Morlaix (; , ) is a commune in the

Finistère Finistère (, ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. Its prefecture is Quimper and its largest city is Brest, France, Brest. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.department of

Brittany Brittany ( ) 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 Duch ...

in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.

History

The Battle of Morlaix, part of the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

, was fought near the town on 30 September 1342 between the English under William de Bohun, Earl of Northampton and the French under

Charles, Duke of Brittany Charles of Blois-Châtillon (131929 September 1364), nicknamed "the Saint", was the legalist Duke of Brittany from 1341 until his death, via his marriage to Joan of Penthièvre, Joan, Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Penthièvre, holding th ...

. The result was an English victory and has been viewed by

historians A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

as presaging the battle tactics of the

Battle of Crécy The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a French army commanded by King PhilipVI and an English army led by King Edward III. The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France ...

four years later.

Leisure and tourism

The old quarter of the town has winding streets of cobbled stones and overhanging houses constructed of stone and timber. Many have religious and secular sculptures on their façades. One of these houses is "la Maison dite de la duchesse Anne", or the "so-called Duchess Anne’s house", which is now a museum, open to the public. This house is said to be one of the oldest in the town. Local legend has it that it derives its name from the fact that the Duchesse

Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She was the only woman to have been queen consort of Fran ...

visited the house during her Tro Breizh pilgrimage. This seems unlikely, though, as construction on the house started in the 1520s and

died in 1514. Th
Museum of the Jacobins
in Morlaix, housed in a former convent, traces the history of Finistère. Morlaix is a popular location for sea sports enthusiasts with a diverse array of activities on offer including surfing, sand buggying and kite flying. Visitors can also find beautiful coastal paths for walks. Inland activities include bowling, golf, horse-riding and many more. There are also a cinema and a swimming pool.

Marina

A tidal river that almost completely dries out at low tide reaches the town of Morlaix where there is a

lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...

into a marina.Introduction to the Port of Morlaix – Plaisance Baie de Morlaix
, Retrieved on 20 May 2013.

Transport

* Morlaix Railway Station is served by TGV on the Paris–Brest railway. Immediately adjacent to the station is the Viaduc de Morlaix, built in 1861–1863, and a national historic monument. * Morlaix is served by the Morlaix Ploujean Airport.

Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan concerning the

Breton language Breton (, , ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic languages, Celtic language group spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic language still widely in use on the European mainland, albei ...

through

Ya d'ar brezhoneg (, ) is a campaign started in the 21st century by the () to promote and stimulate the use of the Breton language in daily life in Brittany, northwestern France. Breton is a Brythonic Celtic language which has fallen out of general use since the ...

on 27 June 2008. In 2008, 6.45% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools. The Diwan school in Morlaix, founded around 1988, was originally located in very old apartments. In January 2008, the mayor offered the Diwan school a move to a more suitable location, an empty school. In June 2008, the new mayor decided that the Diwan school should move location once again. The town council wanted to use their building to open a new public school. However, the replacement building chosen for the Diwan school was in a very bad shape.

Population

Inhabitants of Morlaix are called in French ''Morlaisiens''.

Economy

Brit Air, a regional airline and

Air France Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...

subsidiary, is at Morlaix Airport in Morlaix. In 2013 the airline merged with

HOP! Air France Hop, formerly branded HOP!, is a French regional airline operating flights on behalf of its parent company Air France. The airline was founded on 21 December 2012 after the merger of Airlinair, Brit Air and Régional brands. Its hea ...

Air France Launches New Low-Cost Airline 'Hop!'
." ''

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

''. 26 March 2013. Retrieved on 26 April 2013.

