Quimperlé
Encyclopedia
Quimperlé is a commune
in the Finistère
department of Brittany in northwestern France
.
and 44 km to the east of Quimper
. Historically, it belongs to Cornouaille
.
The town is situated at the confluence of the Isole
and Ellé
rivers that combine to form the Laïta
river, hence its name: confluent (kemper-) of the Ellé (-le). A fourth smaller river, the Dourdu (black water in Breton), joins the Laïta downstream.
The city is traditionally divided in two parts, the High Town and the Lower Town. The Lower Town, in the valley, is the historical centre, and developed around the Saint-Colomban church (of which only the front wall remains) and the abbey of Sainte Croix (Holy Cross). It covers the land between the Ellé and Isole rivers as well as the banks of the Laïta, an area that is sometimes flooded.
The more modern High Town, in the plain above the valley, centres around the Saint-Michel church and its market square. Seen from the Lower Town, its "mountain" topped with the Saint-Michel church has earned Quimperlé the nickname of "Mount Saint Michel on land"
The town also developed, less importantly, on the East side of the valley, facing the Saint Michel mountain. This area is called Bourgneuf, a common name for recent neighbourhoods.
. A few dolmen
s were erected in Quimperlé itself, although there is no trace of an actual settlement in the prehistoric times.
A first settlement was built in the Middle Ages, called Villa Anaurot, after a 5th century British prince, but it is thought to have been destroyed by the Normans in 868.
A new town called Quimperlé grew around the abbey of Sainte Croix, which was founded in the 12th century. The Romanesque basilica from the abbey can still be seen. The church of St Michel was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and its impressive tower dominates the town from its hilltop position.
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 northwestern 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...
.
Geography
Quimperlé is in the southeast of Finistère, 20 km to the sest of LorientLorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
and 44 km to the east of Quimper
Quimper
Quimper is a commune and capital of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.-Administration:Quimper is the prefecture of the Finistère department.-Geography:...
. Historically, it belongs to Cornouaille
Cornouaille
Cornouaille is a historic region in Brittany, in northwest France. The name is identical to the French name for the Duchy of Cornwall, since the area was settled by migrant princes from Cornwall...
.
The town is situated at the confluence of the Isole
Isole
The river Isole flows through the department of Finistère in the region of Brittany in France. Its source is near Roudouallec. Another town on the Isole is Scaër. At the town of Quimperlé it is joined by the Ellé to form the Laïta that flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Le...
and Ellé
Ellé
The Ellé is a river in the region of Brittany, western France. Its source is south of the town Rostrenen, in the south-west of the department Côtes-d'Armor...
rivers that combine to form the Laïta
Laïta
The Laïta is a river in western France . It is formed at the confluence of the rivers Ellé and Isole, in Quimperlé. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Guidel....
river, hence its name: confluent (kemper-) of the Ellé (-le). A fourth smaller river, the Dourdu (black water in Breton), joins the Laïta downstream.
The city is traditionally divided in two parts, the High Town and the Lower Town. The Lower Town, in the valley, is the historical centre, and developed around the Saint-Colomban church (of which only the front wall remains) and the abbey of Sainte Croix (Holy Cross). It covers the land between the Ellé and Isole rivers as well as the banks of the Laïta, an area that is sometimes flooded.
The more modern High Town, in the plain above the valley, centres around the Saint-Michel church and its market square. Seen from the Lower Town, its "mountain" topped with the Saint-Michel church has earned Quimperlé the nickname of "Mount Saint Michel on land"
The town also developed, less importantly, on the East side of the valley, facing the Saint Michel mountain. This area is called Bourgneuf, a common name for recent neighbourhoods.
Population
Inhabitants of Quimperlé are called in French Quimperlois.History
It seems that the area was first inhabited by Neanderthals, since remains of Mousterian-style stone tools have been found in the forest between Quimperlé and Clohars-CarnoëtClohars-Carnoët
Clohars-Carnoët is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-Population:Inhabitants of Clohars-Carnoët are called in French Cloharsiens.-References:** ;-External links:*...
. A few dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s were erected in Quimperlé itself, although there is no trace of an actual settlement in the prehistoric times.
A first settlement was built in the Middle Ages, called Villa Anaurot, after a 5th century British prince, but it is thought to have been destroyed by the Normans in 868.
A new town called Quimperlé grew around the abbey of Sainte Croix, which was founded in the 12th century. The Romanesque basilica from the abbey can still be seen. The church of St Michel was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and its impressive tower dominates the town from its hilltop position.
Breton language
- The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhonegYa d'ar brezhonegYa 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 December 18, 2008. - In 2008, 3.17% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.