP of the five historical Breton départements would be at around 108 billion euros.
Tourism is particularly important for the seacoast and Brittany is one of the most visited regions in France.In April 2019,The Guardian's travel section included two Brittany locations in its list of20 of the most beautiful villages in France. The two were Rochefort-en-Terre with "its covered market, 12th-century church, medieval castle, 19th-century chateau, and 16th- and 17th-century mansions" and Locronan, where "East India Company's offices still stand on the village square, as well as 17th-century merchants' dwellings".
In 2017, the population inRegion Brittanywas estimated to 3,318,904 andLoire-Atlantiquehad around 1,394,909 inhabitants, thus historical Brittany's population can be estimated at 4,713,813, the highest in its history.The population inRegion Brittanyhad grown by 0.9% between 1999 and 2000, and the growth rate reached more than 1% inIlle-et-VilaineandMorbihan. The region aroundRennesand the south are the more attractive areas, whereas the population is declining in the centre and in the westernmost parts. While most of themetropolitan areasare growing, the cities themselves tend to stagnate or regress, such as forBrest,Lorient,Saint-BrieucandSaint-Malo. In 2017,Ille-et-Vilainehad 1,060,199 inhabitants, it was followed byFinistère909,028 inhabitants,Morbihan750,863 inhabitants, andCôtes-d'Armor, with 598,814 inhabitants.
The largest cities inRegion Brittanyas of 2017 wereRennes, with 216,815 inhabitants,Brest140,064,Quimper62,985,Lorient57,149,Vannes53,352,Saint-Malo46,097 andSaint-Brieuc44,372. All the othercommuneshad under 25,000 inhabitants.Brittany is also characterised by a great number of small towns, such asVitré,Concarneau,MorlaixorAuray.Loire-Atlantiquehas two major cities,Nantes, with 309,346 inhabitants and an urban area encompassing 972,828, andSaint-Nazaire, with 69,993 inhabitants.Loire-Atlantique's population is more rapidly growing thanRegion Brittany's and it is the 12th most populated Frenchdépartement.Nevertheless, since the 1990s, Rennes has consistently ranked as one of France's fastest growing metropolitan areas.
In 1851, Brittany had around 2.7 million inhabitants and the demographic growth stayed low until the second half of the 20th century, mainly because of an important emigration. Brittany had 3.2 million inhabitants in 1962 and the growth was mainly due toLoire-Atlantiqueand the steady growth ofNantes. Without the Loire-Atlantique's figures, the Breton population only numbered 2.4 million in 1962, nearly unchanged from its population of 2.3 million in 1851.After the 1960s, the whole region has had a strong demographic growth because of the decline of the traditional emigration to richer French regions. Instead, Brittany has become attractive, particularly for families, young retired persons and active people over 35 years old.
Breton political parties do not have wide support and their electoral success is small. However, Bretons have a strong cultural identity. According to a poll made in 2008, 50% of the inhabitants of theregion of Brittanyconsidered themselves as much Breton as French, 22.5% felt more Breton than French, and 15.4% more French than Breton. A minority, 1.5%, considered themselves Breton but not French, while 9.3% did not consider themselves to be Breton at all.
51.9% of the poll respondents agreed that Brittany should have more political power, and 31.1% thought that it should stay the same. Only 4.6% favoured independence, and 9.4% were undecided.
A 2012 poll taken in the five departments of historical Brittany showed that 48% of the respondents considered themselves belonging first to France, 37% to Brittany, and 10% to Europe. It also showed that Breton identity is stronger among people younger than 35. 53% of them considering themselves to belong first to Brittany. 50% of the older respondents considered themselves belonging first to France. Primary Breton identity is at its lowest among the respondents over 65: 58% consider themselves to belong first to France, with European identify secondary. 21% of the respondents over 65 considering themselves to be European first. Breton self-identification is stronger among people who voteleft-wing. It is stronger among employees than employers.
French, the soleofficial languageof the French Republic, is spoken today by the vast majority in Brittany, for whom it is usually theirmother tongue. However, French was not widely known in the region before the 19th century, and tworegional languagesexist in Brittany:BretonandGallo. They are separated by alanguage borderthat has constantly moved back since the Middle Ages.