Education

Morlaix has six public primary schools, four private primary schools,Education – Jeunesse
" Morlaix. Retrieved on September 5, 2016. three public junior high schools, two public senior high schools/sixth-form colleges,Les collèges et lycées publics
" Morlaix. Retrieved on September 5, 2016. two private junior high schools, and one public senior high/sixth-form.Les collèges et lycées privés
" Morlaix. Retrieved on September 5, 2016. Public schools: * Preschools and elementary schools: Corentin-Caer, Emlie-Cloarec, Gambetta (separate preschool and elementary schools), Jean-Jaures (separate preschool and elementary schools), Jean-Piaget, and Poan Ben (separate preschool and elementary schools)Les établissements scolaires morlaisiens
" Morlaix. Retrieved on September 5, 2016. * Junior high schools: Collège du Château, College Mendes-France, College Tanguy-Prient * Senior high schools: Lycée Agricole de Suscinio and Lycée Tristan-Corbière Private schools: * Preschools and elementary schools: Diwan, Notre Dame de Loures, Notre Dame de Ploujean, and Saint-Joseph * Junior high schools: College Saint-Augustin, College Saint-Joseph * Senior high school: Ensemble Scolaire Le Porsmeur – Notre Dame du Mur

Climate

Morlaix has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Morlaix is . The average annual rainfall is with December 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 Morlaix was on 18 July 2006; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 19 February 1985.

Personalities

;born in the 15th century * Jean Coatanlem (circa 1455–1492), corsair and admiral of Portugal. * Nicolas Coetanlem (1460–1519), merchant and sailor, nephew of the former. ;born in the 16th century * Albert Le Grand (1599-1641), hagiographer ;born in the 18th century * Lannux de la Chaume family, merchants, shipowners, financiers, mayor of Morlaix, consulates of Spain in France before the Revolution. * Nicolas Anthon (1714–v.1753), corsair of the port of Morlaix born in Roscoff, captain of the Comtesse de La Marck and the Comte de Saint Pern. * Charles Cornic (1731–1809), corsair. * Michel Behic (1736–1827), merchant, financier, revolutionary, mayor of Morlaix. * Joseph Gueguen (1741–1825), domestic, secretary, interpreter, translator, merchant and justice, born in Morlaix, died in Cocagne (New-Brunswick). * Armand Joseph Dubernad (1743–1799), merchant, financier, revolutionary. * Louis-Alexandre Expilly de la Poipe (1743–1794), French first constitutional bishop, bishop of Cornwall, guillotined on 22 May 1794 in Brest with . * Jean Nicolas Anthon (1747–1790), privateer corsair, captain of the Count of Guichen (1781, shipowner Jean Diot), captured by the English, imprisoned in Falmouth, escaped, resumed activity as captain of the ''Éclipse'' based in

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

and in the merchant navy. * Jean Augustin Masson (1749–1808), general of the armies of the Republic and the Empire, who died in this city. * Yves-Joseph Le Denmat de Kervern (1751–1794), a lawyer in the Parlement of Rennes, mayor of Morlaix in 1790, guillotined on 22 May 1794 in Brest with 26 directors of Finistère. * Jean Victor Marie Moreau (1763–1813), born in Morlaix, General of the Revolution, winner of Hohenlinden,

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

of Russia posthumously, marshall of France posthumously. * Joseph Marie Moreau (1764–1849), born and died in Morlaix, brother of the general, lawyer, tribun, deputy head of the Post, député for

Ille-et-Vilaine Ille-et-Vilaine (; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Ill-e-Vilaenn'', ) is a departments of France, department of France, located in the regions of France, region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named a ...

. * Charles Yves César Cyr du Coëtlosquet (1783-1837), general of the armies of the Republic and the Empire. * Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen (1790), admiral. * Édouard Corbière (1793–1875), sailor, writer, journalist and shipowner. * Joseph Coat (1798–1858), born in Saint-Mathieu (Morlaix) and died in Morlaix; worker and author of a large amount of original Breton tragedies. Founded in Morlaix a troupe of folk theater, father of the poet-worker Vincent Coat (1845-1908), born in Morlaix. * Auguste Barchou de Penhoën, (1799–1855), born in Morlaix, Staff Captain, man of letters, deputy of Finistère. * Jean-Louis Le Loutre (1709-1772), Catholic priest and leader of

Acadians The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French colonial empire, French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern Americ ...

during

Father Le Loutre's War Father Le Loutre's War (1749–1755), also known as the Indian War, the Mi'kmaq War and the Anglo-Mi'kmaq War, took place between King George's War and the French and Indian War in Acadia and Nova Scotia. On one side of the conflict, the Kingdo ...

and the Acadian Exodus. ;born in the 19th century Plaque Louis Le Guennec

Émile Souvestre Émile Souvestre (15 April 18065 July 1854) was a Breton novelist who was a native of Morlaix, Brittany. Initially unsuccessful as a writer of drama, he fared better as a novelist (he wrote a sci-fi novel, ''Le Monde Tel Qu'il Sera'') and as a r ...

