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Janzé (, Gallo: ''Janzae'') is a commune in the
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 ...
department in
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 France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. 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 A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
es were established in the 11th and 13th centuries. After the French Revolution, 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 upright stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Br ...
called The Fairies' Rock () and the Church of Saint Martin ().


Geography

Janzé is located approximately 16 miles southeast of
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
, 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 () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...
up to the 10th century, Janzé was called Janziacum. The name is thought to come perhaps from the
gallo language Gallo ( endonym: ''Galo''; ) 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 n ...
word "jan" (a type of shrub) or from the name of the Roman god
Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janus (''Ianu ...
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 In ancient times, Armorica or Aremorica (Gaulish: ; ; ) was a region of Gaul between the Seine and the Loire that includes the Brittany Peninsula, and much of historical Normandy. Name The name ''Armorica'' is a Latinized form of the Gauli ...
. Beginning in 58 BC, the Romans occupied the area known as Gallia Celtica for some 400 years. During this time,
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
was introduced by monks from the Marmoutier Abbey, Tours. 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. 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 produced from
hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...
grown in the surrounding countryside. It also became famous for poulardes, which by 1900 were being served on transatlantic sailing ships. Other notable agricultural products included
grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...
- rye, wheat, oats and buckwheat - and apples used to make
cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...
. 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
were added, along with five names from the Indochina Wars and the
Algerian War The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...
. 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 or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is inten ...
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 The culture of Brittany is the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with the historical region of Brittany in northwestern France and the Breton people. Breton culture has been influenced by various local and nearby traditions over t ...
remains important to the inhabitants of the region. Before the introduction of
compulsory education Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all people and is imposed by the government. This education may take place at a registered school or at home or other places. Compulsory school attendance or compulsory sc ...
in French, 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 ...
was widely spoken in the western part of the region, while the Latinate
Gallo language Gallo ( endonym: ''Galo''; ) 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 n ...
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 French ( or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-R ...
gained dominance throughout the country, local dialects like Gallo came to be called
Patois ''Patois'' (, 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 or sl ...
. 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 may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband * ''The Prestige'' (film), a 2006 American thriller direct ...
" (
Standard French Standard French (in French: , , or ) is an unofficial term for a standard variety of the French language. It is a set of spoken and written formal varieties used by the educated francophones of several nations around the world. As French is ...
) 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, 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 Société nationale des chemins de fer français (, , SNCF ) is France's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the Rail transport in France, country's national rail traffic along with th ...
(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. ...
or TER network. The Gare de Rennes, a major railway station, provides
high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...
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 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 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. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...
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 conta ...
, a database of architectural heritage maintained by the
French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture () is the ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of France in charge of List of museums in France, national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and pro ...
, 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 or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
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 (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 332 communes of the Ille-et-Vilaine department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):
*
Cantons of France The cantons of France () are territorial subdivisions of the France, French Republic's Departments of France, departments and Arrondissements of France, arrondissements. Apart from their role as organizational units in relation to certain aspect ...
* Communauté de communes


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