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{{Short description|Cultural area in northwestern France}}
{{About|the cultural region in the northwest of France|the current French administrative region|Brittany (administrative region)|the given name|Brittany (name)|other uses|Brittany (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info ---------------->| name = Brittany <!-- at least one of the first two fields must be filled in -->
| official_name =
| other_name =
| native_name = {{native name|br|Breizh}}<br />{{native name|fr|Bretagne}}<br />{{native name|mis|paren=no|Bertaèyn/Bertègn}} ([[Gallo language|Gallo]])<!-- if different from the English name -->
| nickname =
| settlement_type = [[Historical region|Historical province]]
| total_type = <!-- to set a non-standard label for total area and population rows -->
| motto = None (''[[de jure]]'')<br />''Historical:'' ''Kentoc'h mervel eget bezañ saotret''<br />''Rather death than dishonour'' ([[de facto]])
| anthem = "[[Bro Gozh ma Zadoù]]"<br />{{center|[[File:Hen_Wlad_fy_Nhadau_piano.ogg]]}}
<!-- images and maps ----------->| image_skyline = Satellite picture of Brittany - NASA, 2002.jpg
| image_caption =
| image_flag = Flag_of_Brittany_ (Gwenn ha du).svg
| flag_size =
| image_seal =
| seal_size =
| image_shield = BlasonBretagne.svg
| shield_size = 75px
| blank_emblem_type =
| image_map = Localisation Duché de Bretagne.svg|
| pushpin_map = <!-- the name of a ___location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
| pushpin_map_caption =
| pushpin_mapsize = <!-- Location ------------------>
| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name = [[France]]
| subdivision_type1 =
| subdivision_name1 =
| subdivision_type2 =
| subdivision_name2 = <!-- | Demonym = [[Bretons]] ------------------>
<!-- Smaller parts (e.g. boroughs of a city) and seat of government -->| seat_type =
| seat =
| parts_type = Largest settlements
| parts_style = <!-- = list (for list), coll (for collapsed list), para (for paragraph format). Default is list if up to 5 items, coll if more than 5-->
| parts = <!-- parts text, or header for parts list -->
| p1 = [[Nantes]]
| p2 = [[Rennes]]
| p3 = [[Brest, France|Brest]]
| p4 = [[Saint-Nazaire]]
| p5 = [[Quimper]]
| p6 = [[Lorient]]
| p7 = [[Vannes]]
| p8 = [[Saint-Malo]]
| p9 = [[Saint-Brieuc]]
| p10 = [[Lannion]]
| p11 = <!-- etc. up to p40: for separate parts to be listed-->
<!-- Politics ----------------->| government_footnotes =
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| leader_title =
| leader_name = <!--add (no-break space) to leader names to disable automatic links-->
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =
| established_title = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date = <!-- Area --------------------->
| unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, to display imperial before metric-->
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 34023<!-- ALL fields with measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion-->
| area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on unit conversion-->
| area_water_km2 =
| area_total_sq_mi = 13136
| area_water_percent = <!-- Elevation -------------------------->
| elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use<ref>tags-->
| elevation_m =
| elevation_max_m =
| elevation_min_m = <!-- Population ----------------------->
| population_as_of = 2021
| population_footnotes =
| population_note =
| population_total = 4,829,968
| population_density_km2 = <!--For automatic calculation, any density field may contain: auto -->
| population_demonym = [[Bretons]]
<!-- General information --------------->| timezone = CET
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST = CEST
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| coor_type = <!-- can be used to specify what the coordinates refer to -->
| coordinates = {{Coord|48|00|N|3|00|W|region:FR_type:adm1st_source:kolossus-cawiki|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| postal_code =
| area_code =
| iso_code = FR-E
| footnotes =
}}
{{Infobox ethnonym|person= Breton (''[[wikt:Breizhad|Breizhad]]'') |people= [[Bretons]] (''Breizhiz'')|language= [[Breton language|Breton]] (''Brezhoneg'')|country= Brittany (''Breizh'')}}
'''Brittany''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|ɪ|t|ən|i}} {{respell|BRIT|ən|ee}}){{efn|{{langx|fr|link=no|Bretagne}}, {{IPA|fr|bʁətaɲ|pron|fr-Bretagne.ogg}}; {{langx|br|Breizh}}, {{IPA|br|bʁɛjs, bʁɛx|pron|Br-Breizh.flac}}{{dubious|Pronunciation in Doubt|date=August 2024}}; [[Gallo language|Gallo]]: ''Bertaèyn'' or ''Bertègn'', {{IPA|fr-gallo|bəʁtaɛɲ|pron}}<ref name="Walter">{{Cite book|title=L'aventure des langues en Occident: Leur origine, leur histoire, leur géographie|author=[[Henriette Walter]]|year=2013|publisher=Robert Laffont|page=113}}</ref>}} is a [[peninsula]], [[historical country]] and [[cultural area]] in the north-west of modern [[France]], covering the western part of what was known as [[Armorica]] in [[Roman Gaul]]. It became an [[Kingdom of Brittany|independent kingdom]] and then a [[Duchy of Brittany|duchy]] before being [[Union of Brittany and France|united]] with the [[Kingdom of France]] in 1532 as a [[provinces of France|province]] governed as a separate nation under the crown. Brittany is the traditional homeland of the [[Breton people]] and is one of the six [[Celtic nations]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Festival Interceltique de Lorient 2010 |trans-title=Interceltic Festival of Lorient 2010 |url=http://www.festival-interceltique.com/festival/nations-celtes.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612014247/http://www.festival-interceltique.com/festival/nations-celtes.cfm |archive-date=12 June 2011 |access-date=3 May 2011 |publisher=Festival Interceltique de Lorient}}</ref><ref name="Us.franceguide.com">{{cite web |url=http://us.franceguide.com/Cultural-Brittany.html?NodeID=1&EditoID=193027 |title=Official website of the French Government Tourist Office: Brittany |publisher=Us.franceguide.com |access-date=3 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711023017/http://us.franceguide.com/Cultural-Brittany.html?NodeID=1&EditoID=193027 |archive-date=11 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="The Celtic connection">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iKIWY4P9uFwC |title=The Celtic connection |date=30 March 1986 |access-date=3 May 2011|isbn=978-0-86140-248-9|last1=Price |first1=Glanville |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield }}</ref> retaining [[Culture of Brittany|a distinct cultural identity]] that reflects [[History of Brittany|its history]].
Brittany has also been referred to as '''Little Britain''' (as opposed to [[Great Britain]], with which it shares an etymology).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Payne |first1=Malcolm |author-link=Malcolm Payne |last2=Shardlow |first2=Steven |date=2002 |title=Social Work in the British Isles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rasBRQwwOIIC&pg=PA247 |___location=UK |publisher=[[Jessica Kingsley Publishers]] |page=247 |isbn=978-1-8530-2833-5}}</ref> It is bordered by the [[English Channel]] to the north, [[Normandy]] to the northeast, eastern [[Pays de la Loire]] to the southeast, the [[Bay of Biscay]] to the south, and the [[Celtic Sea]] and the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the west. Its land area is 34,023 km<sup>2</sup> {{nowrap|(13,136 sq mi)}}.
Brittany is the site of some of the world's oldest standing architecture, home to the [[Cairn of Barnenez]], the [[Tumulus Saint-Michel]] and others, which date to the early 5th millennium BC.<ref name="Saint-Michel tumulus">{{cite web|url=http://www.megalithes-morbihan.com/sites/saint-michel-tumulus.html|title=Saint-Michel tumulus|access-date=6 November 2014|website=www.megalithes-morbihan.com|archive-date=18 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518022723/http://www.megalithes-morbihan.com/sites/saint-michel-tumulus.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/galleries/The-worlds-10-oldest-ruins/ruinsu-barnenez-c1/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/galleries/The-worlds-10-oldest-ruins/ruinsu-barnenez-c1/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The world's 10 oldest ruins|access-date=29 June 2016 |work=The Telegraph|date=4 February 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Today, the historical province of Brittany is split among five French departments: [[Finistère]] in the west, [[Côtes-d'Armor]] in the north, [[Ille-et-Vilaine]] in the northeast, [[Morbihan]] in the south and [[Loire-Atlantique]] in the southeast. [[Loire-Atlantique]] now belongs to the [[Pays de la Loire]] region while the other four departments make up the [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany region]].
At the 2010 census, the population of historic Brittany was estimated to be 4,475,295. In 2017, the largest metropolitan areas were [[Nantes]] (934,165 inhabitants), [[Rennes]] (733,320 inhabitants), and [[Brest, France|Brest]] (321,364 inhabitants).<ref>{{cite web |title=Tableaux de l'économie française, Édition 2020, Villes et communes de France |trans-title=Tables of the French Economy, 2020 Edition, Cities and Communes of France |url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4277602?sommaire=4318291 |access-date=11 December 2020 |publisher=INSEE}}</ref>
[[Breton nationalism|A nationalist movement]] seeks greater autonomy within the French Republic, or independence from it.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Sharif Gemie|title=Brittany 1750–1950 – The Invisible Nation|publisher=University of Wales Press|year=2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Why Independence ?|url=http://emgann.chez.com/lang/anglais.htm|access-date=16 February 2022|website=emgann.chez.com}}</ref> The [[reunification of Brittany]] is supported by half of the inhabitants of Brittany and of Loire-Atlantique, and is considered a prerequisite to further autonomy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=La moitié des habitants de la Bretagne à 5 favorable à un rattachement de la Loire-Atlantique |trans-title=Half of the inhabitants of the 5 Breton departments in favour of integrating Loire-Atlantique |url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https://www.letelegramme.fr/static/ftp/dossier/data/bretagne_sondage/sondage.html#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url |access-date=2023-10-18 |website=archive.wikiwix.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-04-09 |title=Brittany lays claim to autonomy, in Corsica's footsteps |work=Le Monde.fr |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2022/04/09/brittany-lays-claim-to-autonomy-in-corsica-s-footsteps_5980128_7.html |access-date=2023-10-18}}</ref>
==Etymology==
The word ''Brittany'', along with its [[French language|French]], [[Breton language|Breton]] and [[Gallo language|Gallo]] equivalents {{lang|fr|Bretagne}}, {{lang|br|Breizh}} and {{lang|mis|Bertaèyn}}, derive from the [[Latin]] ''[[Britannia]]'', which means "land of the [[Britons (Celtic people)|Britons]]". This word had been used by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] since the 1st century to refer to Great Britain, and more specifically the [[Roman province of Britain]]. This word derives from a [[Ancient Greek language|Greek]] word, Πρεττανική (Prettanikḗ) or Βρεττανίαι (Brettaníai), used by [[Pytheas]], an explorer from [[Massalia]] who visited the [[British Isles]] around 320 BC. The Greek word itself comes from the common Brythonic ethnonym reconstructed as {{lang|mis|*Pritanī}}, itself from Proto-Celtic {{lang|cel-x-proto|*kʷritanoi}} (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European {{wikt-lang|ine-x-proto|*kʷer-}} 'to cut, make').
In Roman times, ''[[Armorica]]'' included what is now Brittany. This was an indefinite region that extended along the [[English Channel]] coast from the [[Seine]] estuary, then along the Atlantic coast to the [[Loire]] estuary and, according to several sources, maybe to the [[Garonne]] estuary. This term probably comes from a [[Gallic language|Gallic]] word, ''aremorica'', which means "close to the sea".<ref>{{Cite book|author=Pierre-Yves Lambert|title=La Langue Gauloise|year=1997|page=34}}</ref> Another name, ''Letauia'' (in English "[[Litavis]]"), was used until the 12th century. It possibly means "wide and flat" or "to expand" and it gave the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] name for Brittany: ''Llydaw''.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Léon Fleuriot|title=Les Origines de la Bretagne|publisher=Payot|year=1980|pages=53–54}}</ref>
After the [[fall of the Western Roman Empire|fall]] of the [[Western Roman Empire]], many [[Cornish people|Cornish]] Britons settled in western Armorica to [[Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain|escape the Saxons]] and the region started to be called ''Britannia'', although this name only replaced ''Armorica'' in the sixth century or perhaps by the end of the fifth.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Léon Fleuriot|title=Les Origines de la Bretagne|pages=52–53|publisher=Payot|year= 1980}}</ref>
Breton-speaking people may pronounce the word ''Breizh'' in two different ways, according to their region of origin. Breton can be divided into two main dialects: the ''KLT'' ([[Cornouaille|Kerne]]-Leon-[[Trégor]]) and the dialect of [[Vannes]]. KLT speakers pronounce it {{IPA|br|brɛjs|}} and would write it ''Breiz'', while the Vannetais speakers pronounce it {{IPA|br|brɛχ|}} and would write it ''Breih''. The official spelling is a compromise between both variants, with a ''z'' and an ''h'' together. In 1941, efforts to unify the dialects led to the creation of the so-called ''Breton zh'', a standard which has never been widely accepted.<ref name="Walter"/> 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 written ''Bertaèyn'' in ''ELG'' script, or ''Bertègn'' in ''MOGA'', and a couple of other scripts also exist.<ref>{{cite web |author=Fabien Lecuyer |date=23 April 2013 |title=Bertaèyn Galeizz change de nom. Un évènement pas si anodin. |trans-title=Bertaèyn Galeizz changes its name. An event not so trivial. |url=http://7seizh.info/2013/04/23/bertaeyn-galeizz-change-de-nom-un-evenement-pas-si-anodin/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907055637/http://7seizh.info/2013/04/23/bertaeyn-galeizz-change-de-nom-un-evenement-pas-si-anodin/ |archive-date=7 September 2014 |access-date=25 April 2014 |publisher=7seizh}}</ref>
==History==
{{main|History of Brittany}}
===Prehistoric origins===
[[File:4735.1099 Menhire,bis zu 4 Meter hoch,von OstnachWest in 1167 Meter Langen Alignements(Granit-Steinreihen) in einem Halbkreis endend Le Ménec,Carnac ,Departement Morbihan,Bretagne Steffen Heilfort.JPG|thumb|The [[Carnac stones]]]]
Brittany has been inhabited by humans since the [[Lower Palaeolithic]]. This population was scarce and very similar to the other [[Neanderthal]]s found in the whole of Western Europe. Their only original feature was a distinct culture, called "Colombanian".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Le " Colombanien ": un faciès régional du Paléolithique inférieur sur le littoral armoricano-atlantique|author=Nathalie Molines and Jean-Laurent Monnier|publisher=Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française|year=1993|page=284|volume=90|issue=4}}</ref> One of the oldest [[hearth]]s in the world has been found in [[Plouhinec, Finistère]].
