Dinan (; ) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the

Côtes-d'Armor The Côtes-d'Armor (, ; ; br, Aodoù-an-Arvor, ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord ( br, Aodoù-an-Hanternoz, link=no, ), are a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.

department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan.

Geography

Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead of nestling on the valley floor like Morlaix, most

urban development Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of peop ...

has been on the hillside overlooking the river Rance. The area alongside the river is known as the "port of Dinan", and is connected to the town by steep streets: Rue Jerzual and its continuation outside the city walls, the Rue Petit Fort. The Rance has moderate

turbidity Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality. Fluids ...

and its brownish water is somewhat low in velocity due to the very low gradient of the watercourse; pH levels have been measured at a slightly

basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...

8.13 within the city, and

electrical conductivity Electrical resistivity (also called specific electrical resistance or volume resistivity) is a fundamental property of a material that measures how strongly it resists electric current. A low resistivity indicates a material that readily allows ...

of the waters has tested at 33 micro-siemens per centimetre. In the centre of Dinan, the Rance's summer flows are typically low, in the range of . For many years, the bridge over the river Rance at Dinan was the most northerly crossing point on the river, but the tidal power station at the mouth of the estuary, constructed in the 1960s downstream from Dinan, incorporates a 750-metre long

tidal barrage A tidal barrage is a dam-like structure used to capture the energy from masses of water moving in and out of a bay or river due to tidal forces. Instead of damming water on one side like a conventional dam, a tidal barrage allows water to flow ...

, which also serves as a crossing point nearer to the sea. Dinan station has rail connections to Saint-Brieuc, Lamballe and Dol-de-Bretagne.

Population

Inhabitants of Dinan are called ''dinannais'' and ''dinannaises''.

Attractions

The medieval town on the hilltop has many fine old buildings, some of which date from the 13th century. The town retains a large section of the city walls, part of which can be walked round. Major historical attractions include the

Jacobins Theatre , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = P ...

dating from 1224, the flamboyant Gothic

St Malo's Church ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

, the Romanesque

St Saviour's Basilica ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

, Duchess Anne's Tower and the Château de Dinan. A major highlight in the calendar is Dinan's Fête des Remparts. The town is transformed with decoration and many locals dress up in medieval garb for this two-day festival. The festival takes place over the third weekend in July every even-numbered year.

Breton language

In 2008, 4.97% of primary school children attended bilingual schools. ''Ofis ar Brezhoneg''
''Enseignement bilingue''
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Personalities

Prominent people born in Dinan include: * Charles Beslay (1795–1878), member of the Council of the Paris Commune * Théodore Botrel (1868–1925), poet and singer *

Maurice Colbourne Maurice Colbourne (24 September 1939 – 4 August 1989) was an English stage and television actor who starred as Tom Howard in the BBC television series '' Howards' Way''. He is also known for roles in other television series such as ''Gangste ...

(1939–1989), actor *

Yves Guyot Yves Guyot (6 September 184322 February 1928) was a French politician and economist. Biography He was born at Dinan. Educated at Rennes, he took up the profession of journalism, coming to Paris in 1867. He was for a short period editor-in-chief of ...

(1843–1928), politician and economist *

Auguste Pavie Auguste Jean-Marie Pavie (31 May 1847 – 7 June 1925) was a French colonial civil servant, explorer and diplomat who was instrumental in establishing French control over Laos in the last two decades of the 19th century. After a long career in ...

(1847–1925), explorer and diplomat *

Charles Pinot Duclos Charles Pinot (or Pineau) Duclos (12 February 1704 – 26 March 1772) was a French author and contributor to the '' Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers''. Biography Duclos was born at Dinan in Brittan ...

(1704–1772), author * Pierre de Porcaro (1904–1945), Catholic priest and prisoner-of-war *

Jean Rochefort Jean Raoul Robert Rochefort (; 29 April 1930 – 9 October 2017) was a French actor. He received many accolades during his career, including an Honorary César in 1999. Life and career Rochefort was born on 29 April 1930 in Paris, France, to ...

(1930–2017 ), actor *

Da Silva (singer) Emmanuel da Silva, better known as Da Silva (born in Nevers on 15 April 1976), is a French singer-songwriter of Portuguese descent. A ''Le Monde'' critic called him a musical chameleon passing from punk and industrial to electro, garage, and ro ...

