Brittany Michelin Regional Map: No. 512 (Michelin Regional Maps)

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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. 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. [77] Culture [ edit ] Architecture [ edit ] Josselin Castle

See also: Brittany (administrative region), Loire-Atlantique, and Administrative divisions of France The region Brittany comprises four historical Breton départements. Loire-Atlantique, in light blue, is part of the Pays de la Loire region. 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). 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 [37] 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. 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. [53] Other Institutes of Learning [ edit ] Visitors may begin a sightseeing tour of Nantes' top attractions in the historic center at the Château des Ducs de Bretagne (Castle of the Dukes of Brittany), founded in the 15th century by Francois II, one of the last Breton rulers. Surrounded by parkland, this enormous fortress has all the essentials of a medieval castle: a moat, imposing towers, and sturdy defensive walls. Château des Ducs de BretagneAfter touring the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, visitors should continue west of the castle to the historic quarter of Nantes known as the Bouffay district. In this medieval quarter of half-timbered houses, tourists may wander through the maze of winding streets and shop at the enticing boutiques. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, many Cornish Britons settled in western Armorica to 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. [16] 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. In 2017, the population in 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. [62] The population in 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 areas are growing, the cities themselves tend to stagnate or regress, such as for 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. [63]

A mayor eventually asked the university to be relocated to Rennes, more devoted to culture and science, and the faculties progressively moved there after 1735. [50] The transfer was interrupted by the French Revolution, and all the French universities were dissolved in 1793. Many distinctive traditions and customs have also been preserved in Brittany. Among them, the " Pardons" are one of the most traditional demonstrations of popular Catholicism. These 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. In 1956, Brittany was legally reconstituted as the Region of Brittany, although the region excluded the ducal capital of Nantes and the 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 Erika oil spill and water pollution from intensive pig farming favoured new movements to protect the natural heritage. The region is also famous for its cuisine. The list of local dishes, drinks and desserts is almost endless! As is the case in many French regions, the local cuisine is in fact a highlight for tourists here! Discerning gourmets will love their camping holiday in Brittany. Bretagne Environnement, ed. (2005). "Les mammifères". Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.

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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. Bretons take pride in celebrating the ancient custom of "pardons," a special type of pilgrimage when townspeople attend Mass to ask forgiveness for their sins. The pardons also include religious festivals with participants wearing historical costumes. 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 villages of Brittany. Geology [ edit ] The Pointe du Raz, one of the westernmost extents of both Brittany and Metropolitan France Visitors can begin a walking tour at the Place de la Mairie to admire the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall), built in 1734. West of the Place de la Mairie is the Eglise Saint-Sauveur, a lovely church built from the 17th to the 18th centuries. East of the Town Hall is the Place du Parlement de Bretagne encircled by 18th-century houses.

a b "L'économie bretonne|éditor=Region Bretagne". Archived from the original on 26 March 2015 . Retrieved 23 March 2015.The Gallo community is estimated at between 28,300 [74] and 200,000 [73] speakers. The language is taught on a non-compulsory basis in some schools, high-schools and universities, particularly in Ille-et-Vilaine. [73] Religion [ edit ] Sculpted " calvaries" can be found in many villages in Lower Brittany. Away from the beach or further inland, take the time to visit Brittany’s heritage. With links to mythology, religion and history, it is truly unique with plenty of surprises in store. 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 bagadoù, bands composed of bagpipes, bombards and drums (including snare), are also a modern creation, inspired by the Scottish pipe bands. 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. The Pays de Saint-Malo, around Saint-Malo, divided between Ille-et-Vilaine, Côtes-d'Armor and Morbihan. Brittany lost 240,000 men during the First World War. [38] 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 and Saint-Malo, and other towns, such as Nantes and Rennes, had also suffered.