The current border runs fromPlouhaon theEnglish Channelto theRhuys Peninsulaon theBay of Biscay. Because of their origins and practice, Breton and Gallo can be compared toScottish GaelicandScots languagein Scotland. Both have been recognised as "Langues de Bretagne" (languages of Brittany) by theRegional Council of Brittanysince 2004.
Breton is aCeltic languagederived from the historicalCommon Brittoniclanguage, and is most closely related toCornishandWelsh. It was imported to WesternArmoricaduring the 5th century by Britons fleeing theAnglo-Saxon invasion of Britain. Breton remained the language of the rural population, but since theMiddle Agesthebourgeoisie, thenobility, and the higher clergy have spoken French.
Government policies in the 19th and 20th centuries made education compulsory and, at the same time, forbade the use of Breton in schools to push non-French speakers into adopting the French language. Nevertheless, until the 1960s Breton was spoken or understood by many of the inhabitants of western Brittany. During the 1970s, Breton schools were opened and the local authorities started to promote the language, which was on the brink of extinction because parents had stopped teaching it to their children.
Having declined from more than one million speakers around 1950 to about 200,000 in the first decade of the 21st century, of whom 61% are more than 60 years old, Breton is classified as "severely endangered" by the UNESCOAtlas of the World's Languages in Danger. However, the number of children attending bilingual classes has risen 33% between 2006 and 2012 to 14,709.
TheBreton languagehas several dialects which have no precise limits but rather form acontinuum. Most of them are very similar to each other, with only some phonetic and lexical differences. The three main dialects spoken in the western end of Brittany are:
in opposition to theVannetais, spoken aroundVannes, which is the most differentiated Breton dialect.
According to a 1999 INSEE survey, 12% of the adults of Brittany speak Breton.
Gallo is spoken on the eastern half of Brittany. It is not itself a Celtic language. Like French, it is also descended from Latin (and is classified in theLangues d'oïlbranch), but has some Celtic influences, particularly in its vocabulary, whereas French has influences from both Celtic (Gaulish) andFrankish(theGermanic languagewhich arrived after Latin in much of the rest of France).
Unlike Breton, Gallo does not have a long promotion history and it is still often perceived as a poor rural dialect. Moreover, because of its linguistic relationship with Gallo, French imposed itself more easily as the main language inUpper Brittanythan in Breton speaking areas. Gallo was simply perceived as an incorrect way of speaking French rather than a separate language. Gallo transmission from parents to children is extremely low and efforts to standardise and publish books in Gallo did not reverse the decline of the language and its lack ofprestige.
Gallo is also threatened by the Bretonlanguage revival, because Breton is gaining ground in territories that were not previously part of the main Breton-speaking area, and most of all because Breton appears as the national language of Brittany, thus leaving no place for Gallo.
Gallo had never been written before the 20th century, and several writing systems were created. They are however rarely known by the population and signs in Gallo are often unreadable, even for fluent speakers. InLoire-Atlantique, where Gallo is not promoted at all by the local authorities, many people do not even know the word "Gallo" and have no idea that it has writing systems and publications.
The Gallo community is estimated at between 28,300and 200,000speakers. The language is taught on a non-compulsory basis in some schools, high-schools and universities, particularly inIlle-et-Vilaine.
Bretons are mainlyCatholicand the Christianisation occurred during theRoman GaulandFrankera. During the Briton emigration to Brittany, several Christian missionaries, mostly Welsh, came in the region and founded dioceses. They are known as the "Seven founder saints":
Other notable early missionaries areGildasand the Irish saintColumbanus. Bretons recognize more than 300 local "saints", though only a few are officially accepted by the Catholic Church. Since the 19th century at least, Brittany has been known as one of the most devoutly Catholic regions in France, together with the neighbouringPays de la Loireregion. The proportion of students attending Catholic private schools is the highest in France. Thepatron saintof Brittany isSaint Anne, the Virgin's mother, butIvo of Kermartin, a 13th-century priest, called Saint-Yves in French and Sant-Erwan in Breton, can also be considered as a patron saint. His feast, 19 May, is Brittany's national day.