[[Homo sapiens]] settled in Brittany around 35,000 years ago. They replaced or absorbed the Neanderthals and developed local [[archaeological industry|industries]], similar to the [[Châtelperronian]] or to the [[Magdalenian]]. After the [[last 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 the [[5th millennium BC]] by migrants from the south and east. However, the [[Neolithic Revolution]] in Brittany did not happen due to a radical change of population, but by slow immigration and exchange of skills.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Thomas|first=Julian|date=1 December 2004|title=Current debates on the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Britain and Ireland|journal=Documenta Praehistorica|volume=31|pages=<!-- 113–130 -->|at=p. 117|doi=10.4312/dp.31.8|issn=1854-2492|doi-access=free}}</ref>
Neolithic Brittany is characterised by important [[megalithic architectural elements|megalithic production]] and sites such as [[Quelfénnec]], it is sometimes designated as the "core area" of megalithic culture.<ref>Mark Patton, ''Statements in Stone: Monuments and Society in Neolithic Brittany'', Routledge, 1993, p.1</ref> The oldest monuments, [[cairn]]s, were followed by princely tombs and [[stone row]]s. The [[Morbihan]] ''[[département]]'', on the southern coast, comprises a large share of these structures, including the [[Carnac stones]] and the Broken Menhir of Er Grah in the [[Locmariaquer megaliths]], the largest single stone erected by Neolithic people.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
===Gallic era===
[[File:Celtic_Tribes_in_Brittany.svg|thumb|right|The five Gallic tribes of Brittany]]
During the [[Protohistory|protohistorical period]], Brittany was inhabited by five Celtic tribes:<ref name="VenceslasKruta">{{Cite book|author=Venceslas Kruta|title=Les Celtes, Histoire et Dictionnaire|page=427|publisher=Robert Laffont|year=2000|isbn=2-7028-6261-6}}</ref>
* The [[Curiosolitae]], who lived around the present town of [[Corseul]]. Their territory encompassed parts of [[Côtes-d'Armor]], Ille-et-Vilaine and [[Morbihan]] ''[[département]]s''.
* The [[Namnetes]], who lived in the current [[Loire-Atlantique]] ''[[département]]'' (in today's administrative ''région'' of [[Pays de la Loire]]), north of the [[Loire]]. They gave their name to the city of [[Nantes]]. The south bank of the river was occupied by an allied tribe, the Ambilatres,<ref>{{Cite book|author=Giot (P. R), Briard (J.) and Pape (L.)|title=Protohistoire de la Bretagne|publisher=Ouest-France Université|year=1995|page=370}}</ref> whose existence and territory remain unsure.<ref name="VenceslasKruta" />
* The [[Osismii]], who lived in the western part of Brittany. Their territory comprised the [[Finistère]] ''[[département]]'' and the western extremity of [[Côtes-d'Armor]] and [[Morbihan]].
* The [[Redones]] (or ''Rhedones''), who lived in the eastern part of the [[Ille-et-Vilaine]] ''[[département]]''. They gave their name to the city of [[Rennes]] ({{lang|br|Roazhon}} in Breton language, in the center of the département) and to the town of [[Redon]] (in the south of the ''département'', bordering the ''département'' of [[Loire-Atlantique]] in the administrative ''région'' of [[Pays de la Loire]], where its suburb town of [[Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon]] is located; however the city of Redon was founded around AD 832 under the initial name of ''Riedones'', long after the ''Redones'' people were assimilated to Bretons; the cultural link between ''Riedones'' and the former ''Redones'' people is highly probable but difficult to recover and the name of ''Riedones'' may have been written from a local usage preserving the name of the former people in the vernacular oral language from a reading of an ancient Greek orthography).
* The [[Veneti (Gaul)|Veneti]], who lived in the present [[Morbihan]] ''[[département]]'' and gave their name to the city of [[Vannes]]. Despite confusion by the classical scholar [[Strabo]], they were unrelated to the [[Adriatic Veneti]].
Those people had strong economic ties to the [[Insular Celts]], especially for the [[tin]] trade {{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}. Several tribes also belonged to an "Armorican [[confederation]]" which, according to [[Julius Caesar]], gathered the [[Curiosolitae]], the [[Redones]], the [[Osismii]], the [[Unelli]], the [[Caletes]], the [[Lemovices]] and the Ambibarii.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Commentarii de Bello Gallico|author=Julius Caesar|page=75|section=VII}}</ref> The Unelli, Caletes, and Lemovices were respectively located in [[Cotentin]] (Lower-Normandy), [[pays de Caux]] (Upper-Normandy), and [[Limousin]] (Aquitaine); the ___location of the Ambibarii is unknown. The Caletes are sometimes also considered Belgians, and ''Lemovices'' is probably a mistake for ''[[Lexovii]]'' (Lower-Normandy).{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
===Gallo-Roman era===
{{main|Armorica}}
[[File:Corseul - Temple de Mars 03.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|The temple of Mars in [[Corseul]]]]
During the [[Gallic Wars]], the [[Veneti (Gaul)|Veneti]] were defeated in the [[Battle of Morbihan]] off the coast of Brittany. At the conclusion of the Gallic Wars, the region became part of the [[Roman Republic]] in 51 BC. It was included in the province of [[Gallia Lugdunensis]] in 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 local [[civitates]]. They all had a [[grid plan]] and a [[forum (Roman)|forum]], and sometimes a temple, a [[basilica]], [[thermae]] or an [[Aqueduct (water supply)|aqueduct]], like [[Carhaix]].
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 proper [[villae 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.<ref name="roman">{{cite web|url=http://www2.ac-rennes.fr/cst/doc/dossiers/archeo/archeo/classique.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040531074132/http://www2.ac-rennes.fr/cst/doc/Dossiers/archeo/archeo/classique.htm|archive-date=31 May 2004|title=Archéologie classique|editor=Université de Rennes II|access-date=26 February 2013}}</ref>
During the 3rd century AD, the region was attacked several times by [[Franks]], [[Alamanni]] and 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, like [[Nantes]], [[Rennes]] and [[Vannes]].<ref name="roman"/>
This area was also affected by the [[Bagaudae]] (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.
[[File:France Pays bretons map.svg|left|upright=1.35|thumb|A [[French language|French]] map of the traditional regions of Brittany in [[Kingdom of France|Ancien Régime France]]. The earlier state of [[Domnonia]] or [[Domnonée]] that united Brittany comprised the counties along the north coast]]
===Immigration of the Britons===
Toward the end of the 4th century, the [[Britons (historical)|Britons]] of [[Domnonée]] (modern [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]]) on the [[South West Peninsula|South-Western peninsula of Great Britain]] began to emigrate to [[Armorica]],<ref>Leon Fleuriot's primarily linguistic researches in Les Origines de la Bretagne, emphasizes instead the broader influx of Britons into Roman Gaul that preceded the fifth-century collapse of Roman power.</ref><ref>Procopius, in History of the Wars, viii, 20, 6–14.</ref> which is why the Breton language is more closely related to recorded Cornish.
====The Romano-Britons====
The history behind such an establishment is unclear, but medieval Breton, Angevin and Welsh sources connect it to a figure known as [[Conan Meriadoc]]. Welsh literary sources assert that Conan came to Armorica on the orders of the Roman usurper [[Magnus Maximus]],{{efn| Magnus Maximus was a native of [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] in [[Spain]], being born on the estate of [[Count Theodosius]].}} 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 soldier{{efn|Presumably this soldier was in the employ of [[Gratian]].}} expelled from Lower Brittany by Conan on Magnus's orders.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
====Battle of the Catalaunian Plains====
The army recruited for [[Flavius Aetius]] to combat [[Attila the Hun]] at the [[Battle of the Catalaunian Plains]] included 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.
====Riothamus====
The late 5th century Brittonic leader [[Riothamus]] received correspondence from the eminent Roman jurist [[Sidonius Apollinaris]] and was called "King of the Britons" by [[Jordanes]]. 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 King [[Euric]] of the Visigoths at [[Déols]] around the year 470.
In response to a plea from the Roman Emperor [[Anthemius]], Riothamus had led twelve thousand men to establish a military presence in [[Bourges]] in central Gaul, but was betrayed by [[Arvandus]], the Praetorian Prefect of Gaul, and subsequently ambushed by Euric's army.{{efn|The Visigoths' version of events was that they had saved the Roman empire from a British invasion.}} After a long battle, the Armorican survivors escaped to [[Avallon]] in [[Burgundy]], after which they are lost to history. According to Breton king-lists, Riotham survived and reigned as Prince of [[Domnonia]] until his death sometime between 500 and 520, though this may have been a different person.
====Additional waves of Britons====
Brythonic (British Celtic) settlement increased during the [[Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain]] in the 5th and 6th centuries to seek refuge from the Anglo-Saxon invaders. It is from this event that Brittany derives its name.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=The Encyclopaedia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Brittany-region-France/History |title=Brittany}}{{blockquote|After the Romans withdrew, Celts from Britain moved into the area to seek refuge from the Anglo-Saxon invaders of the 5th and 6th centuries. It is from this event that Brittany derives its name.}}</ref> [[File:Britonia6hcentury.png|thumb|left|The [[Brythonic languages|Brythonic]] community around the 6th century. The sea was a communication medium rather than a barrier.]]
Scholars such as [[Léon Fleuriot]] have suggested a two-wave model of migration from Britain which saw the emergence of an independent Breton people and established the dominance of the [[Brittonic languages|Brythonic]] [[Breton language]] in Armorica.<ref>[[Léon Fleuriot]], ''Les origines de la Bretagne: l'émigration'', Paris, Payot, 1980.</ref> Their [[petty kingdom]]s are now known by the names of the counties that succeeded them—[[Domnonée]] ([[Devon]]), [[Cornouaille]] ([[Cornwall]]), [[Viscounty of Léon|Léon]] ([[Caerleon]]); but these names in Breton and [[Latin]] are in most cases identical to their British homelands. (In Breton and French, however, [[Gwened (kingdom)|Gwened]] or [[Pays Vannetais|Vannetais]] continued the name of the indigenous [[Veneti (Gauls)|Veneti]].) Although the details remain confused, these colonies consisted of related and intermarried dynasties which repeatedly unified (as by the 7th-century [[Saint Judicaël]]) before splintering again according to Celtic inheritance practices.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
===Middle Ages===
====The Kingdom of Brittany====
{{Main|Kingdom of Brittany}}
[[File:Nominoe triumphant.jpg|thumb|upright|A 1922 nationalist engraving of [[Nominoe]], first king of Brittany]]
[[File:Battle of La Roche-Derrien.jpg|thumb|[[Battle of La Roche-Derrien|Battle of Ar Roc'h-Derrien]] during the [[War of the Breton Succession]]]]
At the beginning of the medieval era, Brittany was divided among three kingdoms, [[Domnonée|Domnonea]], [[Cornouaille]] and [[Broërec]]. These realms eventually merged into a single state during the 9th century.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Christian Y. M. Kerboul|title=Les Royaumes brittoniques au très haut Moyen Âge|year=1997|pages=80–143|publisher=Éditions du Pontig/Coop Breizh|isbn=2-9510310-3-3}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite book|author=Joël Cornette|title=Histoire de la Bretagne et des Bretons|publisher=Seuil|year=2005|isbn=2-02-054890-9}}</ref> The unification of Brittany was carried out by [[Nominoe]], king between 845 and 851 and considered as the Breton ''[[Pater Patriae]]''.<ref>Smith, Julia M. H. ''Province and Empire: Brittany and the Carolingians'', Cambridge University Press, 1992, pp. 80–83.</ref> Among the immigrant Britons, there were some clergymen who helped the [[evangelisation]] of the region, which was still pagan, particularly in rural areas.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
His son [[Erispoe]] secured the independence of the new kingdom of Brittany and won the [[Battle of Jengland]] against [[Charles the Bald]]. The Bretons won another war in 867, and the kingdom reached then its maximum extent: It received parts of [[Normandy]], [[Maine (province of France)|Maine]] and [[County of Anjou|Anjou]] and the [[Channel Islands]].
====Viking occupation====
Brittany was heavily attacked by the [[Vikings]] at the beginning of the 10th century. The kingdom lost its eastern territories, including [[Normandy]] and [[County of Anjou|Anjou]], and the county of [[Nantes]] was given to [[Fulk I of Anjou]] in 909. Nantes was seized by the Vikings in 914. At this time Brittany was also called Lydwiccum.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Stephen M. |date=January 2014 |title=Óttar's Story – A Dublin Viking in Brittany, England and Ireland, A.D. 902–918 |url=https://www.academia.edu/9155941 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=/www.academia.edu}}</ref>
====Duchy of Brittany====
{{Main|Duchy of Brittany}}
Nantes was eventually liberated by [[Alan II of Brittany]] in 937 with the support of his godbrother King [[Æthelstan]] of England.
Alan II totally expelled the Vikings from Brittany and recreated a strong Breton state. For aiding in removing the problem, Alan paid homage to [[Louis 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.
====Norman allies====
Several Breton lords helped [[William the Conqueror]] to 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 cousin [[Alan Rufus]] and the latter's brother [[Brian of Brittany]]). The Bretons helped to liberate the Cornish, replacing Anglo-Saxon land owners. Some of these lords were powerful rivals.
====Internal disputes====
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 replaced [[Latin]] with French as its official language in the 13th century, 300 years before France did so, and the [[Breton language]] did not have formal status.
The [[foreign policy]] of 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.
The [[Breton War of Succession]], a local episode of the [[Hundred Years' War]], saw the House of [[Blois]], backed by the French, fighting with the House of [[Montfort of Brittany|Montfort]], 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 become [[Arthur III, Duke of Brittany]]) and his nephew [[Peter II, Duke of Brittany]] playing key roles on the French side during the deciding stages of the war (including the battles of [[Battle of Patay|Patay]], [[Battle of Formigny|Formigny]] and [[Battle of Castillon|Castillon]] and the [[Treaty of Arras (1435)|Treaty of Arras]]).
Brittany importantly lost the [[Mad War]] against France in 1488, mostly because of its internal divisions that were exacerbated by the corruption at the court of [[Francis II, Duke of Brittany]]. Indeed, some rebel Breton lords were fighting on the French side.
===Union with the French Crown and modern period===
{{main|Union of Brittany and France}}
[[File:Anne de bretagne.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Anne of Brittany]] is regarded in Brittany as a conscientious ruler who defended the duchy against France.]]
As a result of the [[Mad War]], the Duke [[Francis II of Brittany|Francis II]] could not have his daughter [[Anne of Brittany|Anne]] married without the king of France's consent. Nonetheless, she married the [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Holy Roman Emperor]] in 1490, leading to a crisis with France. [[Charles VIII of France]] besieged [[Rennes]] and had the marriage cancelled. He eventually married [[Anne of Brittany|Anne]]. After he died childless, Anne had to marry his heir and cousin [[Louis XII]]. Anne unsuccessfully tried to preserve Breton independence, but she died in 1514, and the union between the two crowns was formally carried out by [[Francis I of France|Francis I]] in 1532. He granted several privileges to Brittany, such as exemption from the [[gabelle]], a tax on salt that was very unpopular in France.<ref>Constance De La Warr, ''A Twice Crowned Queen: Anne of Brittany'', Peter Owen, 2005</ref> Under the [[Ancien Régime]], Brittany and France were governed as separate countries but under the same crown, so Breton aristocrats in the French [[royal court]] were classed as {{lang|fr|[[Princes étrangers]]}} (foreign princes).
From the 15th to the 18th century, Brittany reached an economic golden age.{{efn|Brittany was proverbially wealthy throughout much of its history: it prospered from trade before and during Roman rule, mid-ninth century legal documents reveal peasant landowners suing lords for trespass. The [[House of Penthièvre]] was wealthy, Breton dowries raised impoverished nobles such as [[Jean II de Brosse]] to riches, and Duchess Anne's fortune contributed to the [[French Renaissance]], to palaces such as [[Palace of Fontainebleau|Fontainebleau]] and to the [[Châteaux of the Loire Valley]]}} The region was located on the seaways near Spain, England and the [[Dutch Republic]] and it greatly benefited from the creation of the [[French colonial empire]]. Local seaports like [[Brest, France|Brest]] and [[Saint-Brieuc]] quickly expanded, and [[Lorient]], first spelt "L'Orient", was founded in the 17th century. [[Saint-Malo]] was then known for its [[French corsairs|corsairs]], Brest was a major base for the French Navy and [[Nantes]] flourished with the [[Atlantic slave trade]]. On its side, the inland provided [[hemp]] ropes and canvas and [[linen]] sheets. 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 Britain during the 18th century resulted in British blockades which weakened the Breton economy, leading it to go into recession.
====The centralisation problem====
Two significant revolts occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries: the [[Revolt of the papier timbré]] (1675) and the [[Pontcallec conspiracy]] (1719). Both arose from attempts to resist centralisation and assert Breton constitutional exceptions to tax.<ref>Joël Cornette, Le marquis et le Régent. Une conspiration bretonne à l'aube des Lumières, Paris, Tallandier, 2008.</ref>
====Breton exodus====
Many Bretons crossed the Atlantic to support the [[American War of Independence]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Breton American History|url=http://www.breizh-amerika.com/breton-american-history.html|access-date=26 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226113452/http://www.breizh-amerika.com/breton-american-history.html|archive-date=26 February 2015}}</ref> These included naval officers such as [[Armand de Kersaint]] and soldiers such as [[Charles Armand Tuffin, marquis de la Rouërie]].
===The French Revolution of 1789 – Division of Brittany into five departments===
[[File:Bretagne - Brittany.jpg|left|thumb|350x350px|Province of Brittany (1789) – showing internal borders of five new departments: Côtes-du-Nord (now [[Côtes-d'Armor]]), [[Finistère]], [[Ille-et-Vilaine]], Loire-Inférieure (now [[Loire-Atlantique]]) and [[Morbihan]].]]
The Duchy was legally abolished with the [[French Revolution]] that began in 1789 – and in 1790 the province of Brittany was divided into five [[Departments of France|departments]]: Côtes-du-Nord (later [[Côtes-d'Armor]]), [[Finistère]], [[Ille-et-Vilaine]], Loire-Inférieure (later [[Loire-Atlantique]]) and [[Morbihan]]. Brittany essentially lost all its special privileges that existed under the Duchy. Three years later, the area became a centre of [[royalist]] and Catholic resistance to the Revolution during the [[Chouannerie]].
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. [[Nantes]] specialised in [[shipbuilding]] and food processing (sugar, exotic fruits and vegetables, fish, etc.), [[Fougères]] in glass and shoe production, and [[metallurgy]] was practised in small towns such as [[Châteaubriant]] and [[Inzinzac-Lochrist|Lochrist]], known for its [[labour movement]]s.[[File:Révolte Fouesnant.jpg|thumb|The mutineers of [[Fouesnant]] arrested by the National Guard of [[Quimper]] in 1792]]
The region remained deeply Catholic, and during the [[Second French Empire|Second 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 at [[Camp Conlie]] during the [[Franco-Prussian War]] because of fears that they were a threat to the Republic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rennes.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/Telechargements/rennais/rn382/histoire.pdf |title=Rennes, guide histoire|access-date=3 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718175622/http://www.rennes.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/Telechargements/rennais/rn382/histoire.pdf |archive-date=18 July 2011 }}</ref>
[[File:RAF attack Saint Malo 31 Jul 1942.jpg|thumb|A [[Royal Air Force]] attack on [[Saint-Malo]] in 1942]]
During the 19th century, the [[Breton language]] started to decline precipitously, mainly because of the [[Francization]] policy conducted under the [[Third French Republic|Third Republic]]. On one hand, children [[Vergonha|were 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").<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h99nAAAAMAAJ |title=Annales de Bretagne et des pays de l'ouest, (Anjou, Maine, Poitou, Touraine) |publisher=Université d'Angers |year=1976 |trans-title=Annals of Brittany and the Western Regions (Anjou, Maine, Poitou, Touraine)}}</ref>
[[File:Amoco Cadiz 1 edit1.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Amoco Cadiz oil spill]] in 1978 significantly affected the Breton coast]]
At the same time, the [[Celtic Revival]] led to the foundation of the [[Breton Regionalist Union]] (URB) and later to independence movements linked to Irish, Welsh, and Scottish and Cornish independence parties in the UK, and to [[pan-Celticism]]. However, the audience of these movements remained very low and their ideas did not reach a large public until the 20th century. The [[Seiz Breur]] movement, created in 1923, permitted a Breton artistic revival<ref>J. R. Rotté, ''[[Ar Seiz Breur]]. Recherches et réalisations pour un art Breton moderne, 1923–1947'', 1987.</ref> but its ties with [[Nazism]] and the [[collaborationism]] of the [[Breton National Party]] during World War II weakened Breton nationalism in the post-war period.
Brittany lost 240,000 men during the [[First World War]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Une histoire de la Bretagne|author=Jean Markale and Patrice Pellerin|publisher=Éditions Ouest France|year=1994|isbn=2-7373-1516-6|page=46}}</ref> The [[Second World War]] was also catastrophic for the region. It was invaded by [[Nazi Germany]] in 1940 and freed after [[Operation Cobra]] in August 1944. However, the areas around [[Saint-Nazaire]] and [[Lorient]] only 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, like [[Brest, France|Brest]] and [[Saint-Malo]], and other towns, such as [[Nantes]] and [[Rennes]], had also suffered.
In 1956, Brittany was legally reconstituted as the [[Region of Brittany]], although the region excluded the ducal capital of [[Nantes]] and the [[Loire-Atlantique|surrounding 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 the [[Amoco Cadiz oil spill]] or the [[MV Erika|Erika oil spill]] and water pollution from intensive pig farming favoured new movements to protect the natural heritage.
==Government and politics==
{{See also|Politics of Brittany|Politics of France}}
===Traditional subdivisions===
Brittany as a political entity disappeared in 1790, when it was divided into five [[département]]s. The Breton départements more or less correspond to the nine Catholic [[diocese]]s that appeared at the beginning of the Middle Ages. They were often called "pays" or "bro" ("country" in French and [[Breton language|Breton]]) and they also served as fiscal and military districts.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Mikael Bodlore-Penlaez and Divi Kervella|title=Atlas de Bretagne – Atlas Breizh|publisher=Coop Breizh|year=2011|isbn=978-2-84346-496-6|page=100}}</ref> Brittany is also divided between ''[[Lower Brittany]]'' ("Basse Bretagne" and "Breizh Izel"), corresponding to the western half, where [[Breton language|Breton]] is traditionally spoken, and ''[[Upper Brittany]]'' ("Haute Bretagne" and "Breizh Uhel"), corresponding to the eastern half, where [[Gallo language|Gallo]] is traditionally spoken. The historical Breton dioceses were:
*[[Upper Brittany]]:
**The ''Pays nantais'', around [[Nantes]], corresponding to the [[Loire-Atlantique]] ''département''.
**The ''Pays rennais'', around [[Rennes]], forming part of the [[Ille-et-Vilaine]] ''département''.
**The ''Pays de Dol'', around [[Dol-de-Bretagne]], corresponding to the northern part of the [[Ille-et-Vilaine]] ''département''.
**The ''Pays de Saint-Brieuc'', around [[Saint-Brieuc]], forming part of the [[Côtes-d'Armor]] ''département''.
**The ''Pays de Saint-Malo'', around [[Saint-Malo]], divided between [[Ille-et-Vilaine]], Côtes-d'Armor and [[Morbihan]].
*[[Lower Brittany]]:
**The ''Pays vannetais'', around [[Vannes]], corresponding to the [[Morbihan]] ''département''.
**The ''Cornouaille'', around [[Quimper]], divided between [[Finistère]] and [[Côtes-d'Armor]].
**The ''Léon'', around [[Saint-Pol-de-Léon]], corresponding to the northern part of the [[Finistère]] ''département''.
**The ''Trégor'', around [[Tréguier]], forming part of the [[Côtes-d'Armor]] ''département''.
During the [[French Revolution]], four dioceses were suppressed and the five remaining ones were modified to have the same administrative borders as the [[département]]s.
===Capital cities===
[[File:Château de Nantes 3.jpg|thumb|The [[Château des ducs de Bretagne]] in [[Nantes]], permanent residence of the last dukes]]
Brittany has several historical capital cities. When it was an independent duchy, the [[Estates of Brittany]], which can be compared to a parliament, met in various towns: [[Dinan]], [[Ploërmel]], [[Redon]], [[Rennes]], [[Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine|Vitré]], [[Guérande]], and, most of all, [[Vannes]], where they met 19 times, and [[Nantes]], 17 times. The Court and the government were also very mobile, and each dynasty favoured its own castles and estates. The dukes mostly lived in [[Nantes]], [[Vannes]], [[Redon]], [[Rennes]], [[Fougères]], [[Dol-de-Bretagne]], [[Dinan]] and [[Guérande]]. All these towns except Vannes and Guérande are located in [[Upper Brittany]], thus not in the Breton speaking area.
Among all these towns, only [[Nantes]], [[Rennes]] and [[Vannes]], 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. The [[Château des ducs de Bretagne]] still stands in the city centre. Nowadays, [[Rennes]] is the only official capital of the [[region of Brittany]]. It is also the seat of an [[ecclesiastical province]] encompassing Brittany and the [[Pays de la Loire]] region.
===Present subdivisions===
{{see also|Brittany (administrative region)|Loire-Atlantique|Administrative divisions of France}}
[[File:Bretagne historique 2.png|thumb|The [[Brittany (administrative region)|region Brittany]] comprises four historical Breton ''départements''. [[Loire-Atlantique]], in light blue, is part of the [[Pays de la Loire]] region.]]
