Road Map Brittany (AA Touring Map France 01): No. 1

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Belle-Île-en-Mer is the largest of the Breton islands but is still only 17 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide. The island's name translates to "Beautiful Island in the Sea," fitting of its sublime natural setting on the Quiberon Bay of Brittany's southwest coast. Locronan is a destination for a special type of Breton pardons (pilgrimage festivals) called a " troménie." The Grande Troménie pardon is held here in July every six years. Similar to a pilgrimage, the Grande Troménie is a 12-kilometer religious procession during which thousands of believers participate in walking prayer. A smaller troménie is held every year. This area was also affected by the Bagaudae (also spelled bacaudae) during this period, which were groups of peasant insurgents.

Brittany ( / ˈ b r ɪ t ən i/; French: Bretagne [bʁətaɲ] ⓘ; Breton: Breizh, pronounced [bʁɛjs] or [bʁɛx]; [1] Gallo: Bertaèyn or Bertègn [bəʁtaɛɲ]) 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 during the period of Roman occupation. It became an independent kingdom and then a duchy before being united with the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province governed as a separate nation under the crown. 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. [c] 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.Surrounded by a tree-shaded parkland, the Château de Rochefort-en-Terre has all the elements of a medieval castle. However, it's actually a 17th-century horse stables that was updated in the 20th century. (The ruins of the original château are found on the grounds.) A formal French garden surrounds the château. Visitors will delight in wandering the perfectly manicured tree-lined lawns and rose garden with 40 different heirloom varieties. The grounds also include a romantic English garden full of lush flowering vegetation, with a picnic area and benches for relaxation. Also in Locmariaquer, the "Table des Marchands, " features enigmatic engravings, and the "Tumulus d'Er-Grah" is a Neolithic monument from 5,000 BCE. When the region of Brittany was created, several local politicians opposed the exclusion of Loire-Atlantique, and the question still remains. 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]

Economy [ edit ] RMS Queen Mary 2, once the world's largest passenger ship, was built in Saint-Nazaire. 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, 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 are located in Upper Brittany, thus not in the Breton speaking area.Nature is the main attraction of visiting Île d'Ouessant, especially along the island's coastal paths. Île d'Ouessant is known for its indigenous sheep, and the island also has about 400 different species of birds. The best beaches are around the island's main village, Lampaul. The 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.