Many distinctive traditions and customs have also been preserved in Brittany. Among them, the "Pardons" are one of the most traditional demonstrations of popular Catholicism. Thesepenitential ceremoniesoccur in some villages inLower Brittanyon thefeast dayof the parish's saint. The penitents form a procession and they walk together to ashrine, a church or any sacred place. Some Pardons are reputed for their length, and they all finish by large meals and popular feasts.
There is a very oldpilgrimagecalled theTro Breizh(tour of Brittany), where the pilgrims walk around Brittany from the grave of one of the seven founder saints to another. Historically, the pilgrimage was made in one trip (a total distance of around 600 km) for all seven saints. Nowadays, however, pilgrims complete the circuit over the course of several years. In 2002, the Tro Breizh included a special pilgrimage toWales, symbolically making the reverse journey of the Welshmen Sant Paol, Sant Brieg, and Sant Samzun.
The most powerful folk figure is theAnkouor the "Reaper of Death". Sometimes a skeleton wrapped in a shroud with the Breton flat hat, sometimes described as a real human being (the last dead of the year, devoted to bring the dead to Death), he makes his journeys by night carrying an upturned scythe which he throws before him to reap his harvest. Sometimes he is on foot but mostly he travels with a cart, theKarrig an Ankou, drawn by two oxen and a lean horse. Two servants dressed in the same shroud and hat as the Ankou pile the dead into the cart, and to hear it creaking at night means you have little time left to live.
As official religious statistics are forbidden in France, there are no official figures about religious practices in Brittany. However, successive polls show that the region has grown morenonreligiousover time. Catholicism started to decline after theSecond World War, during the urbanisation of Brittany. A poll conducted in 2006 showed thatMorbihanwas the onlydépartementto have a strong Catholic population, around 70% of its inhabitants belonging to that religion.Loire-AtlantiqueandCôtes-d'Armorwere among the least Catholic Frenchdépartements, with only 50% of the population practicing Catholics, whileIlle-et-VilaineandFinistèrewere at around 65%. Other religions are almost non-existent, apart fromIslamwhich is practiced by between 1 and 3% of the inhabitants inIlle-et-VilaineandLoire-Atlantique.
Brittany is home to manymegalithicmonuments; the wordsmenhiranddolmencome from theBreton language. The largest menhir alignments are theCarnac stones. Other major sites include theBarnenezcairn, theLocmariaquer megaliths, theMenhir de Champ-Dolent, theMane Braztumulusand theGavrinistomb. Monuments from theRomanperiod are rare, but include a large temple inCorseuland scarce ruins of villas and city walls inRennesandNantes.
Brittany has a large number of medieval buildings. They include numerousRomanesqueandFrench Gothicchurches, usually built in localsandstoneandgranite, castles and half-timbered houses visible in villages, towns and cities. Several Breton towns still have their medieval walls, such asGuérande,Concarneau,Saint-Malo,Vannes,FougèresandDinan. Major churches includeSaint-Pol-de-Léon Cathedral,Tréguier Cathedral,Dol Cathedral,Nantes Cathedraland theKreisker chapel. Most of the Breton castles were rebuilt between the 13th and the 15th century, such as theChâteau de Suscinio, theChâteau de Dinan, theChâteau de Combourg, theChâteau de Largoët, theChâteau de Tonquédec, theJosselin Castleand theChâteau de Trécesson. The most impressive castles can be seen along the border with France, where stand theChâteau de Fougères, theChâteau de Vitré, theChâteau de Châteaubriantand theChâteau de Clisson.
TheFrench Renaissanceoccurred when Brittany lost its independence. The Renaissance architecture is almost absent in the region, except inUpper Brittany, close to the border with France. Major sites include theChâteau des ducs de Bretagne, the last permanent residence of the dukes, which displays the transition from late Gothic to Renaissance style. TheChâteau de Châteaubriant, a former fortress, was transformed into a vast palace in the Italian style.