During the [[French Revolution]], Brittany was divided into five ''[[département]]s'', each made up of three or four ''[[arrondissements of France|arrondissements]]''. The arrondissements are further divided in [[cantons of France|cantons]], which are themselves made up of one or several [[communes of France|communes]]. 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 an [[electoral]] district for the election of the département councils and arrondissements are run by a subprefect appointed by the [[French 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. [[Nantes]] and its ''département'', [[Loire-Atlantique]], raised concerns because they were off-centered, more integrated with the [[Loire Valley]] than with the Breton peninsula. The French government and local politicians also feared that [[Nantes]], because of its population and its former Breton capital status, would have maintained a harmful competition with [[Rennes]] to 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, and [[Loire-Atlantique]] formed the [[Pays de la Loire]] region together with parts of [[Duchy of Anjou|Anjou]], [[Maine (province of France)|Maine]] and [[Poitou]]. In 1972, the regions received their present competencies, with an elected regional council. Since then, the [[region of Brittany]] has had its own [[Regional Council of Brittany|council]] and administrative bodies.
===Reunification===
{{Main|Reunification of Brittany}}
[[File:Bienvenue en Bretagne historique.jpg|thumb|This [[Loire-Atlantique]] road sign reads "welcome to historical Brittany".]]
When the [[region of Brittany]] was created, several local politicians opposed the exclusion of [[Loire-Atlantique]], and the question still remains.
The obstacles to reunification are the same as in 1956: having [[Nantes]] in Brittany could harm the position of [[Rennes]] and create an economic imbalance between [[Lower Brittany|Lower]] and [[Upper Brittany]]. Moreover, the [[Pays de la Loire]] region could not exist without [[Loire-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 the [[Centre-Val de Loire]] and [[Nouvelle-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 like [[Jean-Marc Ayrault]], the former French prime minister and former [[Mayor (France)|mayor]] of [[Nantes]], favour instead the creation of a "Greater West region", which would encompass Brittany and the [[Pays de la Loire]] region. Polls show that 58% of the Bretons and 62% of the inhabitants in [[Loire-Atlantique]] favour the reunification.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Daniel |first=Emmanuel |date=2011-12-20 |title=Bretagne, la guerre des frontières |trans-title=Brittany, the Border War |url=https://www.slate.fr/story/47615/bretagne-nantes-guerre-frontieres |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Slate.fr |language=fr-FR}}</ref>
===Political tendencies===
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 around [[Saint-Nazaire]] and [[Lorient]] and the surroundings of [[Tréguier]] are traditional Socialist and Communist strongholds. Left-wing parties, mainly the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist party]] and [[the Greens (France)|the Greens]], have become more powerful after the 1970s and they have formed a majority in the [[Regional Council of Brittany]] since 2004. The [[Loire-Atlantique]] and [[Ille-et-Vilaine]] councils have also been held by the left since 2004.
The Socialist party has held the [[Côtes-d'Armor]] council since 1976, and the [[Finistère]] council since 1998. On its side, [[Morbihan]] remains a right-wing stronghold. The local parties have a very small audience, except the [[Union Démocratique Bretonne]] which 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.<ref>{{cite news |author=Martin Untersinger |date=4 April 2012 |title=La Bretagne, terre de résistance à l'extrême droite |trans-title=Brittany, a land of resistance to the far right. |url=http://www.rue89.com/2012/04/04/la-bretagne-terre-de-resistance-lextreme-droite-230769 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406235726/http://www.rue89.com/2012/04/04/la-bretagne-terre-de-resistance-lextreme-droite-230769 |archive-date=2012-04-06 |work=Rue89}}</ref>
==Geography and natural history==
[[File:Bretagne Cote granit rose 01.jpg|thumb|The [[Côte de Granit Rose|Pink Granite Coast]] around [[Trégastel]]]]
Brittany is the largest French [[peninsula]]. It is around {{convert|34030|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and stretches toward the northwest and the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered to the north by the [[English Channel]], to the south by the [[Bay of Biscay]] and the waters located between the western coast and [[Ushant]] Island form the [[Iroise Sea]].
The Breton coast is very indented, with many cliffs, [[ria]]s and [[Cape (geography)|cape]]s. The [[Gulf of Morbihan]] is a vast [[natural harbour]] with some forty islands that is almost a closed sea. In total, around 800 islands lie off the mainland; the largest being [[Belle Île]], in the south. Brittany has over {{convert|2860|km|mi|abbr=on}} of coastline; it represents a third of the total French coastline.
The region is generally hilly because it corresponds to the western end of the [[Armorican Massif]], a very old range that also extends in [[Normandy]] and the [[Pays de la Loire]] region. Because of this continuity, the Breton border with the rest of France is not marked by any strong geographical landmark, apart from the river [[Couesnon]], which separates Brittany from [[Normandy]].
[[File:L'ELLez près de sa source.jpg|thumb|left|A [[bog]] around the [[Monts d'Arrée]]]]
The Armorican Massif reaches its maximum elevation outside of Brittany, in neighbouring [[Mayenne]], at 417 m, and slopes towards the west before straightening on its western extremity, with the [[Montagnes Noires]] and the [[Monts d'Arrée]]. The highest hill in Brittany is the ''Roc'h Ruz'' in the Monts d'Arrée, at {{convert|385|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It is closely followed by several neighbouring hills culminating at around 384 m above sea level.<ref>{{cite web |editor=Plouméour-Ménez |title=Le Roc'h RUZ, point culminant de la Bretagne |trans-title=Roc'h Ruz, the highest point in Brittany. |url=http://www.plouneour-menez.fr/fr/patrimoine-naturel.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612003008/http://www.plouneour-menez.fr/fr/patrimoine-naturel.php |archive-date=12 June 2013 |access-date=28 February 2013}}</ref>
Coastal areas are usually named ''Armor'' or ''Arvor'' ("by the sea" in Breton), and the inland is called ''Argoat'' ("by the forest"). The best soils were primitively covered by large forests which had been progressively replaced by [[bocage]] during the [[Middle 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 the [[Paimpont forest]], sometimes said to be the Arthurian [[Brocéliande]]. The poor and rocky areas are covered by large [[heathland]] and [[moorland]]s, and Brittany has several [[marsh]]es, like the [[Brière]], included in a [[regional natural park]]. Another regional park encompasses the [[Monts d'Arrée]] and the [[Iroise]] seacoast. The Iroise Sea is also a [[Man and the Biosphere Programme|UNESCO biosphere reserve]].
===Geology===
[[File:Bretagne Finistere PointeduRaz15119.jpg|thumb|The [[Pointe du Raz]], one of the westernmost extents of both Brittany and Metropolitan France]]
The Breton peninsula appeared during the [[Cadomian Orogeny]], which formed its northern coastline, between [[Guingamp]] and [[Fougères]]. The southern part emerged during the [[Hercynian orogeny]]. At the same time, an intense volcanic activity left large quantities of [[granite]]. Between the Cadomian and Hercynian periods, the region was submerged several times and the sea left [[fossil]]s and [[sedimentary rock]]s, mostly [[schist]] and [[sandstone]]. Because of the absence of [[limestone]], soils in Brittany are usually acid.
The [[Armorican massif]] straightened and flattened several times during the formation of the [[Pyrenees]] and the [[Alps]]. Changes in sea levels and climate led to a strong erosion and to the formation of more [[sedimentary rock]]s. [[Metamorphism]] is responsible for the distinctive local blue schist and for the rich [[subsoil]] of the [[Groix|Groix island]], which comprises [[glaucophane]] and [[epidote]].<ref name="geology">{{cite web|url=http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Sous-sol/Le-contexte-breton/Histoire-geologique|title=L'histoire géologique de la Bretagne|editor=Portail de l'information environnementale en Bretagne|author=Emmanuèle Savelli|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320132724/http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Sous-sol/Le-contexte-breton/Histoire-geologique|archive-date=20 March 2013}}</ref>
During the [[Quaternary]] glaciations, Brittany was covered by [[loess]] and rivers started to fill the valleys with alluvial deposits. The valleys themselves were a result of a strong tectonic activity between the [[African Plate|African]] and the [[Eurasian 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 of [[fracture (geology)|fractures]] that form a large [[aquifer]] containing several millions square meters of water.<ref name="geology"/>
===Climate===
Brittany lies within the [[north temperate zone]]. It has a changeable, [[maritime climate]], similar to [[Cornwall]]. Rainfall occurs regularly but sunny, cloudless days are also common. In the summer months, temperatures in the region can reach {{convert|30|°C|°F|0}}, yet the climate remains comfortable, especially when compared to the French regions located south of the [[Loire]]. 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. The [[Monts d'Arrée]], despite their low elevation, have much more rainfall than the rest of the region. The south coast, between [[Lorient]] and [[Pornic]], enjoys more than 2,000 hours of sunshine per year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Normales et records des stations météo de France – Infoclimat |trans-title=Normals and records of weather stations in France – Infoclimat. |url=http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/index.php?s=&d= |access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref>
===Flora and fauna===
{{See also|Equestrianism in Brittany}}[[File:Poissonlune mole2.jpg|thumb|An [[ocean sunfish]] exhibiting its characteristic horizontal basking behaviour several miles off [[Penmarch]]]]
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 of [[Great cormorant|cormorants]], [[European herring gull|gulls]], [[razorbill]]s, [[northern gannet]]s, [[common murre]]s and [[Atlantic puffin]]s. Most of these birds breed on isolated islands and rocks and thus are hard to observe. The inland is home to common European species including [[pheasant]]s, [[barn swallow]]s, [[Eurasian woodcock|woodcocks]], [[common swift]]s, and [[Grey partridge|partridges]].<ref>{{cite web |year=2005 |editor=Bretagne Environnement |title=Les oiseaux marins: des falaises, des îlots, des embruns et des plumes |trans-title=Seabirds: cliffs, islets, sea spray, and feathers |url=http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-faune/Les-oiseaux/Les-oiseaux-marins/Les-oiseaux-marins-des-falaises-des-ilots-des-embruns-et-des-plumes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320111558/http://bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-faune/Les-oiseaux/Les-oiseaux-marins/Les-oiseaux-marins-des-falaises-des-ilots-des-embruns-et-des-plumes |archive-date=20 March 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Horse trait breton 5622.jpg|left|thumb|A [[Breton horse]]]]
Like [[Cornwall]], [[Wales]] and Ireland, the waters of Brittany attract marine animals including [[basking shark]]s, [[grey seal]]s, [[leatherback turtle]]s, dolphins, [[porpoise]]s, [[jellyfish]], crabs and [[lobster]]s. [[Bass (fish)|Bass]] is common along the coast, [[small-spotted catshark]]s live on the [[continental shelf]], [[rattail]]s and [[anglerfish]] populate the deep waters. River fish of note include [[trout]], [[Atlantic salmon]], [[northern pike|pikes]], shades and [[lamprey]]s. The Breton rivers are also home to [[European beaver|beaver]]s and [[Eurasian otter|otter]]s and to some invasive American species, such as the [[coypu]] which destroys the ecosystem and accelerated the extinction of the [[European mink]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-faune/Les-mammiferes/Les-mammiferes-semi-aquatiques|title=Les mammifères semi-aquatiques|year=2005|editor=Bretagne Environnement|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325002324/http://bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-faune/Les-mammiferes/Les-mammiferes-semi-aquatiques|archive-date=25 March 2013}}</ref>
Among the invertebrates, Brittany is notably home to the [[escargot de Quimper]], the [[freshwater pearl mussel]] and the [[white-clawed crayfish]].<ref>{{cite web |year=2005 |editor=Bretagne Environnement |title=Que sait-on des invertébrés continentaux en Bretagne ? |trans-title=What do we know about continental invertebrates in Brittany? |url=http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-faune/Les-invertebres/Les-invertebres-continentaux/Que-sait-on-des-invertebres-continentaux-en-Bretagne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516093510/http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-faune/Les-invertebres/Les-invertebres-continentaux/Que-sait-on-des-invertebres-continentaux-en-Bretagne |archive-date=16 May 2013}}</ref> The larger Breton mammals died out during the modern period, including the [[wolf]]. Today, mammals of note include [[roe deer]], [[wild boar]], foxes, [[hare]]s and several species of [[bat]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-faune/Les-mammiferes|title=Les mammifères|year=2005|editor=Bretagne Environnement|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125035427/http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-faune/Les-mammiferes|archive-date=25 January 2013}}</ref>
Brittany is widely known for the [[Breton horse]], a local breed of [[draft horse]], and for the [[Brittany (dog)|Brittany gun dog]]. The region also has its own breeds of cattle, some of which are on the brink of extinction: the [[Bretonne Pie Noir]], the [[Froment du Léon]], the [[Armorican (cattle)|Armorican]] and the Nantaise.
The Breton forests, dunes, moorlands and marshes are home to several iconic plants, such as endemic [[cistus]], [[aster (genus)|aster]] and [[linaria]] varieties, the [[horseshoe vetch]] and the [[lotus maritimus]].<ref>{{cite web |year=2006 |editor=Bretagne Environnement |title=Les plantes à fleur menacées en Bretagne |trans-title=Flowering plants threatened in Brittany |url=http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-flore/Les-plantes-a-fleurs-menacees |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126021031/http://www.bretagne-environnement.org/Patrimoine-naturel/La-flore/Les-plantes-a-fleurs-menacees |archive-date=26 January 2013}}</ref>
==Education==
{{See also|Education in France}}
[[File:First Battalion ESM Bastille Day 2007 n1.jpg|thumb|A battalion of the [[Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr|Saint-Cyr-Coëtquidan military academy]]]]
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 to [[Angers]], [[Poitiers]] or [[Caen]]. The [[University of Nantes]] was founded under the duke [[Francis II of Brittany|Francis 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 because [[Nantes]] was flourishing with the [[Atlantic slave trade]] and paid no attention to its cultural institutions.
