Côtes-d'Armor
The Côtes-d'Armor ( , ; ; , ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord until 1990 (, ), is a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.department 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 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 ...
.
Toponymy
The name of the locality is attested in the forms ''Plebs Seminiaca'' in 869,In a chart from the Abbey of Redon from 29 novembre 869. ''Sivingac'' in 1212, ''Sevinar'' in 1218, ''Syvignac'' in 1239, ''Sevignac'' in 1256, 1262, and in 1266, ''Sivingnac'' in 1269, ''Sevignac'' in 1271, ''Seguignac'' in 1278, ''Sevignac'' in 1289, Saint ''Vingac'' in 1303, and ''Sevignac'' around 1330 and in 1340.
Sévignac comes from the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
name ''Sabinius'' (a name of a veteran of the
Roman legion
The Roman legion (, ) was the largest military List of military legions, unit of the Roman army, composed of Roman citizenship, Roman citizens serving as legionary, legionaries. During the Roman Republic the manipular legion comprised 4,200 i ...
who was awarded for his bravery around the time of
Christ
Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
), and the
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 ...
ish suffix ''acos''.
However, it should not be overlooked that in the name Sévignac ''(Seminiacum)'' one finds the form ''sem(i)nio'' which means "throat".
History
The origin of Sévignac dates back to the Gallo-Roman era.
One estate was awarded to Sabinius, a veteran of the Roman legion, at the 1st time of the Christian era, as a reward for his bravery. Such allocations were made at a time when, as a result of a demographic decline, a shortage of labor left a number of undeveloped lands.
Sévignac is mentioned under the name of ''Plebs Seminiaca'' in a charter from the abbey of
Redon
Redon (; ) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
Geography
Redon borders the Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique departments.
It is situated at the junction of ...
dating from November 29, 869 which mentions that Kingantdreh, daughter of Louvenan, gives by inheritance the parish of Sévignac to
Salomon, King of Brittany
Salomon () (died 874) was count of Rennes and Nantes from 852 and duke of Brittany from 857 until his assassination in 874. In 867, he was granted the counties of Avranches and Coutances, and he used the title king of Brittany intermittently a ...
, her adoptive son.
In the twelfth century, the
Cistercian
The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
monks of Boquen built a barn and farm inhabited by lay people, which led to the prosperity to the
hamlets
A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...
château
A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking re ...
x of Limoëlan, of the eleventh century and the eighteenth century, are built on the site of the former lordship owned by the family of Rousselot.
Sévignac saw the birth of the last bishop of
Tréguier
Tréguier (; ) is a port town in the French department of Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany, northwestern France. It is the capital town of the province of Trégor.
Geography
Tréguier is located 36 m. N.W. of Saint-Brieuc by road. The port is situat ...
Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise
The Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise, also known as the plot, was an assassination attempt on the First Consul of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, in Paris on 24 December 1800. It followed the of 10 October 1800 and was one of many Royalist and Catho ...
to kill
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
and his wife.
On the eve of the French Revolution, more than ten priests provided religious guidance within Sévignac. Under the
First French Empire
The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
, Sévignac was populated by around 3,000 villagers, most of which were farmers. The town experienced strong depopulation at the end of the nineteenth century into the twentieth century.
Population
Inhabitants of Sévignac are called ''sévignacais'' in French.
See also
*
Communes of the Côtes-d'Armor department
The following is a list of the 348 communes of the Côtes-d'Armor department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):