InLower Brittany, the medieval style never totally disappeared. However, local innovations permitted some changes and the birth of a particular style. Its most distinctive feature is theparish close, which displays an elaborately decorated church surrounded by an entirely walled churchyard. Many villages still have their closes, they date from the 16th and 17th centuries and sometimes include an elaborately carvedcalvary sculpture.
During the 17th and the 18th centuries, the mainseaportsand towns obtained a typical French look, withbaroqueandneoclassicalbuildings.Nantes, which was at the time the biggest French harbour, received a theatre, large avenues and quays, andRenneswas redesigned after a fire in 1720. At the same period, the wealthyship-ownersfromSaint-Malobuilt many mansions called "Malouinières" around their town. Along the coast,Vaubanand other French architects designed several citadels, such as inLe PalaisandPort-Louis. In rural areas, Breton houses remained simple, with a single floor and alonghousepattern. They were built with local materials: mostly granite inLower BrittanyandschistinUpper Brittany.Slatesandreedswere usually used for roofing. During the 19th century, the Breton architecture was mainly characterised by theGothic RevivalandEclecticism.Clisson, the southernmost Breton town, was rebuilt in an ItalianRomanticstyle around 1820. The Bretonlighthouseswere mostly built during the 19th century. The most famous areAr Men,Phare d'Eckmühl,La VieilleandLa Jument. The lighthouse on theÎle Viergeis, with 77 meters, the highest in Europe.
At the end of the 19th century, severalseaside resortswere created along the coast and villas and hotels were built inhistoricist,Art Nouveau, and later in theArt Decostyles. These architectures are particularly present inDinard,La BauleandBénodet. Architecture from the 20th century can be seen inSaint-Nazaire,BrestandLorient, three cities destroyed during theSecond World Warand rebuilt afterwards, and in the works of the Breton nationalist architects likeJames BouilléandOlier Mordrel.
Until the 19th century,Catholicismhad been the main inspiration for Breton artists. The region has a great number ofbaroqueretables, made between the 17th and the 19th century. Breton sculptors were also famous for their ship models that served asex-votosand for their richly decorated furniture, which features naïve Breton characters and traditional patterns. Thebox-bedis the most famous Breton piece of furniture. The Breton style had a strong revival between 1900 and theSecond World Warand it was used by theSeiz Breurmovement. The Seiz Breur artists also tried to invent a modern Breton art by rejecting French standards and mixing traditional techniques with new materials. The leading artists of that period were the designerRené-Yves Creston, the illustratorsJeanne MalivelandXavier Haas, and the sculptorsRaffig Tullou,Francis Renaud,Georges Robin,Joseph Savina,Jules-Charles Le BozecandJean Fréour.
Brittany is also known for itsneedlework, which can be seen on its numerous headdress models, and for itsfaienceproduction, which started at the beginning of the 18th century.Quimper faienceis known worldwide for its bowls and plates painted by hand, and other towns, such asPornic, also maintain a similar tradition. The potteries usually feature naïve Breton characters in traditional clothing and daily scenes. The designs have a strong traditional Breton influence, butOrientalismandArt Decohave also been used.
Because of its distinct culture and natural landscape, Brittany has inspired many French artists since the 19th century. ThePont-Aven School, which started to emerge in the 1850s and lasted until the beginning of the 20th century, had a decisive influence on modern painting. The artists who settled inPont-Avenwanted to break away from theAcademic styleof theÉcole des Beaux-Artsand later fromImpressionismwhen it began to decline. Among them werePaul Gauguin,Paul Signac,Marc Chagall,Paul SérusierandRaymond Wintz. Before them, Brittany had also been visited by Academic and Romantic painters likeJean Antoine Théodore de GudinandJules Achille Noëlwho were looking for dramatic seascapes and storms.