A [[Mayor (France)|mayor]] eventually asked the university to be relocated to [[Rennes]], more devoted to culture and science, and the faculties progressively moved there after 1735.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-12-20 |title=La Lente Mise en Place des Universités Bretonnes |trans-title=The Slow Establishment of Breton Universities |url=http://www.espace-sciences.org/science/10065-sciences-ouest/20106-Annee-1993/10235-93/10880-gros-plan/16926-histoire/16927-la-lente-mise-en-place-des/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319203017/http://www.espace-sciences.org/science/10065-sciences-ouest/20106-Annee-1993/10235-93/10880-gros-plan/16926-histoire/16927-la-lente-mise-en-place-des/index.html |archive-date=19 March 2012 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website= |language=fr-FR}}</ref> The transfer was interrupted by the [[French Revolution]], and all the French universities were dissolved in 1793.
[[Napoleon]] reorganised the French education system in 1808. He created new universities and invented two [[secondary education in France|secondary education institutions]]: the ''collèges'' and the ''lycées'' which were opened in numerous towns to educate boys and form a new elite. A new [[University of Rennes]] was progressively recreated during the 19th century.
In the meantime, several laws were promoted to open schools, notably for girls. In 1882, [[Jules Ferry]] succeeded in passing a law which made primary education in France free, non-clerical (laïque) and mandatory. Thus, free schools were opened in almost every village of Brittany.
=== Language of humiliation ===
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 speak [[Breton language|Breton]] or [[Gallo language|Gallo]], 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Breton Language |url=http://www.breizh.net/icdbl/saozg/endangered.htm#Image%20No.%202:%20Breton%20is%20a%20hindrance%20to%20good%20citizenship |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=www.breizh.net}}</ref>
In response, the [[Diwan schools]] were founded in 1977 to teach Breton by [[Language immersion|immersion]]. 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diwan FAQ, #6. |url=http://www.diwanbreizh.org/sections.php4?op=viewarticle&artid=6 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=www.diwan.bzh}}</ref>
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 neighbouring [[Pays de la Loire]] region, remains a stronghold for Catholic private education with around 1,400 schools.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 May 2011 |editor=Ouest-France |title=En Bretagne, l'enseignement privé se rebiffe |trans-title=In Brittany, private education is pushing back. |url=http://www.ouest-france.fr/actu/actuDet_-En-Bretagne-l-enseignement-prive-se-rebiffe-div-class=boutonVideo-img-alt=Lien-vers-video-src=-design-images-overlay-video-articleVideo.gif-div-_39382-1797389_actu.Htm |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=www.ouest-france.fr}}</ref>
=== Other Institutes of Learning ===
During the 20th century, tertiary education was developed with the creation of the [[École centrale de Nantes]] in 1919, the [[University of Nantes]] in 1961, the [[ESC Bretagne Brest]] in 1962, the [[University of Western Brittany]] in 1971, the [[École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne]] in 1977 and the [[University of Southern Brittany]] in 1995. The [[Catholic University of the West]], based in [[Angers]], also opened classes in several Breton towns. In 1969, the [[University of Rennes]] was divided between the [[University of Rennes 1]] and the [[University of Rennes 2 – Upper Brittany]]. After the [[Second World War]], the [[Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr]], the foremost French [[military academy]], settled in [[Coëtquidan]].
==Economy==
[[File:Queen Mary 2 05 KMJ.jpg|thumb|{{RMS|Queen Mary 2}}, once the world's largest passenger ship, was built in [[Saint-Nazaire]].]]
Brittany, apart from some areas such as [[Lorient]], [[Nantes]] and [[Saint-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 bean]]s, onions, [[artichoke]]s, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.). Cereals are mostly grown for cattle feeding. Wine, especially [[muscadet]], is made in a small region south of [[Nantes]]. 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Renforcer les atouts de l'économie maritime |trans-title=Strengthening the strengths of the maritime economy |url=https://www.bretagne.bzh/br/actions/economie-emploi/economie-maritime/ |access-date=1 April 2022 |publisher=[[Région Bretagne]] |language=fr}}</ref><ref name="eco">{{cite web|url=http://www.bretagne.bzh/jcms/l_18197/l-economie-bretonne|title=L'économie bretonne|éditor=Region Bretagne|access-date=23 March 2015|archive-date=26 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326024936/http://www.bretagne.bzh/jcms/l_18197/l-economie-bretonne}}</ref>
[[File:Chalutier bigouden Eridan P1050865.JPG|thumb|left|A [[fishing trawler]] from [[Guilvinec|Le Guilvinec]]]]
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 in [[Saint-Nazaire]] ([[Chantiers de l'Atlantique]]), [[Lorient]] and [[Brest, France|Brest]]; [[Airbus]] has plants in [[Saint-Nazaire]] and [[Nantes]]; and [[Peugeot]] has a large factory in [[Rennes]]. Brittany is the second French region for telecommunication and the fifth for electronics, two activities mainly developed in [[Rennes]], [[Lannion]] and 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.<ref name="un">{{cite web |author=Priscilla Franken |editor=Vocatis |title=La Bretagne a un taux de chômage faible, mais qui ne profite pas assez aux seniors |trans-title=Brittany has a low unemployment rate, but it does not benefit seniors enough. |url=http://www.vocatis.fr/article.php3?id_article=17207 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130412213002/http://www.vocatis.fr/article.php3?id_article=17207 |archive-date=12 April 2013 |access-date=1 March 2013}}</ref> Due to the [[2008 financial crisis]], unemployment rose to 8.7% in the [[Brittany (administrative region)|Region Brittany]] and 8.4% in [[Loire-Atlantique]] in late 2012. However, these figures remain under the French national rate (9.9% at the same period).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/regions/bretagne/default.asp?page=conjoncture/taux_chomage.htm|title=Taux de chômage|date=11 January 2013|editor=INSEE}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ores.paysdelaloire.fr/739-chomage.htm|title=Taux de chômage trimestriel|editor=Pays de la Loire|access-date=1 March 2013|archive-date=20 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620141414/http://ores.paysdelaloire.fr/739-chomage.htm}}</ref> Some industries, such as construction, industry, catering or transport, usually have difficulties finding employees.<ref name="un"/>
In 2018, [[Brittany (administrative region)|Region Brittany]]'s gross domestic product reached 99 billion [[euro]]s. It was the ninth richest region in France and it produced 4% of the national GDP. The Breton [[GDP per capita]] was around 29,694 euros in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4480852#figure3_radio2 |title=L'essentiel sur… la Bretagne |date=26 January 2022 |access-date=2 April 2022 |publisher=INSEE}}</ref> It was lower than the French result, 30,266 euros, below the [[European Union]] one, 30,900 euros. The GDP of the [[Loire-Atlantique]] ''[[département]]'' is around 26 billion euros, and the GDP of the five historical Breton départements would be at around 108 billion euros.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.linternaute.com/ville/ville/donnee/36636/loire-atlantique.shtml|title=Loire-Atlantique – Pays De Loire (44)|editor=Linternaute villes}}</ref>
===Tourism===
{{See also|Tourism in Brittany}}
Tourism is particularly important for the seacoast and Brittany is one of the most visited regions in France.<ref name="eco"/> In April 2019, [[The Guardian]]'s travel section included two Brittany locations in its list of ''20 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".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-04-13 |title=20 of the most beautiful villages in France |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/apr/13/20-most-beautiful-historic-villages-france-loire-provence |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
==Demographics==
{{See also|Demography of France}}
[[File:Rennes place de la République DSC 4521.JPG|thumb|[[Rennes]], the most populated city in [[Brittany (administrative region)|Region Brittany]] and the second in historical Brittany, behind Nantes]]
In 2017, the population in [[Brittany (administrative region)|Region Brittany]] was estimated to 3,318,904 and [[Loire-Atlantique]] had around 1,394,909 inhabitants, thus historical Brittany's population can be estimated at 4,713,813, the highest in its history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Comparateur de territoire: Région de Bretagne (53), Département de la Loire-Atlantique (44) |trans-title=Territory comparison: Region of Brittany (53), Department of Loire-Atlantique (44) |url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1405599?geo=REG-53+DEP-44 |access-date=11 December 2020 |publisher=[[INSEE]] |language=fr}}</ref> The population in [[Brittany (administrative region)|Region Brittany]] had grown by 0.9% between 1999 and 2000, and the growth rate reached more than 1% in [[Ille-et-Vilaine]] and [[Morbihan]]. The region around [[Rennes]] and the south are the more attractive areas, whereas the population is declining in the centre and in the westernmost parts. While most of the [[metropolitan area]]s are growing, the cities themselves tend to stagnate or regress, such as for [[Brest, France|Brest]], [[Lorient]], [[Saint-Brieuc]] and [[Saint-Malo]]. In 2017, [[Ille-et-Vilaine]] had 1,060,199 inhabitants, it was followed by [[Finistère]] 909,028 inhabitants, [[Morbihan]] 750,863 inhabitants, and [[Côtes-d'Armor]], with 598,814 inhabitants.<ref name=pop2017>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/4265429/ensemble.pdf Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017], [[INSEE]]</ref>
The largest cities in [[Brittany (administrative region)|Region Brittany]] as of 2017 were [[Rennes]], with 216,815 inhabitants, [[Brest, France|Brest]] 140,064, [[Quimper]] 62,985, [[Lorient]] 57,149, [[Vannes]] 53,352, [[Saint-Malo]] 46,097 and [[Saint-Brieuc]] 44,372. All the other [[Communes of France|commune]]s had under 25,000 inhabitants.<ref name=pop2017/> Brittany is also characterised by a great number of small towns, such as [[Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine|Vitré]], [[Concarneau]], [[Morlaix]] or [[Auray]]. [[Loire-Atlantique]] has two major cities, [[Nantes]], with 309,346 inhabitants and an urban area encompassing 972,828, and [[Saint-Nazaire]], with 69,993 inhabitants.<ref name=pop2017/> Loire-Atlantique's population is more rapidly growing than [[Brittany (administrative region)|Region Brittany]]'s and it is the 12th most populated French [[département]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ouest-france.fr/region/bretagne_detail_-La-bonne-sante-de-la-demographie-bretonne_8619-1641723_actu.Htm|title=La bonne santé de la démographie bretonne|date3 January 2011|editor=Ouest-France}}</ref> 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 to [[Loire-Atlantique]] and the steady growth of [[Nantes]]. 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.<ref>{{cite web |editor=Gecodia.fr |title=La démographie de la Bretagne depuis 1851 |trans-title=The demographics of Brittany since 1851 |url=http://www.gecodia.fr/La-demographie-de-la-Bretagne-depuis-1851_a1430.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130412165051/http://www.gecodia.fr/La-demographie-de-la-Bretagne-depuis-1851_a1430.html |archive-date=12 April 2013 |access-date=1 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bdm.insee.fr/bdm2/affichageSeries.action;jsessionid=BF2D6CA8BF8F21D89716B60A229DDC82?idbank=000067486&page=tableau&codeGroupe=28&recherche=idbank&periodeDebut=0&anneeDebut=1851&periodeFin=367&anneeFin=1962|title=Démographie – Population sans doubles comptes au recensement: Loire-Atlantique (série rétropolée 1851–1962) – série arrêtée|editor=INSEE|access-date=7 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923182945/http://www.bdm.insee.fr/bdm2/affichageSeries.action;jsessionid=BF2D6CA8BF8F21D89716B60A229DDC82?idbank=000067486&page=tableau&codeGroupe=28&recherche=idbank&periodeDebut=0&anneeDebut=1851&periodeFin=367&anneeFin=1962|archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bretagne.cci.fr/1-22297-Demographie.php|title=Données thématiques|editor=Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Bretagne|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209073820/http://www.bretagne.cci.fr/1-22297-Demographie.php|archive-date=9 February 2013}}</ref>
===Regional identity===
[[File:FIL 2009 - Coiffes bretonnes - bigoudènes - cercle ar vro vigoudenn.JPG|thumb|Breton women wearing the [[Bigouden]] distinctive headdress, one of the symbols of Breton identity]]
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 the [[region of Brittany]] considered 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.<ref name="Sondage CNRS p. 7">Sondage CNRS, TMO-Ouest. [http://www.agencebretagnepresse.com/pdfs/15280_2.pdf Résultats] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117075109/http://www.agencebretagnepresse.com/pdfs/15280_2.pdf |date=17 January 2010 }} commentés dans [http://www.ouest-france.fr/region/bretagne_detail_-Breton-et-Francais-la-double-identite-affirmee-_8619-932595_actu.Htm ''Ouest-France'', 14-05.2009, page 7].</ref>
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.<ref name="Sondage CNRS p. 7"/>
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 vote [[left-wing]]. It is stronger among employees than employers.<ref>{{cite web |date=18 December 2012 |editor=Ifop and Bretons |title=Les Bretons, les habitants de Loire-Atlantique et la question régionale |trans-title=The Bretons, the inhabitants of Loire-Atlantique, and the regional question |url=http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/2137-1-study_file.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010234649/http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/2137-1-study_file.pdf |archive-date=10 October 2017 |access-date=1 March 2013}}</ref>
===Regional languages===
[[File:Breton dialectesiji2009.png|thumb|right|[[Lower Brittany]] (in colours), where the Breton language is traditionally spoken and [[Upper Brittany]] (in shades of grey), where the Gallo language is traditionally spoken. The changing shades indicate the advance of Gallo and French, and retreat of Breton from 900 AD.]]