(1806–1854), writer born in Morlaix, Prix de l'Académie française in 1854. * Arthur-Marie Le Hir (1811–1868), born in Morlaix,

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and Hebraist,

Ernest Renan Joseph Ernest Renan (; ; 27 February 18232 October 1892) was a French Orientalist and Semitic scholar, writing on Semitic languages and civilizations, historian of religion, philologist, philosopher, biblical scholar, and critic. He wrote wo ...

's master. * Marie Bracquemond, impressionist artist (1840–1916). *

Tristan Corbière Tristan Corbière (18 July 1845 – 1 March 1875), born Édouard-Joachim Corbière, was a French poet born in Coat-Congar, Ploujean (now part of Morlaix) in Brittany, where he lived most of his life before dying of tuberculosis at the age of ...

(1845–1875), poet, Édouard Corbière's son. His bust, by Cyril de La Patellière is in the Bibliothèque des Amours Jaunes. * Vincent Coat (1845–1908), born in Morlaix. Breton poet and worker at the Tobacco Factory, son of Joseph Coat (1798-1858), born and died in Morlaix, author of many tragedies and worker. * Gabriel Pierné (1863–1937), composer and organ player. * Paul Sérusier (1864–1927), post-impressionist painter and Nabi. * Joseph Pleyber (1866-1947), architect. *

Maxime Weygand Maxime Weygand (; 21 January 1867 – 28 January 1965) was a French military commander in World War I and World War II, as well as a high ranking member of the Vichy France, Vichy regime. Born in Belgium, Weygand was raised in France and educate ...

(1867–1965), general, had a manor in Morlaix and is buried at St. Charles Cemetery. * Jules Boucherit (1877–1962), violinist, born in Morlaix, professor at the Paris Conservatory, named "Just" by the State of Israel for harboring his students between 1941 and 1944. * Guillaume Seznec (1878–1954), lived in Morlaix,

Lurs The Lurs, Lors or Luris () are an Iranian people living in western and southern Iran. The four Luri branches are the Bakhtiari, Mamasani, Kohgiluyeh and Lur proper, who are principally linked by the Luri language. Lorestan province is name ...

sawmill master. * Magdeleine Boucherit Le Faure (1879–1960), his sister, pianist and composer. * Louis Le Guennec (1878–1935), writer and artist. * Nina Ricci (1882–1970), couturière from Italy * Francis Gourvil (1889–1984), writer and resistant. * Léon Le Janne, (1894–1976), MD, resistant ("Commandant Noël"), auxiliary doctor in the 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment in 1914–1918, commander of the secret army Libé Nord Morlaix and its region during World War II. * Jean Marie Colcanap (1896) Born in Morlaix. Officer French Colonial Army. Distinguished career in Madagascar. Amateur naturalist who made significant geological and paleontological discoveries. Source: Archives of Societe Historique de la Defense, Chateau Vincennes, Paris. ;born in the 20th century *

Jean Nicolas Jean Édouard Marie Nicolas (9 June 1913 – 8 September 1978) was a French international footballer. Born in Nanterre, Nicolas played club football for FC Rouen, and appeared in the 1934 and 1938 World Cup squads for France France, o ...

, (1901–1984), born in Morlaix, Catholic priest and missionary in the Soviet Union. *

Henri Rol-Tanguy Henri Rol-Tanguy (; 12 June 1908 – 8 September 2002) was a French Communism, communist and leader in the French Resistance, Resistance against Nazi Germany in World War II. At his death ''The New York Times'' called him "one of France's mo ...