Since the early 1970s, Brittany has experienced a tremendous revival of its folk music. Numerous festivals were created, along with smallerfest-noz(popular feasts). Thebagadoù, bands composed ofbagpipes,bombardsand drums (includingsnare), are also a modern creation, inspired by the Scottishpipe bands. TheLann-Bihouébagad, one of the most well-known, belongs to theFrench Navy. It is the only one that does not take part to the annual bagadoù competitions.Celtic harpis also common, as are vocals and dances. TheKan ha diskanis the most common type of singing. The performers sing calls and responses while dancing. Breton dances usually imply circles, chains or couples and they are different in every region. The oldest dances seem to be thepassepiedand thegavotte, and the newest ones derive from thequadrilleandFrench Renaissancedances.
In the 1960s, several Breton artists started to use contemporary patterns to create a Breton pop music. Among them,Alan Stivellcontributed most in popularising theCeltic harpand Breton music in the world. He also usedAmericanrock and rollin his works and influenced 1970s Breton bands such asKornog,Gwerz (band)[fr]andTri Yann, who revived traditional songs and made them popular across France.Soldat Louisis the main Breton rock band,and Breton singers includeGilles Servat,Glenmor,Dan Ar Braz,Yann-Fañch Kemener,Denez Prigent,Nolwenn KorbellandNolwenn Leroy. TheManauHip hopgroup from Paris has strong Breton and Celtic inspirations. You can also find the well known groupMatmatahfrom Brest.
Yann Tiersen, who composed the soundtrack forAmélie,Cécile Corbelthe compositor ofArrietty and the borrowers, theElectrobandYelleand theavant-gardesingerBrigitte Fontaineare also from Brittany. The 19th-century composerLouis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudraywas one of the first western European composers to be influenced by what is now known asworld music.
In 2022,AlvanandAhezhave been selected to represent France in theEurovision Song Contest 2022. Their song,Fulenn, is sung entirely in Breton and is about the legend of Katel Kollet, a lady who dances with the devil.
Brittany is closely associated with theMatter of BritainandKing Arthur. According toWace,Brocéliandeis located in Brittany and it is nowadays considered to bePaimpont forest. There, ruins of a castle surrounded by a lake are associated with theLady of the Lake, adolmenis said to beMerlin's tomband a path is presented asMorgan le Fay'sVal sans Retour.Tristan and Iseultare also said to have lived in Brittany. Another major Breton legend is the story aboutYs, a city swallowed by the ocean.
Breton literature before the 19th century was mostly oral.  The oral tradition entertained by medieval poets died out during the 15th century and books inBretonwere very rare before 1850. At that time, local writers started to collect and publish local tales and legends and wrote original works.  Published between 1925 and theSecond World War, the literary journalGwalarnfavoured a modern Breton literature and helped translating widely known novels into Breton.  After the war, the journalAl Liammpursued that mission. Among the authors writing in Breton areAuguste Brizeux, a Romantic poet, theneo-DruidicbardErwan Berthou,Théodore Hersart de La Villemarqué, who collected the local legends aboutKing Arthur,Roparz Hemon, founder ofGwalarn,Pêr-Jakez Helias,Glenmor,Pêr DenezandMeavenn.
Breton literature includes 19th-century historical novels byÉmile Souvestre, travel journals byAnatole Le Braz, poems and novels byCharles Le Goffic, the works of the singer-songwriterThéodore Botreland of the maritime writerHenri Queffélec. Brittany is also the birthplace of many writers likeFrançois-René de Chateaubriand,Jules Verne,Ernest Renan,Félicité Robert de LamennaisandPierre AbélardMax Jacob,Alfred Jarry,Victor Segalen,Xavier Grall,Jean Rouaud,Irène Frain,Herve Jaouen,Alain Robbe-Grillet,Pierre-Jakez Hélias,Tristan Corbière,Paul Féval,Jean Guéhenno,Arthur Bernède,André Breton,Patrick Poivre d'Arvor.
TheAsterixcomics, set during the time ofJulius Caesarand written in the second half of the twentieth century, are set in Armorica, now Brittany.
The Museum of Brittany, located inRennes, was founded in 1856. Its collections are mainly dedicated to the history of the region. Museums dedicated toPrehistoryand localmegalithsare located inCarnacandPenmarch, while several towns likeVannesandNanteshave a museum presenting their own history.
