Locronan
Encyclopedia
Locronan is a commune
in the Finistère
department of Brittany in north-western France
.
Locronan is a member of the [Les Plus Beaux Villages de France]] ("The most beautiful villages of France") association.
. It has previously been known as Saint-René-du-Bois.
Saint Ronan is greatly venerated in Brittany. He was a Celtic (possibly Cornish or Irish) missionary of the 6th century. His association with Locronan is close, and a portion of his relics are kept in the parish
church.
, who went there on a pilgrimage.
Since the 15th century, hemp
has been blossoming in Locronan's surroundings. This led to a hemp industry in the town at the time, making the town quite prosperous. Locronan's hemp used to be shipped around the world, and was also vital for rigging the shipping, both commercial and military, that operated from Brittany's many ports. It was at this time that the Saint Ronan church was built as well as the small chapel of Penity.
Locronanais.
on November 23, 2007.
of the Breton festal calendar.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Finistère
Finistère
Finistère is a département of France, in the extreme west of Brittany.-History:The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ, meaning end of the earth, and may be compared with Land's End on the opposite side of the English Channel...
department of Brittany in north-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Locronan is a member of the [Les Plus Beaux Villages de France]] ("The most beautiful villages of France") association.
The place name
The village's name means the "hermitage of Ronan", after the eponymous founder Saint RonanRonan of Locronan
Saint Ronan is the name of an Irish pilgrim saint and hermit in western Brittany, eponymous founder of Locronan and co-patron of Quimper, together with its founder, Saint Corentin.-From Locronan to Quimper:...
. It has previously been known as Saint-René-du-Bois.
Saint Ronan is greatly venerated in Brittany. He was a Celtic (possibly Cornish or Irish) missionary of the 6th century. His association with Locronan is close, and a portion of his relics are kept in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church.
History
Locronan is a small town built at the foot of a hill, and was granted town status in 1505 by Anne of BrittanyAnne of Brittany
Anne, Duchess of Brittany , also known as Anna of Brittany , was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and Margaret of Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Queen Eleanor of...
, who went there on a pilgrimage.
Since the 15th century, hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
has been blossoming in Locronan's surroundings. This led to a hemp industry in the town at the time, making the town quite prosperous. Locronan's hemp used to be shipped around the world, and was also vital for rigging the shipping, both commercial and military, that operated from Brittany's many ports. It was at this time that the Saint Ronan church was built as well as the small chapel of Penity.
Population
Inhabitants of Locronan are called in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Locronanais.
Breton language
The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhonegYa d'ar brezhoneg
Ya d'ar brezhoneg is a campaign launched by the Ofis ar Brezhoneg in order to stimulate the use of the Breton language in daily life in Brittany, western France. In the first phase, started on 5 October 2001, civil society was targeted. Over 560 enterprises and organisations have signed the...
on November 23, 2007.
Events
Troménie is a pilgrimage festival, involving a huge procession, which features the banners of participating parishes. Held every six years between the second and third Sundays in July, the Grande Troménie is a pilgrimage of about 12 km., traversing the wider sacred area around Locronan. In the intervening five years, the Petite Troménie is held on the second Sunday in July and is focussed on the town and church of Locronan. These are among the major pardonsPardon (ceremony)
A Pardon is a typically Breton form of pilgrimage and one of the most traditional demonstrations of popular Catholicism in Brittany. Of very ancient origin, probably dating back to the conversion of the country by the Celtic monks, it is comparable to the parades associated with Saint Patrick's Day...
of the Breton festal calendar.
Popular culture
Locronan features in a few films:- TessTess (film)Tess is a 1980 romance film directed by Roman Polanski, an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles. It tells the story of a strong-willed, young peasant girl who finds out she has title connections by way of her old aristocratic surname and who is raped by her wealthy...
by Roman PolanskiRoman PolanskiRoman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."... - A Very Long EngagementA Very Long EngagementA Very Long Engagement is a 2004 French romantic war film, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou. It is a fictional tale about a young woman's desperate search for her fiancé who might have been killed on the battle of the Somme, during World War I...
by Jean-Pierre JeunetJean-Pierre Jeunet-Life and career:Jean-Pierre Jeunet was born in Roanne, Loire, France. He bought his first camera at the age of 17 and made short films while studying animation at Cinémation Studios. He befriended Marc Caro, a designer and comic book artist who became his longtime collaborator and... - Chouans!Chouans!Chouans! is a 1988 French war adventure directed by Philippe de Broca, and starring Philippe Noiret, Vincent Schmitt, Raoul Billerey, and Sophie Marceau, who received the Best Actress Award at the Cabourg Romantic Film Festival for her performance....
by Philippe de BrocaPhilippe de BrocaPhilippe de Broca was a French film director.Born Philippe Claude Alex de Broca de Ferrussac in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, the son of a photographer of noble origins. de Broca was a cinephile from an early age, and he studied at the l'École technique de photographie et de cinématographie...