La Martyre (; ''Ar Merzer in
Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
** Breton people
** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Ga ...
'') is a
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Finistère
Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090. department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
in northwestern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
Population
Inhabitants of La Martyre are called in
French ''Martyriens''.
Sights
The village of La Martyre has one of the oldest parish palisades (
fr), whose construction was undertaken between the 11th and 17th centuries.
History
The village owes its name to the assassination on 25 June 874 of King
Salomon of Brittany, who had sought refuge in the village church. The church was called "la Martyre" (''Ar Merzher'', ''the Martyr'') after its desecration, and the name was taken up by the village. As for the king, he was canonised in 910 for his martyrdom and his virtues.
In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, a prestigious
tulle
Tulle (; ) is a commune in central France. It is the third-largest town in the former region of Limousin and is the capital of the department of Corrèze, in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Tulle is also the episcopal see of the Roman Catho ...
fair took place in La Martyre. In the 15th and 16th centuries this fair saw the most activity. Legend has it that the father of
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
used to frequent these fairs, which no longer take place.
See also
*
Communes of the Finistère department
The following is a list of the 277 communes of the Finistère department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2022):[List of the works of the Maître de Plougastel
This is a listing/"catalogue raisonné" of the works of the Maître de Plougastel and his workshop between 1570 and 1621. The work includes calvaries and crosses, church decoration and some miscellaneous items. His best known work is the Calvary ...]
*
La Martyre Parish close
*
List of works of the two Folgoët ateliers
After little activity in the 13th and 14th centuries, 15th century Brittany was to see a marked renaissance of carving in stone; it was to be a veritable "golden age" and two main workshops emerged, the "grand atelier ducal du Folgoët", called "du ...
References
External links
Official website
*
Communes of Finistère
{{Finistère-geo-stub