Pont-l'Abbé explained
| City Motto: | Heb Ken |
| Pont-l'Abbé |
| Native Name: | Pont-'n-Abad |
| Commune Status: | Commune |
| Image Flag: | Flag of Pont-l'Abbé.svg |
| Image Coat Of Arms: | COA fr Pont-l'Abbé.svg |
| Coordinates: | 47.8681°N -4.2219°W |
| Arrondissement: | Quimper |
| Canton: | Pont-l'Abbé |
| Insee: | 29220 |
| Postal Code: | 29120 |
| Mayor: | Stéphane Le Doaré[1] |
| Term: | 2020 - 2026 |
| Intercommunality: | Pays Bigouden Sud |
| Elevation Min M: | 0 |
| Elevation Max M: | 37 |
| Area Km2: | 18.21 |
Pont-l'Abbé (pronounced as /fr/;, "Abbot's bridge") is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
The self-styled capital of Pays Bigouden (roughly the region between the river Odet and the Bay of Audierne), Pont-l'Abbé was founded in the 14th century by a monk of Loctudy who built the first bridge across the river estuary, hence the name. The same monk also built the first castle.
Geography
Climate
Pont-l'Abbé has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Pont-l'Abbé is . The average annual rainfall is with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around, and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Pont-l'Abbé was on 16 July 2006; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 2 January 1997.
Population
Inhabitants of Pont-l'Abbé are called in French Pont-l'Abbistes.
Breton language
The municipality launched a linguistic plan concerning the Breton language through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on 2 February 2008.
In 2008, 5.08% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.[2]
The Fête des Brodeuses (Embroideress' Festival) in July is one of Brittany's major traditional gatherings, and includes a Breton Mass at the Notre-Dame des Carmes church.
Sights
- Pont-l'Abbé castle dates from the 14th to the 18th centuries. The "wedding" room is decorated with Mathurin Méheut pieces of art (Sainte-Marine port), Henri Sollier and Jacques Godin. Once bigger, the castle lost its ramparts during the 19th century. Today only the bridge, the keep, and a very small part of the ramparts, in the garden nearby, can be seen. The structure now serves as the city hall, housing also the Bigouden Museum, offering a fine collection of costumes and Bigouden head-dresses,
- Church of Notre-Dame des Carmes dates from 1383-1420 in the Gothic style, with many old statues and a very fine rose window over the high altar that is considered the loveliest in Brittany.
- Church of Lambour (13th-16th century) had its roof removed in 1675 in the reign of Louis XIV in reprisal against the "Red Bonnets" uprising.
- The Monument aux Bigoudens is a masterpiece in granite by François Bazin (1931) and shows a group of four Bigoudène women and a child in traditional costume from the beginning of the 20th century, all of them thinking of a son, a father, a husband or a grandson battling the elements on the high seas.
- The Manoir de Kernuz was restored c. 1850 by the historian of Brittany, Armand du Chatellier.
- The Manoir de Kerazan located between Pont-l'Abbé and Loktudi delivers a fine art of Architecture.
- The Chapel of Treminoù (the missings in Breton) on the road to St-Jean-Trolimon, celebrates the memory of the Breton insurgents slaughtered by the French army of Louis XIV. In particular, A gathering in the last week of September and a funfair festival in the City recalls this period of Brittany's history.
- A few Menhirs still island upright around the city.
- Down to the river by the sea, lies a ria, having given its name to Loktudi (Loch Tudi, the lagoon of Saint Tudi) and Isle Tudi, which shares some beautiful sights.
International relations
Pont-l'Abbé is twinned with:
Personalities
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Répertoire national des élus: les maires. data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 9 August 2021. fr.
- Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue
