Belle Île
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Belle-Île (), Belle-Île-en-Mer (), or Belle Isle (, ; ) is a French
island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
off the coast 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 the ''
département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
'' of
Morbihan The Morbihan ( , ; ) is a departments of France, department in the administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Gulf of Morbihan, Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton ...
, and the largest of Brittany's islands. It is from the
Quiberon Quiberon (; , ) is a commune in the French department of Morbihan, administrative region of Brittany, western France. It is on the southern part of the Quiberon peninsula, the northern part being the commune of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon. It is ...
peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...
. Administratively, the island is divided into four communes: * Bangor *
Le Palais Le Palais (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is one of the four communes on the island of Belle Île. Geography Le Palais is one of the four communes of Belle île en Mer. It is the most popul ...
* Locmaria * Sauzon Belle-Île formed a canton until 2015 when it was merged into the canton of Quiberon as part of a general overhaul.


Geography

The island measures and has an average elevation of . The area is about . The coasts are a mixture between dangerously sharp cliff edges on the southwest side, the ''Côte Sauvage'' ("wild coast"), and placid beaches, the largest being ''les Grands Sables'' ("the great sands") and navigable harbours on the northeast side. The island's climate is oceanic, having less rain and milder winters than on the mainland. The two main ports are Le Palais (accessible by ferry from Quiberon, Port-Navalo and
Vannes Vannes (; , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Morbihan, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern mainland France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic ...
) and Sauzon (accessible by ferry from Quiberon and
Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...
). There used to be forests on the island, but these have long disappeared due to increasing
agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...
use of the land.


Climate

Belle Île experiences a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
.


Demography

At the 2009 census, the population of Belle Île was 4,920. However, in summer the population may increase to 25,000, with a peak at 35,000 between 15 July and 15 August due to tourist activity.


History

Belle Île was separated from the mainland about 6000 BC, earlier than the neighbouring islands of Houat and Hœdic. Archaeological finds from the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
suggest that the island enjoyed a large increase in population in this time, probably due to improvements in seafaring. It was then a naval base for the Veneti. The
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
name of the island seems to have been ''Vindilis'', which in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
became corrupted to ''Guedel''. During the ninth century Belle-Île belonged to the county of Cornouaille. In 1572, the monks of the abbey of Ste Croix at
Quimperlé Quimperlé (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department, region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France. Geography Quimperlé is in the southeast of Finistère, 20 km t ...
ceded the island to the Retz family, in whose favour it was raised to a marquisate in the following year. It subsequently came into the hands of the family of Fouquet. The island's fortifications were erected by Vauban on behalf of
Nicolas Fouquet Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux (; 27 January 1615 – 23 March 1680) was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV. He had a glittering career, and acquired enormous weal ...
, prior to Fouquet incurring the displeasure of
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
; the land was ceded to the crown in 1718.


Seven Years' War

The island was held by British troops from 1761, following its capture by an expedition sent out from England, to 1763, when it was returned to France in exchange for
Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...
as part of the Peace of Paris. Because of the upheaval from the conflict, half the population had moved back to the mainland and the abandoned lands were offered to the deported
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 ...
who settled here in 1766. The attacks on Belle Île and siege of Belle Île have been described by
Olaudah Equiano Olaudah Equiano (; c. 1745 – 31 March 1797), known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa (), was a writer and abolitionist. According to his memoir, he was from the village of Essaka in present day southern Nigeria. Enslaved as a child in ...
() in his autobiography, '' The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African'', 1789, June 1792. His book was a bestseller in his own time. He became a central figure in the British abolitionist movement, as a forceful abolitionist lecturer, based on his own experiences as a former slave. Equiano gave a detailed eyewitness report of the attacks and siege. Much of the island's current population is descended from repatriated Acadian colonists who returned to France after being expelled from Acadia (1755–1764) during the
Expulsion of the Acadians The Expulsion of the Acadians was the forced removal of inhabitants of the North American region historically known as Acadia between 1755 and 1764 by Great Britain. It included the modern Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Br ...
. Today, Belle-Île's population is about 5,300, and its economy is largely dependent on tourism and fishing.