{{main|Linguistic boundary of Brittany}}
French, the sole [[official language]] of the French Republic, is spoken today by the vast majority in Brittany, for whom it is usually their [[mother tongue]]. However, French was not widely known in the region before the 19th century, and two [[regional language]]s exist in Brittany: [[Breton language|Breton]] and [[Gallo language|Gallo]]. They are separated by a [[language border]] that has constantly moved back since the Middle Ages.
The current border runs from [[Plouha]] on the [[English Channel]] to the [[Rhuys Peninsula]] on the [[Bay of Biscay]]. Because of their origins and practice, Breton and Gallo can be compared to [[Scottish Gaelic]] and [[Scots language]] in Scotland{{Citation needed|reason=the Breton and Gallo pages linked to here suggest this sentence is incorrect|date=October 2019}}. Both have been recognised as "Langues de Bretagne" (languages of Brittany) by the [[Regional Council of Brittany]] since 2004.
====Breton====
{{main|Breton language}}
[[File:Road signs bilingual Breton in Quimper.jpg|thumb|left|Bilingual road signs can be seen in traditional Breton-speaking areas.]]
Breton is a [[Celtic language]] derived from the historical [[Common Brittonic]] language, and is most closely related to [[Cornish language|Cornish]] and [[Welsh language|Welsh]]. It was imported to Western [[Armorica]] during the 5th century by Britons fleeing the [[Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain]]. Breton remained the language of the rural population, but since the [[Middle Ages]] the [[bourgeoisie]], the [[nobility]], and the higher clergy have spoken French.
[[File:WIKITONGUES- Iain William speaking Breton.webm|thumb|A Breton speaker, recorded in [[Canada]].]]
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 UNESCO ''[[Atlas 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.<ref name="Broudic2009">[[Fañch Broudic]], 2009. ''Parler Breton au XXIe siècle – Le nouveau sondage de TMO-Régions.'' (including data from 2007: 172,000 speakers in Lower Brittany; slightly under 200,000 in whole Brittany; 206,000 including students in bilingual education)</ref><ref name="ofis-stats">{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.ofis-bzh.org/fr/langue_bretonne/chiffres_cles/index.php Données clés sur Breton, Ofis ar Brezhoneg]</ref>
The [[Breton language]] has several dialects which have no precise limits but rather form a [[dialect continuum|continuum]]. 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:
* the ''Cornouillais'', around [[Quimper]],
* the ''Léonard'', around [[Saint-Pol-de-Léon]], and
* the ''Trégorrois'', around [[Tréguier]], are grouped into the ''KLT group'' (Kerne-Leon-Treger),
in opposition to the ''Vannetais'', spoken around [[Vannes]], which is the most differentiated Breton dialect.
According to a 1999 INSEE survey, 12% of the adults of Brittany speak Breton.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 2003 |title=Langue bretonne et autres langues: pratique et transmission |trans-title=Breton language and other languages: practice and transmission |url=https://www.epsilon.insee.fr/jspui/bitstream/1/11835/1/oc92_lan.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010234849/https://www.epsilon.insee.fr/jspui/bitstream/1/11835/1/oc92_lan.pdf |archive-date=10 October 2017 |access-date=28 May 2017 |publisher=INSEE}}</ref>
====Gallo====
{{main|Gallo language}}
[[File:Parcé - panneau D23.jpg|thumb|upright|Signs in Gallo are very rare and the writing systems they use are unknown by most of the speakers.]]
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 the [[Langues d'oïl]] branch), but has some Celtic influences, particularly in its vocabulary, whereas French has influences from both Celtic ([[Gaulish]]) and [[Frankish language|Frankish]] (the [[Germanic language]] which 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 in [[Upper Brittany]] than 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 of [[prestige dialect|prestige]].<ref name="rapport"/>
Gallo is also threatened by the Breton [[language 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.<ref name="rapport"/>
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. In [[Loire-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.<ref name="rapport">{{cite web|url=http://www.prefics.org/credilif/travaux/RapportGallo1.pdf|title=Pratiques et représentations de la langue et de la culture régionales en Haute Bretagne|author=André Le Coq & Philippe Blanchet|editor=Centre de Recherche sur la DiversitéLinguistique de la Francophonie|year=2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002225736/http://www.prefics.org/credilif/travaux/RapportGallo1.pdf|archive-date=2 October 2013}}</ref>
The Gallo community is estimated at between 28,300<ref>{{cite web |editor=INSEE |title=Langue bretonne et autres langues: pratique et transmission |trans-title=Breton language and other languages: usage and transmission |url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/insee_regions/bretagne/themes/octant/oc92/oc92art3.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.insee.fr/fr/insee_regions/bretagne/themes/octant/oc92/oc92art3.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022}}</ref> and 200,000<ref name="rapport"/> speakers. The language is taught on a non-compulsory basis in some schools, high-schools and universities, particularly in [[Ille-et-Vilaine]].<ref name="rapport"/>
===Religion===
[[File:Calvaire de Tronoën, vue d'ensemble sud.JPG|thumb|Sculpted "[[calvary (sculpture)|calvaries]]" can be found in many villages in [[Lower Brittany]].]]
Bretons are mainly [[Catholic]] and the Christianisation occurred during the [[Gaul|Roman Gaul]] and [[Kingdom of the Franks|Frank]] era. 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":
* [[Paul Aurelian|Paol Aorelian]] in [[Saint-Pol-de-Léon]],
* [[Tudwal]] in [[Tréguier]],
* [[Brioc|Brieg]] in [[Saint-Brieuc]],
* [[Malo (saint)|Maloù]] in [[Saint-Malo]],
* [[Samson of Dol|Samsun of Dol]] in [[Dol-de-Bretagne]],
* [[Padarn]] in [[Vannes]],
* [[Corentin of Quimper|Kaourintin]] in [[Quimper]].
Other notable early missionaries are [[Gildas]] and the Irish saint [[Columbanus]]. Bretons recognize more than 300 local "[[saint]]s", 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 neighbouring [[Pays de la Loire]] region. The proportion of students attending Catholic private schools is the highest in France. The [[patron saint]] of Brittany is [[Saint Anne]], the Virgin's mother, but [[Ivo 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.
[[File:FRANCE - Bretagne - Locronan - Chapelle.JPG|thumb|left|A chapel and a calvary in [[Locronan]], Finistère]]
Many distinctive traditions and customs have also been preserved in Brittany. Among them, the "[[Pardon (ceremony)|Pardon]]s" are one of the most traditional demonstrations of popular Catholicism. These [[sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church)|penitential ceremonies]] occur in some villages in [[Lower Brittany]] on the [[feast day]] of the parish's saint. The penitents form a procession and they walk together to a [[shrine]], a church or any sacred place. Some Pardons are reputed for their length, and they all finish by large meals and popular feasts.
[[File:002 Ploudiry ossuaire 2 ankou.JPG|thumb|A sculpted [[Ankou]] in [[Ploudiry]]]]
There is a very old [[pilgrimage]] called the ''[[Tro 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 to [[Wales]], symbolically making the reverse journey of the Welshmen Sant Paol, Sant Brieg, and Sant Samzun.<ref>''Bretagne: poems'' (in French), by Amand Guérin, Published by P. Masgana, 1842: page 238</ref>
The most powerful folk figure is the [[Ankou]] or 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, the ''Karrig 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.<ref>[[Anatole le Braz]], ''La Legende de la Mort'', BiblioBazaar reprint, LLC, 2009, pp. 430ff.</ref>
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 more [[nonreligious]] over time. Catholicism started to decline after the [[Second World War]], during the urbanisation of Brittany. A poll conducted in 2006 showed that [[Morbihan]] was the only ''[[département]]'' to have a strong Catholic population, around 70% of its inhabitants belonging to that religion. [[Loire-Atlantique]] and [[Côtes-d'Armor]] were among the least Catholic French ''départements'', with only 50% of the population practicing Catholics, while [[Ille-et-Vilaine]] and [[Finistère]] were at around 65%. Other religions are almost non-existent, apart from [[Islam]] which is practiced by between 1 and 3% of the inhabitants in [[Ille-et-Vilaine]] and [[Loire-Atlantique]].<ref>{{cite web |date=December 2006 |editor=Ifop |title=Éléments d'analyse géographique de l'implantation des religions en France |trans-title=Elements of geographic analysis of the distribution of religions in France |url=http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/religions_geo.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/religions_geo.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022}}</ref>
==Culture==
===Architecture===
[[File:Fr Josselin Castle from river with flowers.JPG|thumb|[[Josselin Castle]]]]
Brittany is home to many [[megalith]]ic monuments; the words ''[[menhir]]'' and ''[[dolmen]]'' come from the [[Breton language]]. The largest menhir alignments are the [[Carnac stones]]. Other major sites include the [[Barnenez]] [[cairn]], the [[Locmariaquer megaliths]], the [[Menhir de Champ-Dolent]], the [[Mane Braz]] [[tumulus]] and the [[Gavrinis]] tomb. Monuments from the [[Roman Gaul|Roman]] period are rare, but include a large temple in [[Corseul]] and scarce ruins of villas and city walls in [[Rennes]] and [[Nantes]].
Brittany has a large number of medieval buildings. They include numerous [[Romanesque style|Romanesque]] and [[French Gothic]] churches, usually built in local [[sandstone]] and [[granite]], castles and half-timbered houses visible in villages, towns and cities. Several Breton towns still have their medieval walls, such as [[Guérande]], [[Concarneau]], [[Saint-Malo]], [[Vannes]], [[Fougères]] and [[Dinan]]. Major churches include [[Saint-Pol-de-Léon Cathedral]], [[Tréguier Cathedral]], [[Dol Cathedral]], [[Nantes Cathedral]] and the [[Kreisker chapel]]. Most of the Breton castles were rebuilt between the 13th and the 15th century, such as the [[Château de Suscinio]], the [[Château de Dinan]], the [[Château de Combourg]], the [[Château de Largoët]], the [[Château de Tonquédec]], the [[Josselin Castle]] and the [[Château de Trécesson]]. The most impressive castles can be seen along the border with France, where stand the [[Château de Fougères]], the [[Château de Vitré]], the [[Château de Châteaubriant]] and the [[Château de Clisson]].
[[File:Cahire.JPG|thumb|left|A traditional house in [[Plougoumelen]]]]
The [[French Renaissance]] occurred when Brittany lost its independence. The Renaissance architecture is almost absent in the region, except in [[Upper Brittany]], close to the border with France. Major sites include the [[Château des ducs de Bretagne]], the last permanent residence of the dukes, which displays the transition from late Gothic to Renaissance style. The [[Château de Châteaubriant]], a former fortress, was transformed into a vast palace in the Italian style.
[[File:Bénodet - Le Minaret.jpg|thumb|upright|An [[Art Deco]] villa in [[Bénodet]]]]
In [[Lower 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 the [[parish 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 carved [[calvary (sculpture)|calvary sculpture]].
During the 17th and the 18th centuries, the main [[seaport]]s and towns obtained a typical French look, with [[baroque]] and [[neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] buildings. [[Nantes]], which was at the time the biggest French harbour, received a theatre, large avenues and quays, and [[Rennes]] was redesigned after a fire in 1720. At the same period, the wealthy [[ship-owner]]s from [[Saint-Malo]] built many mansions called "Malouinières" around their town. Along the coast, [[Vauban]] and other French architects designed several citadels, such as in [[Le Palais]] and [[Port-Louis, Morbihan|Port-Louis]]. In rural areas, Breton houses remained simple, with a single floor and a [[longhouse]] pattern. They were built with local materials: mostly granite in [[Lower Brittany]] and [[schist]] in [[Upper Brittany]]. [[Slate]]s and [[thatching|reeds]] were usually used for roofing. During the 19th century, the Breton architecture was mainly characterised by the [[Gothic Revival]] and [[Eclecticism]]. [[Clisson]], the southernmost Breton town, was rebuilt in an Italian [[Romanticism|Romantic]] style around 1820. The Breton [[lighthouse]]s were mostly built during the 19th century. The most famous are [[Ar Men]], [[Phare d'Eckmühl]], [[La Vieille]] and [[La Jument]]. The lighthouse on the [[Île Vierge]] is, with 77 meters, the highest in Europe.
At the end of the 19th century, several [[seaside resort]]s were created along the coast and villas and hotels were built in [[historicism (art)|historicist]], [[Art Nouveau]], and later in the [[Art Deco]] styles. These architectures are particularly present in [[Dinard]], [[La Baule]] and [[Bénodet]]. Architecture from the 20th century can be seen in [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[Brest, France|Brest]] and [[Lorient]], three cities destroyed during the [[Second World War]] and rebuilt afterwards, and in the works of the Breton nationalist architects like [[James Bouillé]] and [[Olier Mordrel]].
