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Janzé (,
Gallo Gallo may refer to: *Related to Gaul: ** Gallo-Roman culture **Gallo language, a regional language of France **Gallo-Romance, a branch of Romance languages **Gallo-Italic or Gallo-Italian language, a branch spoken in Northern Italy of the Romance ...
: ''Janzae'') 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
Ille-et-Vilaine Ille-et-Vilaine (; br, Il-ha-Gwilen) is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named after the two rivers of the Ille and the Vilaine. It had a population of 1,079,498 in 2019.
department in
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 northwestern
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 also the seat of the Canton of Janzé. The inhabitants of Janzé are called ''Janzéens'' in French. Early historical evidence points to the settlement of the area by Gallic tribes before the Roman occupation. Two Christian
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
es were established in the 11th and 13th centuries. After the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
, Janzé became an important center of agriculture and commerce and is currently well known for its poultry industry. Among its sites of interest are two official French Historical Monuments (): the
menhir A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be found ...
called The Fairies' Rock () and the Church of Saint Martin ().


Geography

Janzé is located approximately 16 miles southeast of Rennes, the capital of Brittany, at the junction of highways D41 and D777. The countryside is hilly and dotted with farms, orchards and small woods.


History

Beginning with the Roman occupation of
Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
up to the 10th century, Janzé was called Janziacum. The name is thought to come perhaps from the
gallo language Gallo is a regional language of eastern Brittany. It is one of the langues d'oïl, a Romance sub-family that includes French. Today it is spoken only by a minority of the population, as the standard form of French now predominates in this are ...
word "jan" (a type of shrub) or from the name of the Roman god Janus or from Gennitius (a Gallo-Roman name) plus the suffix -acum. The name changed to Janzéium, Janzay or Janzey and then finally to Janzé from 1216 on. The existence of menhirs in the area of modern-day Janzé is an indication that Gallic tribes settled in the area long before the arrival of the Romans in
Armorica Armorica or Aremorica (Gaulish: ; br, Arvorig, ) is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul between the Seine and the Loire that includes the Brittany Peninsula, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic Coast ...
. Beginning in 58 BC, the Romans occupied the area known as
Gallia Celtica Gallia Celtica, meaning "Celtic Gaul" in Latin, was a cultural region of Gaul inhabited by Celts, located in what is now France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the west bank of the Rhine in Germany. According to the Roman ethnography and Julius Ca ...
for some 400 years. During this time,
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
was introduced by monks from the
Marmoutier Abbey, Tours Marmoutier Abbey — also known as the Abbey of Marmoutier or Marmoutiers — was an early monastery outside Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France. In its later days it followed the Benedictine order as an influential monastery with many dependencies. Hi ...
. The parish of Saint-Martin was established by the Abbey by the end of the 11th century. Another parish, Saint-Pierre, was founded sometime before 1216. In the Middle Ages, Janzé was controlled by the nobility of the nearby town of
Brie Brie (; ) is a soft cow's-milk cheese named after Brie, the French region from which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern ''département'' of Seine-et-Marne). It is pale in color with a slight grayish tinge under a rind of white mo ...
. During the French Revolution, the clerics of Saint-Martin agreed to swear allegiance to the new government, but the priests of Saint-Pierre refused, so the two parishes were combined under the name of Saint-Martin. In the 19th century, a new parish church was built and given the name Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (). It is now one of 13 churches in the Parish of Saint Anne in Janzé (). After the Revolution, Janzé was an important market for
sailcloth Sailcloth encompasses a wide variety of materials that span those from natural fibers, such as flax, hemp or cotton in various forms of sail canvas, to synthetic fibers, including nylon, polyester, aramids, and carbon fibers in a variety of wov ...
produced from hemp grown in the surrounding countryside. It also became famous for
poularde Poularde is culinary term for a chicken that is at least 120 days old at the time of slaughter and fattened with a rich diet that delays egg production. In the past it was common to spay the chickens early in life to ensure desirable meat qual ...
s, which by 1900 were being served on transatlantic sailing ships. Other notable agricultural products included grain - rye, wheat, oats and buckwheat - and apples used to make cider. A station on the Rennes-Châteaubriant rail line was opened in 1881. This enabled the town to expand its markets toward the south. During
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, 187 men of Janzé were killed in battle. A war memorial () in their honor was erected in 1920. Later, 20 names of soldiers fallen during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
were added, along with five names from the
Indochina Wars The Indochina Wars ( vi, Chiến tranh Đông Dương) was a series of wars which were waged in Southeast Asia from 1946 to 1991, by communist Indochinese forces (mainly the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) against anti-communist forces (mainly Fr ...
and the Algerian War. Janzé was occupied by the Germans during World War II from 18 June 1940 until 3 August 1944, when the town was liberated by the American army. Janzé continues to be a center of agriculture and commerce in Brittany. In addition to grains and apple cider, farmers became known for their dairy and other agricultural products. The local poultry industry goes back at least to the 18th century, when the black chickens of the area were mentioned in a Breton dictionary. In 1980 the Janzé Poultry Association () was created, and the first Label Rouge (Red Label) indicating a superior product was awarded. By 1996, the association achieved the status of Protected
Geographical Indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
or IGP ( :fr:Indication géographique protégée) reflecting the importance of the Janzé brand. Most recently, the farmers began offering organic poultry following strict guidelines. With the increasing interest in organic farming, it was discovered that the black chickens of Janzé are particularly good at eating insects that can decimate orchards, thus avoiding the need for chemical pesticides.