(1908–2002), communist resistant, colonel commanding the FFI during the Liberation of Paris. * Joseph Kerharo (1909–1986), pharmacologist and

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

, born in Morlaix. * Michel Mohrt (1914–2011), writer, born in Morlaix, Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française in 1962 and member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

from 1985 to his death. * Pierre Le Gourierec (1920–1942), born in Morlaix, KIA in Bir Hakeim, Compagnon de la Libération. * Julien Guiomar (1928–2010), actor born in Morlaix, died in Monpazier (Dordogne). * Jean Roudaut (1929–), writer born in Morlaix. *

Paco Rabanne Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo (18 February 1934 – 3 February 2023), more commonly known under the pseudonym of Paco Rabanne (; ), was a Spanish-born naturalised-French fashion designer. Rabanne rose to prominence as an ''enfant terrible'' of ...

(1934–), stylist, spent part of his childhood in Morlaix. * Jean-Loup Chrétien (1938–), astronaut. * Brigitte Fontaine (1939–) singer, author, writer, poet and actress. * Dominique Lavanant (1944–), actress, born in Morlaix. * Patrick Le Roux (1943–), historian * Jean-Michel Caradec (1946–1981), singer-songwriter. * Marylise Lebranchu (1947–) woman politician born in Loudéac (22), mayor of Morlaix (1995–1997), président of Morlaix Communauté (1995–2003), secrétaire d'État (1997–2000), Justice Ministry (2000–2002), vice-présidente de la région Bretagne (2004-2010), MP (1997-), ministre de la Réforme de l'État, de la Décentralisation et de la Fonction Publique (2012-). * Gérard Delahaye (1948–), singer-songwriter and singer for children. *

Miou-Miou Sylvette Herry (born 22 February 1950), known professionally as Miou-Miou (), is a French actress. A ten-time César Award nominee, she won the César Award for Best Actress for the 1979 film ''Memoirs of a French Whore''. Her other films inclu ...

(1950–), actress, her grandparents lived in Plouénan. * Erril Laugier (1952–2014), pastel impressionist painter, ''Maître-Pastelliste de France'' and ''Ambassadeur Canson'', lived in Morlaix from 1978 to 1986, and died there 6 December 2014. * Jean-Philippe Quignon (1961–2012), journalist at '' Télégramme'' local newspaper and vice president of the festival des Vieilles Charrues in Carhaix-Plouguer. * Agnès Le Brun (1961–), woman politician mayor of Morlaix since 2008 and MEP since 2011. * El Globos (1964–), French designer, creator of the brand . * Françoise Jézéquel (1970–), football player * Éric Digaire (1972–), musician, member of Matmatah. * Clarisse Lavanant (1979–), singer-songwriter. * Renan Luce (1980–), singer-songwriter, youth spent in Quelern, in Plourin-lès-Morlaix. * Énora Malagré (1980–), TV and radio host. *

Tepr Yelle is a French Electronic music, electronic band founded by lead singer and namesake Yelle (Julie Budet) and GrandMarnier (Jean-François Perrier). A third member, Tepr (Tanguy Destable), joined the band before the recording of their debut a ...

(1980–), author of electronic music.

Twin towns – sister cities

Morlaix is twinned with: *

Truro Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...

, England, United Kingdom (1979) * Würselen, Germany (1976) In addition, Morlaix cooperates with Réo, Burkina Faso.

Gallery

File:Morlaix_Viaduc.jpg, Morlaix viaduct File:Maison_dite_de_la_duchesse_Anne_–_Morlaix.2.jpg, House known as ‘Duchess Anne’s House’ File:Morlaix-20060524-008.jpg, Pondalez house museum File:Morlaix-20060524-012.jpg, Hillside view of the viaduct File:Baie de morlaix.jpg, Bay of Morlaix with the Château du Taureau

References

External links

Official website

Morlaix Museum website

House known as ‘Duchess Anne’s House’ website
*
Morlaix Cultural heritage

Truro-Morlaix Twinning Association
*
Mayors of Finistère Association
{{Authority control Communes of Finistère Subprefectures in France