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
Finistère
Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.
department, located in the administrative region of
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 ...
, 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 ...
.
Population
Inhabitants of Plougastel-Daoulas are called ''plougastels'' in French.
Breton language
The municipality launched a linguistic plan concerning the Breton language through
Ya d'ar brezhoneg
(french: Oui au breton, en, Yes to Breton) is a campaign started in the 21st century by the ( en, Office of the Breton language) to promote and stimulate the use of the Breton language in daily life in Brittany, northwestern France. Breton is a ...
on October 28, 2005.
In 2008, 18.98% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.
Strawberries
The region is famous for its production of strawberries ('' gariguette de Plougastel''). The
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...
species of strawberry, ''
Fragaria chiloensis
''Fragaria chiloensis'', the beach strawberry, Chilean strawberry, or coastal strawberry, is one of two species of wild strawberry that were hybridized to create the modern garden strawberry (''F. × ananassa''). It is native to the Pacific Oc ...
'', which had been introduced into France by
Amédée-François Frézier
Amédée-François Frézier (1682 – October 26, 1773) was a French military engineer, mathematician, spy, and explorer who is best remembered for bringing back five specimens of '' Fragaria chiloensis'', the beach strawberry, from an assignment ...
(1682–1773), flourished in the marine climate of Plougastel. Gardeners there had observed that this species bore abundant fruit when '' Fragaria moschata'' and ''
Fragaria virginiana
''Fragaria virginiana'', known as Virginia strawberry, wild strawberry, common strawberry, or mountain strawberry, is a North American strawberry that grows across much of the United States and southern Canada. It is one of the two species of wi ...
'' were planted in alternating rows with it. There had been failed attempts to cultivate ''fragaria chiloensis'' in Anjou,
Touraine
Touraine (; ) is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher, Indre and Vien ...
, and the lower-
Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
areas.
Tourism
The ''Albert Louppe Bridge'' or '' Plougastel Bridge'' over the Elorn River is within the commune.
International relations
Plougastel is twinned with
Westport, County Mayo
Westport (, historically anglicised as ''Cahernamart'') is a town in County Mayo in Ireland.Westport Before 1800 by Michael Kelly published in Cathair Na Mart 2019 It is at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on th ...
, a town in the west of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, and also with
Saltash
Saltash (Cornish: Essa) is a town and civil parish in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It had a population of 16,184 in 2011 census. Saltash faces the city of Plymouth over the River Tamar and is popularly known as "the Gateway to Corn ...
, a town in the south-east of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
Paintings depicting Plougastel-Daoulas
File:Reims - musée des beaux-arts (09).JPG, Painting in the Musée des beaux-arts de Reims by Émile Wery titled "Retour d'école à Plougastel?"
File:Charles Cottet Jour de Fête-Dieu à Plougastel.jpg, "Jour de Fête-Dieu à Plougastel" by Charles Cottet held in the Musée Crozatier.
File:Emile Dezaunay Femmes de Plougastel au pardon.jpg, "Femmes de Plougastel au pardon" by Emile Dezaunay.
File:050 John Niemeyer L'arrivée des fiancés à Plougastel en 1914.JPG, Niemeyer's "L'arrivée des fiancés à Plougastel". This is held by the Musée de la Fraise in Plougastel-Daoulas.
Churches and chapels in Plougastel-Daoulas
Église Saint-Pierre
The parish church was damaged during the bombing of the 22 and 23 August 1944 and subsequently rebuilt. It contains a notable "rosary" altarpiece and a "mise au Tombeau" both from the old church.
File:Plougastel-Daoulas église Descente de Croix.jpg, "The descent from the cross" in the Église Saint-Pierre
Chapelle Saint-Adrien
This chapel has an interesting 17th-century sculpture in wood entitled "Saint Martin et le Pauvre". It depicts Saint Martin's charitable works. See old postcard above showing the sculpture. The chapelle Saint-Adrien dates to 1549 according to the inscription over the south porch.
The chapel contains many statues of saints.
