Vannes

Vannes
Gwened
Vannes Remparts.jpg
Old town walls
Vannes is located in France
Vannes
Administration
Country France
Region Brittany
Department Morbihan
Arrondissement Vannes
Intercommunality Pays de Vannes
Mayor François Goulard
(2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation 0–56 m (0–184 ft)
(avg. 22 m/72 ft)
Land area1 32.3 km2 (12.5 sq mi)
Population2 51,759  (1999)
 - Density 1,602 /km2 (4,150 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 56260/ 56000
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Vannes (Breton: Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.[1]

Contents

Geography

Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of the river Vannes. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 300 km west of Paris. Vannes is a market town and often linked to the sea.

History

Darioritum (the Roman name of Vannes) was founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC.

The diocese of Vannes was erected in the 5th century. The Council of Vannes was held there in 461.

The first historical ruler of Vannes was Waroch.

In 1759 Vannes was used as the staging point for a Planned French Invasion of Britain. A large army was assembled there, but it was never able to sail following the French naval defeat at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in November 1759.

in 1795 Vannes was used as a crucial defensive point during the French Revolution, but this time for the defense of republican France against the planned British - Royalist Invasion of France : the invasion was successfully repelled by the French forces based in Vannes.

Demographics

Inhabitants of Vannes are called Vannetais.

Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on October 12, 2007.

In 2007, 7.5% of the children attended the bilingual schools in primary education.[2]

Monuments and sights

In fiction

In the novels of Alexandre Dumas, the musketeer Aramis appears at one point as bishop of Vannes.

Notable people

Vannes was the birthplace of:

Panorama of the old town

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Vannes is twinned with:

Vannes also has partnerships (‘partenariats’) with:

See also

Gallery

In the old town centre

Place des Lices

Old washing-places

Garden of the Château de l'Hermine

Street in town center

Vannes Cathedral

St. Patern church

Harbour to cathedral

Gulf of Morbihan

External links

References

Notes
  1. ↑ [1], history of Vannes by Official web site of the city
  2. ↑ (French) Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue