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Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère
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 in northwestern France.


Administration

Quimper is the
prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...
(capital) of the Finistère
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, ...
.


Geography

The city was built on the
confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of the
Steir Steir is a surname. People with that name include: * Mitchell S. Steir (born 1955), American real estate broker * Pat Steir (born 1940), American painter and printmaker * Philip Steir Philip Steir is an American drummer, remixer, composer and ...
, Odet and
Jet Jet, Jets, or The Jet(s) may refer to: Aerospace * Jet aircraft, an aircraft propelled by jet engines ** Jet airliner ** Jet engine ** Jet fuel * Jet Airways, an Indian airline * Wind Jet (ICAO: JET), an Italian airline * Journey to Enceladus a ...
rivers. Route National 165, D785, D765 and D783 were constructed to intersect here, northwest of Lorient, west of
Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
, and west-southwest of Paris.


Climate

Quimper has a
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
( Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Quimper 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 February, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Quimper was on 30 June 1976; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 13 January 1987.


Etymology

The name ''Quimper'' comes from the
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 ...
''kemper'', meaning "confluent".


History

Quimper is the ancient capital of Cornouaille, Brittany's most traditional region, and has a distinctive Breton Celtic character. Its name is the Breton word ''kemper'' (cognate to Welsh '' cymer''), meaning "confluence". The town developed at the confluence of the rivers Le Steir and L'Odet. Shops and flags celebrate the region's
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
heritage. Quimper was originally settled during Roman times. By AD 495, the town had become a Bishopric. It subsequently became the capital of the counts of Cornouailles. In the eleventh century, it was united with the Duchy of Brittany. During the War of the Breton Succession (1341–1364), the town suffered considerable ruin. In 1364, the duchy passed to the House of Montfort. The town has a rustic atmosphere, with footbridges spanning the rivers that flow through it. The Church of Locmaria, a Romanesque structure, dates from the eleventh century. The Cathedral of Saint-Corentin, with its Gothic-style façade, was constructed between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is the oldest Gothic structure in lower Brittany. Its two towers are ; its spires were added in the nineteenth century. The fifteenth-century stained glass windows are exceptional. The cathedral is dedicated to Quimper's first bishop, Corentin. To the cathedral's west are the pedestrianised streets of Vieux Quimper (Old Quimper), which have a wide array of crêperies, half-timbered houses, and shops. Near the Episcopal palace, which now holds the Musée départemental Breton (devoted to regional history, archaeology, ethnology and economy) are the ruins of the town's fifteenth-century walls. Nearby is the Musée des beaux-arts de Quimper. The museum has a nineteenth-century façade and an entirely rebuilt interior. It houses a collection of fourteenth to twenty-first century paintings that includes works by
François Boucher François Boucher ( , ; ; 29 September 1703 â€“ 30 May 1770) was a French painter, draughtsman and etcher, who worked in the Rococo style. Boucher is known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories ...
,
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot ( , , ; July 16, 1796 â€“ February 22, 1875), or simply Camille Corot, is a French landscape and portrait painter as well as a printmaker in etching. He is a pivotal figure in landscape painting and his vast ...
,
Jean-Baptiste Oudry Jean-Baptiste Oudry (; 17 March 1686 – 30 April 1755) was a French Rococo painter, engraver, and tapestry designer. He is particularly well known for his naturalistic pictures of animals and his hunt pieces depicting game. His son, Jacques-Ch ...
and Peter Paul Rubens, along with canvases by such Pont-Aven School painters as Émile Bernard, Maurice Denis, Georges Lacombe,
Maxime Maufra Maxime Maufra (17 May 1861 – 23 May 1918) was a French landscape and marine painter, etcher and lithographer. Life Maufra first began painting at 18. He was encouraged to do so by two artists from Nantes such as the brothers Charles Ledu ...
and
Paul Sérusier Paul Sérusier (9 November 1864 – 7 October 1927) was a French painter who was a pioneer of abstract art and an inspiration for the avant-garde Nabis movement, Synthetism and Cloisonnism. Education Sérusier was born in Paris. He studied a ...
. The town's best known product is Quimper faience, tin-glazed pottery. It has been made here since 1690, using bold provincial designs of
Jean-Baptiste Bousquet Jean-Baptiste is a male French name, originating with Saint John the Baptist, and sometimes shortened to Baptiste. The name may refer to any of the following: Persons * Charles XIV John of Sweden, born Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, was King ...
. Quimper has a museum devoted to faience. The town's eating establishments boast some of the best crêpes and cider in Brittany. The town has also been known for copper and bronze work, food items, galvanised ironware, hosiery, leather, paper and woollen goods.


Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Quimper proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Quimper absorbed the former communes of Ergué-Armel, Kerfunteun and Penhars in 1959. Its inhabitants are called ''Quimpérois''.


Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on 6 February 2008, to revive the teaching and use of Breton, the historic Celtic language of the region. In 2008, 4.61% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.


Education

Quimper has several schools. These include two Diwan pre-schools, two Diwan primary schools and one Diwan collège (all specialise in use of Breton). In total, 287 students here attended a Diwan school in 2003–2004.


Winter Festival

Most French festivals are held in the summer season, but Quimper has a Winter Festival: ''Les Hivernautes''. In the summer, you can also find concerts on street corners, with pipers and accordion players.


Local points of interest

* Quimper Cathedral. This cathedral has a remarkable bend in its middle. * churches (Locmaria, Saint-Mathieu, Kerfeunteun, Ergue-Armel...) * an old town centre with mediaeval fortifications and houses * Musée des Beaux-Arts (near the cathedral) * Cornouaille Festival: traditional dance (last week of July) * Faience museum * Statue of Gradlon looking in the direction of Ys at Quimper Cathedral


Transport

Public transport in Quimper is provided by QUB. The network consists of seven urban bus routes and 16 suburban bus routes. During the summer months of July and August, an additional "beach" bus route is open to service. The
Gare de Quimper Quimper is a railway station in Quimper, Brittany, France. The station was opened on 8 September 1863 is located on the Savenay–Landerneau railway. Today, the station is served by TGV (high speed), Intercités (long distance) and TER (local) ser ...
is the terminus of a
TGV The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
high-speed train line from Paris, which passes through
Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
,
Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
and Vannes. Journey duration is approximately 3 hours 40 minutes. In addition, the following destinations are served by the
TER Bretagne TER Bretagne (stylized as ''TER BreizhGo'' since 2018) is the TER regional rail network serving the administrative region of Brittany, in north-west France. Network The rail and bus network as of April 2022:Quimper–Cornouaille Airport Quimper–Bretagne Airport (french: Aéroport de Quimper-Bretagne) , formerly known as Quimper–Cornouaille Airport (french: Aérodrome de Quimper Cornouaille) and Quimper–Pluguffan Airport (french: Aérodrome de Quimper Pluguffan), is an airp ...
has flights to Paris and London City.


Personalities

Quimper was the birthplace of: *
Guillaume Hyacinthe Bougeant Guillaume-Hyacinthe Bougeant, known as le Père Bougeant (4 November 1690, Quimper, Brittany – 17 January 1743, Paris) was a French Jesuit and historian. Bougeant entered the Society of Jesus in 1706, taught classics in the College of Caen an ...
(1690–1743), Jesuit author *
Louis Billouart de Kervaségan, chevalier de Kerlérec Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis ( ...
(1704–1770), last French governor of Louisiana *
René Cardaliaguet René Cardaliaguet (1875–1950) was a French priest and journalist. He was born in Quimper, and died in Bohars. 1875 births 1950 deaths 20th-century French Roman Catholic priests Writers from Quimper {{France-reli-bio-stub ...
(1875-2950), priest and writer * Élie Catherine Fréron (1718–1776), critic and controversialist *
Franciscus Lé Livec de Trésurin Franciscus Lé Livec de Trésurin (1726–1792) was a French Jesuit who was one of the victims of the September Massacres. He was beatified by Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857  ...
(1726–1792), French
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
* Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec (1734–1797), explorer, admiral, discoverer of the Kerguelen archipelago * Rene-Marie Madec (1736–1784), adventurer, Nawab of India. See also
René Madec René ('' born again'' or ''reborn'' in French) is a common first name in French-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and German-speaking countries. It derives from the Latin name Renatus. René is the masculine form of the name (Renée being the feminin ...
*
Guillaume François Laennec Guillaume François Laennec (11 November 1748 – 8 February 1822) was a French physician, and the uncle of René Laennec, who he looked after as a child. References 1748 births 1822 deaths 18th-century French physicians 19th-century ...
(1748–1822), French physician * René Laennec (1781–1826), physician, inventor of the
stethoscope The stethoscope is a medical device for auscultation, or listening to internal sounds of an animal or human body. It typically has a small disc-shaped resonator that is placed against the skin, and one or two tubes connected to two earpieces. ...
*
Max Jacob Max Jacob (; 12 July 1876 – 5 March 1944) was a French poet, painter, writer, and critic. Life and career After spending his childhood in Quimper, Brittany, he enrolled in the Paris Colonial School, which he left in 1897 for an artistic ca ...
(1876–1944), poet, painter, writer and critic *
Corentin Louis Kervran Corentin Louis Kervran (3 March 1901 – 2 February 1983) was a French scientist. Kervran was born in Quimper, Finistère (Brittany), and received a degree as an engineer in 1925. In World War II he was part of the French Resistance. Kervran propo ...
(1901-1983), scientist * Philippe Poupon (born 1954), sailor * OBE Hélène Mansfield, Croesyceiliog Head Teacher * William Stanger (born 1985), footballer *
Jean Failler Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...
, writer (The Adventures of
Mary Lester Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also cal ...
) *
Jacques Villeglé Jacques Villeglé, born Jacques Mahé de la Villeglé (27 March 1926 – 6 June 2022) was a French mixed-media artist and affichiste famous for his alphabet with symbolic letters and decollage with ripped or lacerated posters. He was a membe ...
(b. 1926), mixed-media artist *
Jean-Claude Andro Jean-Claude Andro (1937, Quimper – 2000) was a French writer. He published his first novel at 22 and then left to teach in Mexico (1960–62). He then pursued a career as a novelist and translator (''Zone sacrée'' and ''Chant des aveugles'' by C ...
(1937–2000), novelist *
Jessica Cérival Jessica Cérival (born 20 January 1982 in Quimper, Finistère) is a French track and field athlete who specialises in the shot put. She attended her first major competition in 2007, the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships, and sh ...
(born 1982), athlete *
Jean-Michel Moal Jean-Michel is a French masculine given name. It may refer to : * Jean-Michel Arnold, General Secretary of the Cinémathèque Française * Jean-Michel Atlan (1913–1960), French artist * Jean-Michel Aulas (born 1949), French businessman * Jean-Mi ...
, accordionist of Red Cardell * Dan Ar Braz (b. 1949), guitarist *
Charlie Le Gars Charlie may refer to: Characters * "Charlie," the head of the Townsend Agency', from the ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise * Charlie, a character on signs for the CharlieCard, a smart card issued by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority * ...
(1989-), champion de bras de fer 2012, CBFRT Championnat de Bras de Fer des routiers tatoués médaille d'or 2012


Twin towns – sister cities

Quimper is twinned with: * Limerick, Ireland * Remscheid, Germany * Laurium, Greece *
Ourense Ourense (; es, Orense ) is a city and capital of the province of Ourense, located in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, northwestern Spain. It is on the Camino Sanabrés path of the Way of St ...
, Spain * Yantai, China *
Foggia Foggia (, , ; nap, label= Foggiano, Fògge ) is a city and former ''comune'' of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known ...
, Italy


See also

* Ys * Quimper faience * Communes of the Finistère department * François Bazin (sculptor) *
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 ...
*"
List of the works of Charles Cottet depicting scenes of Brittany Charles Cottet (21 July 1863 – 25 September 1925) was a French painter. He was born in Le Puy-en-Velay and died in Paris. Biographical detail Although not born in Brittany it was a visit there in 1886 that led to a life-time fascination wit ...
" * Lionel Floch * Henri Alphonse Barnoin *
Henri Guinier Henri Guinier (20 November 1867, Paris - 10 October 1927, Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a French portrait and landscape painter. Biography Due to his father's pressure, he joined the "École des Arts et Métiers" (Arts and Sciences) of Châlons-sur-M ...


References


External links


Official city council's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quimper Communes of Finistère Prefectures in France