===Fine arts===
[[File:Paul Gauguin 078.jpg|thumb|upright|''The Beautiful Angèle'' by [[Paul Gauguin]]]]
Until the 19th century, [[Catholicism]] had been the main inspiration for Breton artists. The region has a great number of [[baroque]] [[retable]]s, made between the 17th and the 19th century. Breton sculptors were also famous for their ship models that served as [[ex-voto]]s and for their richly decorated furniture, which features naïve Breton characters and traditional patterns. The [[box-bed]] is the most famous Breton piece of furniture. The Breton style had a strong revival between 1900 and the [[Second World War]] and it was used by the [[Seiz Breur]] movement. 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 designer [[René-Yves Creston]], the illustrators [[Jeanne Malivel]] and [[Xavier Haas]], and the sculptors [[Raffig Tullou]], [[Francis Renaud (sculptor)|Francis Renaud]], [[Georges Robin]], [[Joseph Savina]], [[Jules-Charles Le Bozec]] and [[Jean Fréour]].
Brittany is also known for its [[needlework]], which can be seen on its numerous headdress models, and for its [[faience]] production, which started at the beginning of the 18th century. [[Quimper faience]] is known worldwide for its bowls and plates painted by hand, and other towns, such as [[Pornic]], 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, but [[Orientalism]] and [[Art Deco]] have also been used.
Because of its distinct culture and natural landscape, Brittany has inspired many French artists since the 19th century. The [[Pont-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 in [[Pont-Aven]] wanted to break away from the [[Academic art|Academic style]] of the {{Lang|fr|[[École des Beaux-Arts]]|italic=no}} and later from [[Impressionism]] when it began to decline. Among them were [[Paul Gauguin]], [[Paul Signac]], [[Marc Chagall]], [[Paul Sérusier]] and [[Raymond Wintz]]. Before them, Brittany had also been visited by Academic and Romantic painters like [[Jean Antoine Théodore de Gudin]] and [[Jules Achille Noël]] who were looking for dramatic seascapes and storms.
===Music===
{{Main|Music of Brittany|Breton dance}}
[[File:Bagad.JPG|thumb|The [[Lann-Bihoué]] [[bagad]]]]
Since the early 1970s, Brittany has experienced a tremendous revival of its folk music. Numerous festivals were created, along with smaller ''[[fest-noz]]'' (popular feasts). The ''[[bagad]]où'', bands composed of [[bagpipe]]s, [[bombard (music)|bombards]] and drums (including [[Snare drum|snare]]), are also a modern creation, inspired by the Scottish [[pipe band]]s. The [[Lann-Bihoué]] bagad, one of the most well-known, belongs to the [[French Navy]]. It is the only one that does not take part to the annual bagadoù competitions. [[Celtic harp]] is also common, as are vocals and dances. The [[Kan ha diskan]] is 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 the [[passepied]] and the [[gavotte]], and the newest ones derive from the [[quadrille]] and [[French Renaissance]] dances.
[[File:Nolwenn Leroy - Alan Stivell.jpg|thumb|left|[[Nolwenn Leroy]] and [[Alan Stivell]] (2012)]]
In the 1960s, several Breton artists started to use contemporary patterns to create a Breton pop music. Among them, [[Alan Stivell]] contributed most in popularising the [[Celtic harp]] and Breton music in the world. He also used [[American rock|American]] [[rock and roll]] in his works and influenced 1970s Breton bands such as [[Kornog]], {{ill|Gwerz (band)|fr|Gwerz (groupe)}} and [[Tri Yann]], who revived traditional songs and made them popular across France. [[Soldat Louis]] is the main Breton rock band,{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} and Breton singers include [[Gilles Servat]], [[Glenmor]], [[Dan Ar Braz]], [[Yann-Fañch Kemener]], [[Denez Prigent]], [[Nolwenn Korbell]] and [[Nolwenn Leroy]]. The [[Manau (group)|Manau]] [[Hip hop]] group from Paris has strong Breton and Celtic inspirations. You can also find the well known group [[Matmatah]] from Brest.
[[Yann Tiersen]], who composed the soundtrack for ''[[Amélie]]'', [[Cécile Corbel]] the compositor of [[Arrietty|''Arrietty and the borrowers'']], the [[Electro (music)|Electro]] band [[Yelle]] and the [[avant-garde]] singer [[Brigitte Fontaine]] are also from Brittany. The 19th-century composer [[Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray]] was one of the first western European composers to be influenced by what is now known as [[world music]].
In 2022, [[Alvan (musician)|Alvan]] and [[Ahez]] have been selected to represent France in the [[Eurovision 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.
===Legends and literature===
[[File:Botrel.jpg|thumb|upright|The singer-songwriter [[Théodore Botrel]] dressed in traditional Breton clothing]]
Brittany is closely associated with the [[Matter of Britain]] and [[King Arthur]]. According to [[Wace]], [[Brocéliande]] is located in Brittany and it is nowadays considered to be [[Paimpont forest]]. There, ruins of a castle surrounded by a lake are associated with the [[Lady of the Lake]], a [[dolmen]] is said to be [[Tombeau de Merlin|Merlin's tomb]] and a path is presented as [[Morgan le Fay]]'s [[Val sans Retour]]. [[Tristan and Iseult]] are also said to have lived in Brittany. Another major Breton legend is the story about [[Ys]], 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 in [[Breton language|Breton]] were 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 the [[Second World War]], the literary journal [[Gwalarn]] favoured a modern Breton literature and helped translating widely known novels into Breton. After the war, the journal ''Al Liamm'' pursued that mission. Among the authors writing in Breton are [[Auguste Brizeux]], a Romantic poet, the [[neo-Druid]]ic bard [[Erwan Berthou]], [[Théodore Hersart de La Villemarqué]], who collected the local legends about [[King Arthur]], [[Roparz Hemon]], founder of [[Gwalarn]], [[Pêr-Jakez Helias]], [[Glenmor]], [[Pêr Denez]] and [[Meavenn]].
Breton literature includes 19th-century historical novels by [[Émile Souvestre]], travel journals by [[Anatole Le Braz]], poems and novels by [[Charles Le Goffic]], the works of the singer-songwriter [[Théodore Botrel]] and of the maritime writer [[Henri Queffélec]]. Brittany is also the birthplace of many writers like [[François-René de Chateaubriand]], [[Jules Verne]], [[Ernest Renan]], [[Félicité Robert de Lamennais]] and [[Pierre Abélard]] [[Max Jacob]], [[Alfred Jarry]], [[Victor Segalen]], [[Xavier Grall]], [[Jean Rouaud]], [[Irène Frain]], [[Herve Jaouen]],<ref>Hervé_Jaouen</ref> [[Alain Robbe-Grillet]], [[Pierre-Jakez Hélias]], [[Tristan Corbière]], [[Paul Féval]], [[Jean Guéhenno]], [[Arthur Bernède]], [[André Breton]], [[Patrick Poivre d'Arvor]].
The ''[[Asterix]]'' comics, set during the time of [[Julius Caesar]] and written in the second half of the twentieth century, are set in Armorica, now Brittany.
===Museums===
The Museum of Brittany, located in [[Rennes]], was founded in 1856. Its collections are mainly dedicated to the history of the region. Museums dedicated to [[Prehistory]] and local [[megalith]]s are located in [[Carnac]] and [[Penmarch]], while several towns like [[Vannes]] and [[Nantes]] have a museum presenting their own history.
The [[Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes]] owns a large collection of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities as well as drawings and engravings by [[Domenico Ghirlandaio]], [[Parmigianino]], [[Albrecht Dürer]] and [[Rembrandt]]. Its French art collection gathers works by [[Georges de La Tour]], [[François Boucher]], [[Paul Gauguin]], [[Auguste Rodin]], [[Camille Corot]] and [[Robert Delaunay]]. It has also works by [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Rubens]], [[Peter Lely]] and [[Paolo Veronese]]. The collections of the [[Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes|Museum of Fine Arts of Nantes]] are more dedicated to modern and contemporary art and contain works by [[Edward Burne-Jones]], [[Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres]], [[Eugène Delacroix]], [[Gustave Courbet]], [[Paul Signac]], [[Tamara de Lempicka]], [[Wassily Kandinsky]], [[Max Ernst]], [[Pierre Soulages]] and [[Piero Manzoni]]. The Museums of Fine Arts of [[Brest, France|Brest]] and [[Quimper]] offer similar collections, with large quantities of French painting together with the works of some Italian and Dutch artists. The Museum of Fine Arts [[Pont-Aven]] is dedicated to the [[School of Pont-Aven]]. Contemporary sculptures can be seen in the park around the Château de Kerguéhennec, in [[Bignan]].
Museums in [[Saint-Malo]], [[Lorient]] and [[Douarnenez]] are dedicated to ships and maritime traditions and history. The [[Musée national de la Marine]] has a large annex in Brest and a submarine is opened to visitors in [[Lorient]]. In the same town, it is also possible to visit the [[Keroman Submarine Museum]], and the ''Cité de la voile [[Éric Tabarly]]'', a museum dedicated to sailing. In [[Saint-Nazaire]], where many [[Ocean liner|transatlantic ships]] were built, including {{SS|Normandie}} and {{SS|France|1961|6}}, a museum showing transatlantic interiors was installed in a [[Second World War]] base. Nantes has a [[Jules Verne Museum|museum dedicated to Jules Verne]], a [[Natural History Museum of Nantes|Natural History Museum]] and a museum of archaeology and design, the [[Musée Dobrée]].
===Festivals===
[[File:Tonnerres de Brest 2012 - Götheborg - 003.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Götheborg (ship)|Götheborg]]'' ship replica at the Brest tall ship meeting in 2012]]
Brittany has a vibrant calendar of festivals and events. It hosts some of France's biggest contemporary music festivals, such as [[La Route du Rock]] in [[Saint-Malo]], the [[Vieilles Charrues]] in [[Carhaix]], the [[Rencontres Trans Musicales]] in [[Rennes]], the Festival du Bout du Monde in [[Crozon]], the [[Hellfest]] in [[Clisson]] and the Astropolis in Brest, or [[:fr:Fête du bruit dans Landerneau|La fête du bruit]] in Landerneau and Saint-Nolff. The [[Festival Interceltique de Lorient]] welcomes each year participants all the [[Celtic nations]] and their diasporas. [[La Folle Journée]], in [[Nantes]], is the largest classical music festival in France.
The Breton culture is highlighted during the ''Fête de la Bretagne'', which occurs in many places around Saint-Yves's day (19 May), and during the Festival de Cornouaille in [[Quimper]]. Several towns also organise [[historical re-enactment]]s and events celebrating local traditions, such as the Filets Bleus in [[Concarneau]] which celebrates fishing.
Brittany also has some film festivals like the [[Three Continents Festival]] in [[Nantes]]. The [[Utopiales]] international science fiction festival is held in the same city. Brest and [[Douarnenez]] both organise large [[tall ship]] meetings (See [[Brest Maritime Festival]]).
===Sport===
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}
[[File:Roazhon Park - France Paraguay June 2nd 2017.jpg|thumb|[[Roazhon Park]] in [[Rennes]]]]
[[Association football|Football]], cycling and sailing are the three most popular sports in Brittany. Major football teams are the [[FC Nantes]], the [[Stade Rennais F.C.]], the [[FC Lorient]], the [[Stade Brestois 29]], the [[Vannes OC]] and the [[En Avant de Guingamp]]. Professional footballers coming from the region also form the [[Brittany national football team]] which sometimes plays with national teams.
Several Bretons have won the [[Tour de France]]: [[Bernard Hinault]], [[Louison Bobet]], [[Jean Robic]] and [[Lucien Petit-Breton]] as riders, and [[Cyrille Guimard]] as a ''[[directeur sportif]]''.
[[Rugby Union]] is less popular in the North than in the [[south of France]], but [[Rugby Club Vannes]] are 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 like [[La Trinité-sur-Mer]], [[Pornichet]], [[Concarneau]], [[Lorient]] and the [[îles 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 Riou]] and [[Marc Pajot]]. The [[Route du Rhum]], the [[Transat Québec-Saint-Malo]], the [[Jules Verne Trophy]] are the main Breton sailing competitions. The [[Solitaire du Figaro]] stages often start in Brittany.
[[Gouren]], a style of [[folk wrestling]], is the most popular Breton sport. The [[Boule bretonne]] is related to [[pétanque]]. The ''Palets'', common in [[Upper Brittany]] and 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 football]] is also a growing sport in the region,<ref>{{cite web|title=Brittany GAA's 'Mother Goose' has a growing flock|url=https://www.gaa.ie/news/brittany-gaa-s-mother-goose-has-a-growing-flock/|access-date=5 December 2021|website=www.gaa.ie|archive-date=30 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430204641/https://www.gaa.ie/news/brittany-gaa-s-mother-goose-has-a-growing-flock/|url-status=dead}}</ref> with club teams and a 'county' [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]] team representing Brittany against other European 'counties' such as Galicia.
