Plogonnec (; ) 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 ...

and small town 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 of

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

in north-western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It is about north west of

Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography Th ...

and east of

Douarnenez Douarnenez (, ; meaning ''douar'' (land) ''an enez'' (the island) or land of the island), is a commune in the French department of Finistère, region of Brittany, northwestern France. It is located at the mouth of the Pouldavid River, an estua ...

. The town is twinned with

Llandysul Llandysul is a small town and community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. As a community it consists of the townships of Capel Dewi, Horeb, Pontsian, Pren-gwyn, Tregroes, Rhydowen and the village of Llandysul itself. Llandysul lies in sout ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

Geography

Plogonnec (29) Chapelle Saint-Théleau 09

The town is situated in a hilly area about inland from the fishing port of Douarnenez. Quimper is about to the south east and the N165

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...

to Nantes trunk road lies between Plogonnec and Quimper. The lowest part of the commune is the River Névet, the town is at an altitude of and the commune rises in the north to an altitude of on the slopes of the Montagne de Locronan. Panoramic views to the coast are available from the Montagne du Prieuré. The total area of the commune is around . Much of the land is agricultural but there are several protected areas of woodland. To the west is the extensive Bois du Nevet which offers opportunities for hiking.

History

The Seigneures of Névet headed a clan and were one of the oldest and most influential families in the

Cornouaille Cornouaille (; br, Kernev, Kerne) is a historical region on the west coast of Brittany in West France. The name is cognate with Cornwall in neighbouring Great Britain. This can be explained by the settlement of Cornouaille by migrant princ ...

. Their lands included both the west and east parts of the commune but the central part was under the control of the Princes of the House of Rohan under the direct authority of the Bishops of Cornouaille. At the end of the sixteenth century, the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholics and Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estimates, between two and four mi ...

devastated the parish which was also affected by the Revolt of the Bonnets Rouges in 1675.

Notable buildings

Besides the Church of Saint-Thurien de Plogonnec there are a number of chapels dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. Particularly notable is the Chapel of Saint Théleau the evangelist which is known for its intricate sculptures and is classed as an ancient monument. There are also secular historic buildings in the town including mansions, wash houses, mills and farmhouses. Facilities include primary schools, kindergartens, shops, bars and restaurants.

Twinning

Plogonnec is twinned with

in West Wales, a small town in a similar rural area. The purpose of the twinning is to promote cultural and commercial ties between the two. Members of the communities have exchanged hospitality and have united for various events in both Brittany and Wales.

Population

The population of Plogonnec has varied over the last two centuries between around 2000 inhabitants to its present level of just over 3000, with the highest level of 3365 in 1911. Inhabitants of Plogonnec are called in French ''Plogonnecois(es)'' or ''Plogonistes''.habitants.fr
Retrieved 17 August 2020.

References

*This article incorporates material from the French Wikipedia

External links

Official website
* {{authority control Communes of Finistère