TheMuseum of Fine Arts of Rennesowns a large collection of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities as well as drawings and engravings byDomenico Ghirlandaio,Parmigianino,Albrecht DürerandRembrandt. Its French art collection gathers works byGeorges de La Tour,François Boucher,Paul Gauguin,Auguste Rodin,Camille CorotandRobert Delaunay. It has also works byPablo Picasso,Rubens,Peter LelyandPaolo Veronese. The collections of theMuseum of Fine Arts of Nantesare more dedicated to modern and contemporary art and contain works byEdward Burne-Jones,Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres,Eugène Delacroix,Gustave Courbet,Paul Signac,Tamara de Lempicka,Wassily Kandinsky,Max Ernst,Pierre SoulagesandPiero Manzoni. The Museums of Fine Arts ofBrestandQuimperoffer similar collections, with large quantities of French painting together with the works of some Italian and Dutch artists. The Museum of Fine ArtsPont-Avenis dedicated to theSchool of Pont-Aven. Contemporary sculptures can be seen in the park around the Château de Kerguéhennec, inBignan.
Museums inSaint-Malo,LorientandDouarnenezare dedicated to ships and maritime traditions and history. TheMusée national de la Marinehas a large annex in Brest and a submarine is opened to visitors inLorient. In the same town, it is also possible to visit theKeroman Submarine Museum, and theCité de la voileÉric Tabarly, a museum dedicated to sailing. InSaint-Nazaire, where manytransatlantic shipswere built, includingSSNormandieandSSFrance, a museum showing transatlantic interiors was installed in aSecond World Warbase. Nantes has amuseum dedicated to Jules Verne, aNatural History Museumand a museum of archaeology and design, theMusée Dobrée.
Brittany has a vibrant calendar of festivals and events. It hosts some of France's biggest contemporary music festivals, such asLa Route du RockinSaint-Malo, theVieilles CharruesinCarhaix, theRencontres Trans MusicalesinRennes, the Festival du Bout du Monde inCrozon, theHellfestinClissonand the Astropolis in Brest, orLa fête du bruitin Landerneau and Saint-Nolff. TheFestival Interceltique de Lorientwelcomes each year participants all theCeltic nationsand their diasporas.La Folle Journée, inNantes, is the largest classical music festival in France.
The Breton culture is highlighted during theFête de la Bretagne, which occurs in many places around Saint-Yves's day (19 May), and during the Festival de Cornouaille inQuimper. Several towns also organisehistorical re-enactmentsand events celebrating local traditions, such as the Filets Bleus inConcarneauwhich celebrates fishing.
Brittany also has some film festivals like theThree Continents FestivalinNantes. TheUtopialesinternational science fiction festival is held in the same city. Brest andDouarnenezboth organise largetall shipmeetings (SeeBrest Maritime Festival).
Football, cycling and sailing are the three most popular sports in Brittany. Major football teams are theFC Nantes, theStade Rennais F.C., theFC Lorient, theStade Brestois 29, theVannes OCand theEn Avant de Guingamp. Professional footballers coming from the region also form theBrittany national football teamwhich sometimes plays with national teams.
Several Bretons have won theTour de France:Bernard Hinault,Louison Bobet,Jean RobicandLucien Petit-Bretonas riders, andCyrille Guimardas adirecteur sportif.
Rugby Unionis less popular in the North than in thesouth of France, butRugby Club Vannesare one of few professional teams in northern France.  They currently play in the top tier of French Rugby,Top 14.
Sailing is particularly important for sea-resorts likeLa Trinité-sur-Mer,Pornichet,Concarneau,Lorientand theîles de Glénan, where a prestigious school is located. A great number of Bretons have become acclaimed sailors, such as:Éric Tabarly,Loïck Peyron,Jean Le Cam,Michel Desjoyeaux,Olivier de Kersauson,Thomas Coville,Vincent RiouandMarc Pajot. TheRoute du Rhum, theTransat Québec-Saint-Malo, theJules Verne Trophyare the main Breton sailing competitions. TheSolitaire du Figarostages often start in Brittany.