(1976–), singer *

Yann Benoist Yann Benoist (born 6 February 1951) is a French session guitarist, performer, singer , composer, conductor, and arranger. Early life Yann Benoist was born in Dinan, Brittany. At age 8 his parents enrolled him in a music academy. They bought hi ...

, musician, (1951–) Other people associated with Dinan include: *

François-René de Chateaubriand François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand (4 September 1768 – 4 July 1848) was a French writer, politician, diplomat and historian who had a notable influence on French literature of the nineteenth century. Descended from an old aristocrati ...

(1768–1848), writer, studied in Dinan *

Bertrand du Guesclin Bertrand du Guesclin ( br, Beltram Gwesklin; 1320 – 13 July 1380), nicknamed "The Eagle of Brittany" or "The Black Dog of Brocéliande", was a Breton knight and an important military commander on the French side during the Hundred Years' Wa ...

(c1320-80), connétable of France. Born at nearby Broons. His heart is buried in Dinan. *

John Everett Millais Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest ...

(1829–96), British painter who lived in Dinan as a child *

Danielle Mitterrand Danielle Émilienne Isabelle Mitterrand (née Gouze; 29 October 1924 – 22 November 2011) was the wife of French President François Mitterrand, and president of the foundation France Libertés Fondation Danielle Mitterrand.Robert Jambon (1924/5-2011), soldier in the First Indochina War, died in Dinan *

Jean-François Paillard Jean-François Paillard (12 April 1928 – 15 April 2013) was a French conductor. He was born in Vitry-le-François and received his musical training at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won first prize in music history, and the Salzburg Moz ...

(1928– ), conductor, educated at the Cordeliers de Dinan * Henri Pinault (1904–1987), Catholic Bishop of Chengdu, educated at the Cordeliers de Dinan *

René Pleven René Pleven (; 15 April 1901 – 13 January 1993) was a notable French politician of the Fourth Republic. A member of the Free French, he helped found the Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance (UDSR), a political party that was mea ...

, (1901–1993), politician, minister, essayist. The hospital in Dinan is named after him. *

Horace Tuck Horace Tuck (1876–1951) was a prolific Norfolk artist and vice-principal of Norwich School of Art. Biography Mainly a painter of oil and watercolour landscapes of his native Norfolk in England, Horace Tuck also travelled to France (particul ...

(1876–1951), English painter, visited Dinan for its picturesque vistas *

Roger Vercel Roger Vercel (born Roger Cretin; 8 January 1894, in Le Mans – 26 February 1957, in Dinan) was a French writer. Biography Vercel was fascinated by the sea and marine life. Although he virtually never went to sea, most of his novels featured a m ...

(1894–1957), writer, winner of the Prix Goncourt in 1934, died in Dinan. A college in the town is named after him. *

Edward Matthew Ward Edward Matthew Ward, , (14 July 1816 – 15 January 1879) was a British painter who specialised in historical genre. He is best known for his murals in the Palace of Westminster depicting episodes in British history from the English Civil War t ...

(1816–1879), English artist who painted views of Dinan

Gallery

File:Dinan_hill_05-08-03.jpg, The Rue du Jerzual is a steep medieval street connecting Dinan to the river below. File:Du Guesclin Dinan.jpg, Statue of

Bertrand Du Guesclin Bertrand du Guesclin ( br, Beltram Gwesklin; 1320 – 13 July 1380), nicknamed "The Eagle of Brittany" or "The Black Dog of Brocéliande", was a Breton knight and an important military commander on the French side during the Hundred Years' Wa ...

. File:Bretagne Armor Dinan6 tango7174.jpg, Saint Saviour's Basilica,
The main altar. File:Bretagne Armor Dinan3 tango7174.jpg, Saint Malo's Church,
Font carried by the Demon. File:Bretagne Armor Dinan4 tango7174.jpg, Saint Malo's Church,
Entrance of Anne of Brittany. File:Bretagne Armor Dinan5 tango7174.jpg, Saint Malo's Church,
Transfer of Saint Malo's relics.
Dinan Port on Rance River

International relations

Dinan is twinned with: *

Dinant Dinant () is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south-east of Charleroi and south of the city of Namur. Dinant is situ ...

, Belgium *

Exmouth Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter. In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the 5th most populous settlement in Devon. Hi ...

, United Kingdom *

Lugo Lugo (, ; la, Lucus Augusti) is a city in northwestern Spain in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 98,025 in 2018, making it the fourth most populous city in Ga ...

, Spain