Language and culture

The traditional culture of Brittany remains important to the inhabitants of the region. Before the introduction of compulsory education in French, the Breton language was widely spoken in the western part of the region, while the Latinate
Gallo language Gallo is a regional language of eastern Brittany. It is one of the langues d'oïl, a Romance sub-family that includes French. Today it is spoken only by a minority of the population, as the standard form of French now predominates in this are ...
was typically spoken in the eastern part around Rennes, which includes Janzé. Gallo is currently spoken by some 28,000 people, mostly in rural areas. As the French language gained dominance throughout the country, local dialects like Gallo came to be called
Patois ''Patois'' (, pl. same or ) is speech or language that is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. As such, ''patois'' can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects or vernaculars, but not commonly to jargon o ...
. The word ''patois'' tends to have a pejorative meaning because these dialects were typically associated with uneducated rural classes, in contrast with the dominant "
prestige language Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...
" (
Standard French Standard French (in French: ''le français standard'', ''le français normé'', ''le français neutre'' eutral Frenchor ''le français international'' nternational French is an unofficial term for a standard variety of the French language. It ...
) spoken by the upper classes in cities, or as used in literature and formal settings. However, it can be argued that the local languages retained their "old" words and pronunciations simply because the way of life in the countryside stayed much the same over the centuries.


Population


Administration

Janzé is the seat of the Canton of Janzé, which from 1801 to 2014 included six communes. In 2015, the canton was expanded to include ten communes. The commune of Janzé is part of the Roche aux Fées
Communauté de communes A ''communauté de communes'' (, "community of communes") is a federation of municipalities (communes) in France. It forms a framework within which local tasks are carried out together. It is the least-integrated form of ''intercommunalité'' (in ...
, which is made up of 16 communes. As of 2020, the current mayor of Janzé is Hubert Paris. The deputy mayors are François Goiset, Anne Joulain, Pierric Morel, Elisabeth Barre-Villeneuve, Dominique Cornillaud, Isabelle Ceze, Jean-Paul Botrel, and Martine Pigeon.


Education

There are six schools (private and public) in Janzé.


Transport

*Bus service to Rennes and nearby smaller cities is provided by the regional transportation service BreizhGo. * SNCF (the French national railway company) provides service to Rennes through its
Transport express régional Transport express régional (, usually shortened to TER) is the brand name used by the SNCF, the French national railway company, to denote rail service run by the regional councils of France, specifically their organised transport authorities. T ...
or TER network. The
Gare de Rennes Rennes station ( French: ''Gare de Rennes'') is situated in the town centre of Rennes, France. It is situated on the Paris–Brest, Rennes–Saint-Malo and the Rennes–Redon railways. The station at Rennes was opened in 1857, and was situat ...
, a major railway station, provides high-speed rail service to Paris and other cities in France, plus regional service throughout Brittany. *The nearest airport is Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport, approximately 17 miles from Janzé.