Gouren, a style offolk wrestling, is the most popular Breton sport. TheBoule bretonneis related topétanque. ThePalets, common inUpper Brittanyand in other French regions, is also related to pétanque, but players use iron disks instead of balls and they have to throw them on a wooden board.
Gaelic footballis also a growing sport in the region,with club teams and a 'county'GAAteam representing Brittany against other European 'counties' such as Galicia.
AlthoughMuscadetand Gros Plant white wines are produced south of theLoire, the traditional drink of Brittany iscider. Brittany is the second-largest cider-producing region in France.Breton cider is traditionally served in a bowl or a cup. Brittany also has a long beer-brewing tradition, tracing its roots back to the 17th century. Young artisanal brewers are keeping a variety of beer types alive,such asCoreff de Morlaix,Tri MartolodandBritt. Stronger alcohols include thechouchen, a sort ofmeadmade with wild honey, and an appleeau de viecalledlambig.
Crêpesandgalettesare the two most well-known Breton dishes. The crêpes,made and served with butter, are eaten for dessert and the galettes are usually salty and made withbuckwheat. They traditionally replaced bread as basic food and they can be served with cheese, sausages, bacon, mushrooms or eggs. They can be accompanied by Bretonbuttermilkcalledlait ribot. Brittany also has a dish similar to thepot-au-feuknown as thekig ha farz, which consists of stewed pork or beef withbuckwheatdumplings.
Surrounded by the sea, Brittany offers a wide range of fresh seafood and fish, especiallymusselsandoysters. Among the seafood specialities is a fish stew calledcotriade. Thebeurre blancsauce, invented inSaint-Julien-de-Concelles, close toNantes, is often served with fish. Brittany is also known for its salt, mainly harvested aroundGuérandeand used in butter and milk caramels. The region is notable for its biscuit factories, many towns having their own:Quimper,Lorient,Pont-Aven,Saint-Brieuc, BN andLUinNantes, La Trinitaine inLa Trinité-sur-Mer, and Galettes Saint-Michel inSaint-Michel-Chef-Chef. They usually make their biscuits with salted butter and sell them in iron boxes. Famous Bretonpastriesinclude thekouign amann("butter cake" in Breton) made with bread dough and high quantities of butter and sugar, and thefar, a sort of sweetYorkshire puddingusually made with dried plums.
Until the 1970s, the Breton road network was poor because maritime and rail transport prevailed. The French presidentCharles de Gaulleimplemented a major road construction plan in the 1970 and Brittany received over 10 billionfrancsof investments during 25 years.More than 10,000 km ofmotorwayswere built, permitting Breton road transport to multiply by four. The Breton motorways are nottoll roads, contrarily to the usual French highways.
The main road artery linking cities and other settlements along the north coast is theRoute nationale 12which connects the cities ofRennes,Saint-Brieuc,MorlaixandBrest. It also provides a link to southernNormandy, terminating in Paris. In south Brittany theRoute nationale 165performs a similar role along the south coast providing connections betweenNantes,Vannes,Lorient,QuimperandBrest. The Route nationale 164 crosses the centre of the peninsula and connectsRennestoLoudéac,CarhaixandChâteaulin, and the Route nationale 166 linksRennestoVannes. The Route nationale 137 provides connections betweenSaint-Malo,RennesandNantesand terminates inBordeaux.
Nantesis linked to Paris by theA11 autoroute, andRennesis both on theA81 autorouteto Paris and theA84 autoroutetoCaen. These highways are standard Frenchtoll roads.
The biggest Breton airport isNantes Atlantique Airport. Destination served include the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Morocco. TheBrest Bretagne Airportis the second airport in Brittany. It is followed byRennes – Saint-Jacques,Lorient South BrittanyandDinard – Saint-Malo. TheSaint-Brieuc – Armorairport serves flights between Brittany and theChannel Islands. Others smaller airport operates domestic flights inQuimper, andLannion.