Culture

During the summer the island's population increases dramatically, as many people own a second home on the island due to its secluded location and beaches. ''Lyrique en Mer/Festival de Belle Île'' is the largest opera festival in western France. Founded in 1998 by American opera singer Richard Cowan, the festival produces two staged operas every summer, conducted by Music Director Philip Walsh and directed by Mr. Cowan, the Artistic Director. Additionally, there are sacred concerts in all four of the island's historic churches, as well as many smaller concerts and Master Classes. ''Lyrique en Mer'' has wide support from the French business community as well as from the '' Conseil Général'', the ''
Conseil Régional A regional council () is the elected assembly of a region of France. History Regional councils were created by law on 5 July 1972. Originally they were simply consultative bodies consisting of the region's parliamentary representatives plus an ...
''.


Depictions

The island has been a popular location for artists. Octave Penguilly L'Haridon's 1859 painting ''Les Petites mouettes'' ("Little Gulls") (1858, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes) depicts the island. It was praised by
Maxime Du Camp Maxime Du Camp (8 February 1822 – 9 February 1894) was a French writer and photographer. Biography Born in Paris, Du Camp was the son of a successful surgeon. After finishing college, he indulged in his strong desire for travel, thanks to ...
and
Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic. His poems are described as exhibiting mastery of rhythm and rhyme, containing an exoticism inherited from the Romantics ...
, who referred to the sense of the uncanny, as though the rocks make "a portal open to infinity...a ''wound'' of white birds, and the solitude!" During the 1870s and 1880s, French
Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
painter
Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...
painted the rock formations at Belle Île. Monet's series of paintings of the rocks at Belle Île astounded the Paris art world when he first exhibited them in 1887. Most notable are the ''Storm, Coast at Belle-Ile'' and ''Cliffs at Belle-Ile'' both rendered in 1886. The first time
Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...
saw the ocean off the Brittany coast he exclaimed, “It’s a Monet." Australian born artist John Russell was a man of means and after his marriage to an Italian woman, Mariana Antoinetta Matiocco, he settled at Belle Île off the coast of Brittany where he established an artists' colony. Russell had met
Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...
in Paris and formed a friendship with him.Ronald Pickvance, ''Van Gogh In Saint-Remy and Auvers'', pp. 62-63, Exhibition catalog, Published:
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
1986,
Van Gogh spoke highly of Russell's work, and after his first summer in
Arles Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...
in 1888 he sent twelve drawings of his paintings to Russell, to inform him about the progress of his work. Monet often worked with Russell at Belle Île and influenced his style, though it has been said that Monet preferred some of Russell's Belle Île seascapes to his own. Russell did not attempt to make his pictures known. In 1897 and 1898
Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...
visited Belle Île. Russell introduced him to impressionism and to the work of Van Gogh (who was relatively unknown at the time). Matisse's style changed radically, and he would later say "Russell was my teacher, and Russell explained colour theory to me."The Unknown Matisse...
ABC Radio National, 8 June 2005
The island is the setting for portions of the novel '' The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later'', Alexandre Dumas père's second sequel to ''
The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...
''. Dumas has his character Aramis fortify the island (in place of Vauban, historically) and
Porthos Porthos, Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds is a fictional character in the novels ''The Three Musketeers'' (1844), '' Twenty Years After'' (1845), and '' The Vicomte de Bragelonne'' (1847–1850) by Alexandre Dumas, père. He and the o ...
dies there, in the caves of Locmaria.


Notable people

*
Laurent Voulzy Lucien Voulzy (, born 18 December 1948), better known as Laurent Voulzy (), is a French singer-songwriter, composer, and musician. Life and career Voulzy was born in Paris, France. He originally led the English-pop-influenced Le Temple de Vénu ...
made the island famous with his song "Belle-Île en Mer - Marie Galante" (1985). *
Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...
bought several properties on Belle-Île in 1894, including a former military fort overlooking Pointe des Poulains


See also

* Tour de Belle-Île


References


External links


Tourist office website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belle Ile Islands of Brittany Landforms of Morbihan Islands of the Bay of Biscay