[[File:Galette œuf saucisse.JPG|thumb|[[Galette]]s served with eggs and sausages]]
===Cuisine===
Although [[Muscadet]] and Gros Plant white wines are produced south of the [[Loire]], the traditional drink of Brittany is [[cider]]. Brittany is the second-largest cider-producing region in France.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediaoueg.bzh/le-cidre |title=Le Cidre – Mediaoueg, Ar Vediaoueg – La Médiathèque |publisher=Mediaoueg.bzh |access-date=3 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910212009/http://www.mediaoueg.bzh/le-cidre/ |archive-date=10 September 2015 }}</ref> 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,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bierbreizh.info/ |title=bierbreizh – Accueil |publisher=Bierbreizh.info |access-date=3 May 2011}}</ref> such as ''Coreff de Morlaix'', ''Tri Martolod'' and ''Britt''. Stronger alcohols include the ''[[chouchen]]'', a sort of [[mead]] made with wild honey, and an apple [[eau de vie]] called ''lambig''. [[Crêpe]]s and [[galette]]s are the two most well-known Breton dishes. The crêpes,<ref>{{cite web |title=Crepes Recipe |url=https://aroundtheyum.com/recipe/recipe-for-crepes/ |website=Around The Yum |date=6 August 2024 |access-date=14 October 2024}}</ref> made and served with butter, are eaten for dessert and the galettes are usually salty and made with [[buckwheat]]. They traditionally replaced bread as basic food and they can be served with cheese, sausages, bacon, mushrooms or eggs. They can be accompanied by Breton [[buttermilk]] called ''lait ribot''. Brittany also has a dish similar to the [[pot-au-feu]] known as the [[kig ha farz]], which consists of stewed pork or beef with [[buckwheat]] dumplings.{{Citation needed paragraph|date=May 2021}} Surrounded by the sea, Brittany offers a wide range of fresh seafood and fish, especially [[mussel]]s and [[oyster]]s. Among the seafood specialities is a fish stew called [[cotriade]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Strootman |first=Kevin |date=2022-01-18 |title=go789 |url=https://go789s.me/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=go789s.me}}</ref> The [[beurre blanc]] sauce, invented in [[Saint-Julien-de-Concelles]], close to [[Nantes]], is often served with fish. Brittany is also known for its salt, mainly harvested around [[Guérande]] and 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 and [[Lefèvre-Utile|LU]] in [[Nantes]], La Trinitaine in [[La Trinité-sur-Mer]], and Galettes Saint-Michel in [[Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef]]. They usually make their biscuits with salted butter and sell them in iron boxes. Famous Breton [[pastries]] include the ''[[kouign amann]]'' ("butter cake" in Breton) made with bread dough and high quantities of butter and sugar, and the ''[[far Breton|far]]'', a sort of sweet [[Yorkshire pudding]] usually made with dried plums.{{Citation needed paragraph|date=May 2021}}
==Transport==
=== Road ===
[[File:Borne N786.jpg|thumb|upright|An old road sign on the Route Nationale 786 in [[Tréveneuc]]]]
Until the 1970s, the Breton road network was poor because maritime and rail transport prevailed. The French president [[Charles de Gaulle]] implemented a major road construction plan in the 1970 and Brittany received over 10 billion [[French francs|francs]] of investments during 25 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espace-sciences.org/science/10065-sciences-ouest/20109-Annee-1996/10195-125/10680-gros-plan/12801-histoire-et-societe/12803-le-plan-routier-breton/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105230921/http://www.espace-sciences.org/science/10065-sciences-ouest/20109-Annee-1996/10195-125/10680-gros-plan/12801-histoire-et-societe/12803-le-plan-routier-breton/index.html|title=Plan routier Breton (2)|archive-date=5 November 2013}}</ref> More than 10,000 km of [[motorways]] were built, permitting Breton road transport to multiply by four. The Breton motorways are not [[toll road]]s, contrarily to the usual French highways.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espace-sciences.org/science/10065-sciences-ouest/20109-Annee-1996/10197-123/10690-gros-plan/15348-histoire-et-societe/15350-le-plan-routier-breton-2/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105231028/http://www.espace-sciences.org/science/10065-sciences-ouest/20109-Annee-1996/10197-123/10690-gros-plan/15348-histoire-et-societe/15350-le-plan-routier-breton-2/index.html|title=Plan routier Breton (3)|archive-date=5 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espace-sciences.org/science/10065-sciences-ouest/20109-Annee-1996/10196-124/10685-gros-plan/12851-histoire-et-societe/12852-le-plan-routier-breton-3/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105231049/http://www.espace-sciences.org/science/10065-sciences-ouest/20109-Annee-1996/10196-124/10685-gros-plan/12851-histoire-et-societe/12852-le-plan-routier-breton-3/index.html|title=Plan routier Breton (4)|archive-date=5 November 2013}}</ref>
The main road artery linking cities and other settlements along the north coast is the [[Route nationale 12]] which connects the cities of [[Rennes]], [[Saint-Brieuc]], [[Morlaix]] and [[Brest, France|Brest]]. It also provides a link to southern [[Normandy]], terminating in Paris. In south Brittany the [[Route nationale 165]] performs a similar role along the south coast providing connections between [[Nantes]], [[Vannes]], [[Lorient]], [[Quimper]] and [[Brest, France|Brest]]. The Route nationale 164 crosses the centre of the peninsula and connects [[Rennes]] to [[Loudéac]], [[Carhaix]] and [[Châteaulin]], and the Route nationale 166 links [[Rennes]] to [[Vannes]]. The Route nationale 137 provides connections between [[Saint-Malo]], [[Rennes]] and [[Nantes]] and terminates in [[Bordeaux]].{{Citation needed paragraph|date=May 2021}}
[[Nantes]] is linked to Paris by the [[A11 autoroute]], and [[Rennes]] is both on the [[A81 autoroute]] to Paris and the [[A84 autoroute]] to [[Caen]]. These highways are standard French [[toll roads]].{{Citation needed paragraph|date=May 2021}}
=== Air ===
[[File:Morlaix-Viaduc-1.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Morlaix]] railway viaduct is one of the highest in France.]]
The biggest Breton airport is [[Nantes Atlantique Airport]]. Destination served include the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Morocco. The [[Brest Bretagne Airport]] is the second airport in Brittany. It is followed by [[Rennes - Saint-Jacques Airport|Rennes – Saint-Jacques]], [[Lorient South Brittany Airport|Lorient South Brittany]] and [[Dinard - Pleurtuit - Saint-Malo Airport|Dinard – Saint-Malo]]. The [[Saint-Brieuc - Armor Airport|Saint-Brieuc – Armor]] airport serves flights between Brittany and the [[Channel Islands]]. Others smaller airport operates domestic flights in [[Quimper - Cornouaille Airport|Quimper]], and [[Lannion - Côte de Granit Airport|Lannion]].
=== Rail ===
[[File:Ms Bretagne.jpg|thumb|The [[Brittany Ferries]] ''MS Bretagne'' off Saint-Malo]]
Brittany is on two major [[TGV]] lines, one linking Paris to [[Nantes]] and [[Le Croisic]], on the south coast, and another linking Paris to [[Rennes]] and [[Brest, France|Brest]]. An extension of the [[LGV Atlantique]], which stops at Le Mans, was completed in 2017, bringing the line to [[Rennes]]. This extension is known as the [[LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire]]. TGV services also link the region with major cities in France such as [[Lyon]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Marseille]], and [[Lille]]. Regional services are operated by [[TER Bretagne]] providing connections between small towns such as [[Vannes]], [[Carhaix]], [[Roscoff]] and [[Paimpol]]. TER Bretagne also manages coach lines and connections between Rennes and Nantes. [[TER Pays de la Loire]] operates trains between Nantes and smaller towns in [[Loire-Atlantique]].
=== Sea ===
There are ferry services that take passengers, vehicles and freight to Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands. The main companies are [[Brittany Ferries]] which operates lines between [[Plymouth]] and [[Roscoff]], [[Portsmouth]] and [[Saint-Malo]], and [[Roscoff]] and [[Cork (city)|Cork]]. [[Irish Ferries]] operates the route [[Rosslare Europort|Rosslare]]-[[Roscoff]] and [[Condor Ferries]] link [[Saint-Malo]] with [[Jersey]].
=== Cycling ===
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.).<ref>{{cite web |title=La Bretagne à vélo: Près de 1500 km d'itinéraires vélos ! |trans-title=Brittany by bike: Nearly 1500 km of cycling routes! |url=http://velo.tourismebretagne.com/ |access-date=24 March 2018 |website=velo.tourismebretagne.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bretonbikes.com/cycling-holidays-FAQ.html#canal|title=Cycling holidays in france FAQ page for all your questions|access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Husband |first=Geoff |title=Cycling holiday destinations |url=https://www.bretonbikes.com/homepage/cycling-article-blog/cycling-holidays-in-france-how-to-diy-it/137-countryside-and-regions-of-france}}</ref> 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.
== Symbols ==
[[File:Drapeau Bretagne.jpg|thumb|The modern flag of Brittany]]
The modern [[flag of Brittany]] was designed in 1923. It is called ''Gwenn ha Du'' ("white and black" in [[Breton language|Breton]]) and it features eleven [[ermine (heraldry)|ermine]] spots (their number may vary) and nine stripes, the black ones represent the Breton speaking historical dioceses, and the white ones symbolise the [[gallo language|gallo]] speaking dioceses. The flag was created to replace the traditional ermine plain standard, considered too aristocratic and royalist. It was inspired by the [[American flag]] and the British [[Red Ensign]].<ref>[[Francis Favereau]], ''Bretagne contemporaine – Culture, langue, identité''? page 210, Skol Vreizh, Morlaix, 2005, {{ISBN|2-911447-72-7}}.</ref> 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 the [[Kroaz Du]], a white flag with a black cross, the perfect negative of the [[Cornish flag]].
[[File:Hermine passante colletée.svg|left|thumb|The ermine was the [[heraldic badge|badge]] of several dukes of Brittany.]]
The coat of arms of Brittany, ''ermine plain'', was adopted by [[John III, Duke of Brittany|John III]] in 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 French [[fleur-de-lis]]. The [[Stoat|ermine]], or stoat, as an animal became the [[heraldic badge|badge]] of [[John IV, Duke of Brittany|John IV]] at the end of the 14th century. It appeared later on numerous locations, including churches and castles. According to popular traditions, [[Anne of Brittany]] was 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").<ref>Gwenc'hlan Le Scouëzec, ''Guide de la Bretagne'', page 40, Coop Breizh, Spézet, 1987; and ''Le Journal de la Bretagne des origines à nos jours'', page 106, Larousse, Paris, 2001</ref> The motto has later been reused by Breton regiments, local [[Resistance during World War II|World War II Resistants]] and cultural movements.
The Breton anthem, although not official, is ''[[Bro Gozh ma Zadoù]]'' – ("Old Land of My Fathers"). It re-employs both the [[Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau|Welsh 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 Celtic [[triskelion]], the [[menhir]]s and [[dolmen]]s, local dishes such as the [[galette]]s, the [[Bigouden]] headdress and the traditional black round hat, the fisherman and his yellow raincoat, etc. ''BZH'' is 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jopdf/common/jo_pdf.jsp?numJO=0&dateJO=19670707&numTexte=&pageDebut=06810&pageFin=|title=Fac-similé JO du 07/07/1967, page 06810 – Legifrance|access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref> ''[[.bzh]]'' is an approved Internet [[top level ___domain]] for the [[Breton people|Breton]] culture and languages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.domainesinfo.fr/english/136/brittany-s-bzh-the-next-regional-___domain.php|title=The ___domain www.domainesinfo.fr is registered by NetNames|access-date=30 December 2016|archive-date=7 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207095106/http://www.domainesinfo.fr/english/136/brittany-s-bzh-the-next-regional-___domain.php}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/program-status/delegated-strings|title=Delegated Strings – ICANN New gTLDs|access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref>
==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" widths="170" heights="170">
File:Tombeau Merlin Brocéliande195.JPG|[[Merlin]]'s tomb in the [[Brocéliande]] forest, [[Paimpont forest|Paimpont]]
File:Crucuno dolmen.jpg|A dolmen in [[Plouharnel]]
File:Guerande Tor.jpg|The city wall of [[Guérande]]
File:Tour-qui-qu-en-grogne-DS62.jpg|Castle of [[Saint-Malo]], ''Qui Qu'en Grogne'' Tower
File:Château Suscinio.jpg|[[Château de Suscinio]]
File:Phare IleVerge PM.jpg|[[Île Vierge]] lighthouse
File:Parlement de Bretagne-2006.jpg|Parlement of Brittany in [[Rennes]]
File:Abbacy and lighthouse of Saint-Mathieu.jpg|Abbey and lighthouse of [[Pointe Saint-Mathieu|Saint-Mathieu]]
File:20 Moulin vert.JPG|''Ar Meilhoù Glaz'', a [[Bagad]] from [[Quimper]]
File:PLcdm 2009 S 028.JPG|''Festival du chant de marin'', sea songs festival in [[Paimpol]]
File:Batz-sur-Mer Coiffe.jpg|A Breton headdress from [[Batz-sur-Mer]]
File:W. Otway Cannell 8 Modern Brittany.jpg|Modern Brittany - Illustration from Legends & Romances of Brittany by Lewis Spence, illustrated by W. Otway Cannell.
File:Men Ruz Lighthouse.jpg|Men Ruz lighthouse, [[Ploumanac'h]]
</gallery>
==See also==
{{Portal|France}}
* [[Brigantes]], Breton Celtic tribe associated with Northern England
* [[Politics of Brittany]]
* [[Great Britain]] in French as ''Grande-Bretagne''
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons|Bretagne|Brittany}}
{{Wikivoyage|Brittany}}
{{EB1911 poster|Brittany}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130318111502/http://www.france.fr/en/regions-and-cities/brittany-west-end-world Brittany: in the West, the end of the world] – Official French website {{inlang|en}}
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*[http://www.brittanytourism.com/ The official website for Brittany Tourism – Brittany Regional Tourist Board]
*[http://www.bretagne.com/ The official ''Région Bretagne'' website]
{{Celts}}
{{Historic Provinces of France}}
{{UNPO}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Brittany| ]]
[[Category:Celtic nations]]
[[Category:Members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization]]
[[Category:Peninsulas of France]]
[[Category:Proposed countries]]
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