Brittany is on two majorTGVlines, one linking Paris toNantesandLe Croisic, on the south coast, and another linking Paris toRennesandBrest. An extension of theLGV Atlantique, which stops at Le Mans, was completed in 2017, bringing the line toRennes. This extension is known as theLGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire. TGV services also link the region with major cities in France such asLyon,Strasbourg,Marseille, andLille. Regional services are operated byTER Bretagneproviding connections between small towns such asVannes,Carhaix,RoscoffandPaimpol. TER Bretagne also manages coach lines and connections between Rennes and Nantes.TER Pays de la Loireoperates trains between Nantes and smaller towns inLoire-Atlantique.
There are ferry services that take passengers, vehicles and freight to Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands. The main companies areBrittany Ferrieswhich operates lines betweenPlymouthandRoscoff,PortsmouthandSaint-Malo, andRoscoffandCork.Irish Ferriesoperates the routeRosslare-RoscoffandCondor FerrieslinkSaint-MalowithJersey.
Cycling has always been one of the main sports of Brittany, but leisure cycling and the infrastructure to support it have been growing extremely rapidly. An extensive network of cycle paths and recommended cycle routes has opened up all over the region. Some of these are routes using mainly smaller roads and both signposted and maintained by communes individually, but many are based on dedicated cycle paths often formed by converting disused railway tracks. These help form routes such as 'Vélodyssée' from Roscoff to Nantes and several major routes under the 'V' label (following signs V1, V2 etc.).The old tow-path of the Nantes-Brest canal is now open to cyclists along its entire 385 km length though in places (unlike rail-based cycle paths) it is very meandering and leaving the path will both shorten the distance and provide variety.
Though the marked cyclepaths such as the Nantes-Brest canal offer the opportunity for safe, easy, traffic free cycling, the real 'richness' of Brittany is its incredible network of country lanes. Those the terrain can be described as 'rolling' the gradients are generally moderate (rarely over 5% – usually far less) and unlike the canal paths they do link small villages where cyclists can find somewhere to refresh themselves. The increase in cycling holiday-makers has given new life to the network of small campsites and hotels/chambre d'hotes especially inland where the economy struggled in the past.As a general rule cyclists are very well respected in the region and many larger towns have cycle-lanes – however traffic is 'cycle-friendly' even in their absence.
The modernflag of Brittanywas designed in 1923. It is calledGwenn ha Du("white and black" inBreton) and it features elevenerminespots (their number may vary) and nine stripes, the black ones represent the Breton speaking historical dioceses, and the white ones symbolise thegallospeaking dioceses. The flag was created to replace the traditional ermine plain standard, considered too aristocratic and royalist. It was inspired by theAmerican flagand the BritishRed Ensign.Since the 1920s, the flag has become very popular and it is flown from a large number of institutions. Apart from the ermine flag, Breton historic banners include theKroaz Du, a white flag with a black cross, the perfect negative of theCornish flag.
The coat of arms of Brittany,ermine plain, was adopted byJohn IIIin 1316. Ermine had been used in Brittany long before, and there is no clue to its origin. It was probably chosen by the dukes because of its similarity with the Frenchfleur-de-lis. Theermine, or stoat, as an animal became thebadgeofJohn IVat the end of the 14th century. It appeared later on numerous locations, including churches and castles. According to popular traditions,Anne of Brittanywas hunting with her court when she saw a white ermine who preferred to die than to cross a dirty marsh. This episode would have inspired the duchess' motto :"Potius mori quam foedari"("rather death than dishonour").The motto has later been reused by Breton regiments, localWorld War II Resistantsand cultural movements.
The Breton anthem, although not official, isBro Gozh ma Zadoù– ("Old Land of My Fathers"). It re-employs both theWelsh anthem's music and that of "Bro Goth agan Tasow" (the national anthem of Cornwall; its lyrics were written at the end of the 19th century).
Colloquial Breton emblems include the Celtictriskelion, themenhirsanddolmens, local dishes such as thegalettes, theBigoudenheaddress and the traditional black round hat, the fisherman and his yellow raincoat, etc.BZHis a common abbreviation for "Breizh" ("Brittany" in Breton) and people often put BZH stickers on their car-plates, although it is forbidden under French laws..bzhis an approved Internettop level domainfor theBretonculture and languages.