Sites of interest

*The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (). From 1874 to 1885, a
neo-Romanesque Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
church designed by architects Jules and Henri Mellet was built to replace the old church of Saint-Martin that dated from the Middle Ages. The church was designated as an official in 2016 under the name Eglise Saint-Martin. *War Memorial (). Installed in 1920 to honor local soldiers who died in World War I, the memorial features a
Gallic rooster The Gallic rooster (french: le coq gaulois) is a national symbol of France as a nation, as opposed to Marianne representing France as a state and its values: the Republic. The rooster is also the symbol of the Wallonia region and the French Commu ...
and also includes the names of the fallen from World War II, the Indochina Wars and the Algerian War. *The Château de la Franceule. A
priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...
existed in this location dating back to the 12th century. When the building was destroyed by fire in 1905, the owner built the current brick and stone chateau, which now belongs to the sisters of Saint-Cyr. This building is indexed in the
Base Mérimée The ''Base Mérimée'' is the database of French monumental and architectural heritage, created and maintained by the French Ministry of Culture. It was created in 1978, and placed online in 1995. The database is periodically updated, and contains ...
, a database of architectural heritage maintained by the
French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visua ...
, under the reference IA35046234. *Gristmill at la Franceule. The existence of a mill on the Seiche River at La Franceule dates back to at least 1280. Beginning in the early 19th century, the mill had a paddle wheel measuring 6 meters in diameter and 2.50 meters wide. This paddle wheel, which is still in place, originally drove two stone grindstones. A steam engine was added in 1875. This was replaced by a gas engine in 1925, then by an electric motor in 1942. The stone grindstones were replaced by a mechanism in steel. The mill was used until 1995. The facility is currently used as an animal feed factory. The mill is listed in the Base Mérimée under the reference IA35000529. *The Château de la Jaroussaye. Parts of the building were built in the 15th century. It currently houses the MFR () agricultural trade school. The main building is listed in the Base Mérimée under the reference IA35046299. *La Pierre des Fées. A large (14 feet tall) purple schist
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...
menhir or "standing stone" located 3 miles southwest of the town of Janzé. The menhir was designated as an official in 1963.


Gallery

File:Janzé Eglise 20070408.jpg, Church File:Janzé-35-mémorial-01.jpg, War Memorial File:Gare-Janzé-2014 01.JPG, Railway Station File:Janze Chateau de la Franceule.jpg, Chateau de la Franceule File:Janzé - Pierre des Fées 03.JPG, Pierre des Fées Menhir File:Noire Janzé Bintinais.JPG, Janzé Black Chicken


Notable people

* Éric Besnard (born 1961), sportscaster * Pierre-Aristide Bréal (1905–1990), film writer * Hervé Gauthier (born 1949), footballer and coach * Jean Jouzel (born 1947), glaciologist and climatologist * Jérôme Julien Marie Louis de La Morinière (1790-1849). Named Superior General of the
Congregation of Jesus and Mary The Congregation of Jesus and Mary (), abbreviated CIM also known as the Eudists (Latin: ''Congregatio Eudistarum''), is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men in the Catholic Church. It was established in March 25, 1643 by Sain ...
(Eudists) in 1830. Co-founder of the Collège-Lycée Saint-Martin (secondary school) in Rennes. * Paul Rolland (1951-2015), teacher and cofounder of community radio station Zénith FM. * Victor Rossignol, priest of the parish of Saint-Martin from 1871 until his death in 1902. He oversaw the construction of the current church and is buried near the altar.


See also

*
Communes of the Ille-et-Vilaine department The following is a list of the 333 communes of the Ille-et-Vilaine department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020):Cantons of France The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's departments and arrondissements. Apart from their role as organizational units in relation to certain aspects of the administration of public services and justice, ...
*
Communauté de communes A ''communauté de communes'' (, "community of communes") is a federation of municipalities (communes) in France. It forms a framework within which local tasks are carried out together. It is the least-integrated form of ''intercommunalité'' (in ...


References


External links


Official website

Roche aux Fées Communauté

BreizhGo Regional Transportation Authority

Inventaire et Valorisation du Patrimoine de Bretagne

French Ministry of Culture list of Historical Monuments for Janzé

Inventaire des monuments mégalithiques du département d'Ille-et-Vilaine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Janze Communes of Ille-et-Vilaine