File:Plougastel saint martin.jpg, The sculpture "Saint Martin et le Pauvre" in the Saint-Adrien chapel
File:020 Plougastel Chapelle Saint-Adrien Porte entrée et inscription.JPG, The inscription above the south porch of the Chapelle Saint-Adrien which reads in Breton "En bloaz mil pemp cant hanter cant nemet unan es voe fontet an chapel man en eil sul a mae en amser maest Herry a Castell rector Ploecastell ........ ha sant Adrian" which translates into French "En l'an 1549 fut fondée cette chapelle le second dimanche de mai, au temps de maître Henry du Chastel recteur de Plougastel et de Jean Kergoz dit Monot, gouverneur de cette chapelle, en l'honneur de Dieu, de Notre-Dame de Confort et de saint Adrien".
Chapelle Saint-Jean
Dating to the 15th century, enlarged in 1607 and restored in 1780. This chapel is associated with a pardon known as the "Pardon des Oiseaux".
Chapelle Saint-Guénolé
Dedicated to the founder of the abbey at Landévennec, the chapel was restored in 1896. A beam in the chapel bears the date 1514 and by the chevet window there is a stone inscribed "M. I. Le Galle. Cariou. v. 1706". The altarpiece dates to the 17th century and was restored in 1993. There is a statue in polychromed wood of Saint Guénolé in the chapel to the left side of the altarpiece. There are two triptychs in the chapel. One is the Saint Caradec triptych and the other is the Saint Louis triptych.
File:056 Plougastel Chapelle Saint-Guénolé Tryptique avec Saint Caradec au centre, saint Gouesnou et saint Goulven.JPG, The Saint Caradec triptych
File:064 Plougastel Chapelle Saint-Guénolé Tryptique Panneau de saint Gouesnou.JPG, Saint Gouesnou
File:063 Plougastel Chapelle Saint-Guénolé Tryptique Panneau de saint Goulven.JPG, Saint Goulven
File:Plougastel, chapelle Saint-Guénolé, retable base Mistral, Jean Gourbeix.jpg, The Saint Louis triptych
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Fontaine-Blanche
This was once the
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 ...
of the abbey of Daoulas. The clock tower dates to 1702. There are three altars in the chapel dedicated to Saint Lawrence, Saint Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary ("Notre-Dame"). These were consecrated in 1508 by Jean Davesnes.
Chapelle Saint-Claude
Dates to the 16th century. The date 1652 is inscribed above the main entrance. A statue of saint-Claude on a throne is placed by the altarpiece by the main altar. Other dates inscribed are "H. et D. Le Maucaire prieur recteur de Plougastel Jan Corre Fabrique 1661" on the west façade, "Jehan Le Gall Fabrique 1661" on the gable of the south wing and in the sacristy "1747". A painting by Yves Hen in the chapel dates to 1661.
File:042 Plougastel Chapelle Saint-Claude chevet.JPG, The chevet of the Saint-Claude chapel.
File:040 Plougastel Calvaire de la chapelle Saint-Claude Le croisillon.JPG, The Calvary.
File:075 Plougastel Chapelle Saint-Claude Crucifixion.JPG, A depiction of the crucifixion in the Saint Claude chapel.
Other calvaries
Of the many calvaries around Plougastel-Daoulas, two involve the sculptor Roland Doré (sculptor).
* The Calvary of Saint-Claude dates to 1630) and has sculptures depicting Saint Peter, Saint Yvese and a Pietà.
* The Calvary at Saint-Guénolé.
The mystery of Plougastel
Not far from nearby Anse du Caro, a message is carved on a rock, beginning with ''"grocar drear diozeevbio"'', followed on by other writings in an unknown language. The text includes enigmatic drawings, such as a heart linked to a cross, and a sailboat close to the sea. Two numbers on the rock are decryptable: 1786 and 1787.
List of the works of the Maître de Plougastel
This is a listing/"catalogue raisonné" of the works of the Maître de Plougastel and his workshop between 1570 and 1621. The work includes calvaries and crosses, church decoration and some miscellaneous items. His best known work is the Calvary ...