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Auray (; , or simply ) is a commune in the
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 ...
department, administrative region 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 ...
, 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 ...
. Inhabitants of Auray are called ''Alréens'' (French) and ''Alreiz'' (Breton).


Geography

The city is surrounded by the communes of Crac'h to the south and the west, Brech to the north and Pluneret to the east. It is crossed by the Loch, a small coastal river, which flows into the
Gulf of Morbihan The Gulf of Morbihan (, ; ) is a natural harbour on the coast of the departments of France, department of Morbihan in southern Brittany, France. Its English name is taken from the French language, French version, ''le golfe du Morbihan'', t ...
. The town is high on the west bank of the river Auray on the edge of the Armorican plateau which is cut deeply by the river. The port of Saint-Goustan is also in the valley, east of the river.


History

The
Battle of Auray The Battle of Auray took place on 29 September 1364 at the Breton-French town of Auray. This battle was the decisive confrontation of the Breton War of Succession, a part of the Hundred Years' War. In the battle, which began as a siege, a Bre ...
on 29 September 1364 was the last battle of the
Breton War of Succession The War of the Breton Succession (, ) or Breton Civil War was a conflict between the Counts of Blois and the Montforts of Brittany for control of the Duchy of Brittany, then a fief of the Kingdom of France. It was fought between 1341 and ...
. Kerblois, the place in Brech at which the defeated Charles de Blois was killed is marked by a crucifix. In 1632, sailors departed from the port of Saint-Goustan to re-capture the town of Port Royal in
Acadia Acadia (; ) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. The population of Acadia included the various ...
on behalf of
Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religi ...
. Benjamin Franklin arrived at the port of Saint-Goustan on 3 December 1776 at the beginning of the US
War of Independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...
to seek military aid from
Louis XVI Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
. In 1795, after the failure of the Quiberon Expedition, part of the royalist
Chouannerie The Chouannerie (; from the Chouan brothers, two of its leaders) was a House of Bourbon, royalist uprising or counter-revolutionary, counter-revolution in twelve of the western departments of France, ''départements'' of France, particularly in ...
rebellion, and the surrender of the Armée des émigrés ordered by Sombreuil on 21 July, most prisoners were transferred to Auray. After a summary trial by a military commission made up of citizens of the town, 750 people were shot and buried in a meadow in Brech on the western shore of the Loch, now called the ''Champ des martyrs'' (). In 1829, their bones were exhumed and deposited in the vault of a memorial chapel at the Auray monastery. The railway station was strategically important during the Second World War. Concrete used to build bunkers on the region's beaches travelled through the station. After the war, the collection of military scrap material led to the creation of business in Pi-park.


Heraldry

Auray's historic coat of arms: A shield of or and azure lozenges. Auray's modern coat of arms: A field of
gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...
, a stoat running with a floating scarf of ermine. A
charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...
of azure with three
fleur-de-lis The ''fleur-de-lis'', also spelled ''fleur-de-lys'' (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a common heraldic charge in the (stylized) shape of a lily (in French, and mean and respectively). Most notably, the ''fleur-de-lis'' ...
of or.


Population


Language

Historically, the people of Auray have spoken the Vannes dialect of Breton but the citizens spoke French from the eighteenth century onwards. Breton was used for preaching in Auray parishes until the 1930s. In September 2008, 3.27% of children enrolled in primary schools in the town were bilingual.


Transport


Port

The port of Saint-Goustan is the site of the original town. It is located on the River Auray at the highest tidal reach of the river that ships can access. It was open to ships until the nineteenth century and was also a trading port which was particularly active in its routes with Spain and Britain. The decline of trade in the port began with the arrival of the
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
in 1862 and today it is a marina and port of call on tours of the Gulf of Morbihan.


Roads

Saint-Goustan, located in the lower town, was the first point at which the river could be bridged on the coastal road between
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
Quimper Quimper (, ; ; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the ...
. Downstream, the River Auray is wide and steep. Upstream, the marshes of the Loch valley makes passage difficult to Tréauray which is 4 km to the north. The
Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...
from
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
to Gésocribate ( Le Conquet) via
Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
, passes the commune. In the mid-19th century, the construction of a new road on an embankment on the marshes of Loch allowed direct access to the town from Vannes. In 1950, the Vannes-Lorient route nationale bypassed the centre of Auray to the north. In 1989, the four-carriageway Kerplouz viaduct was built on the RN165 over the Auray river downstream from St. Goustan. This rid the town of transit traffic, and created an industrial area south of the city centre.


Railways

Auray railway station is located on the Savenay - Landerneau line and marks the end of the Auray -
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 ...
line. The station was inaugurated at the opening of the
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 ...
- Redon and the Savenay - Landerneau lines on 26 September 1862. On 18 December 1864, a rail link to
Pontivy Pontivy (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Morbihan Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in north-western France. It lies at the confluence of the river Blavet and the Canal de Nantes à Brest. ...
was opened. The building of the Pontivy -
Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton language, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo language, Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. History ...
section in 1872 completed a route that crosses Brittany from the south to the north. The Pontivy - Auray section was closed to passenger traffic on 2 October 1949 but is still used for transporting goods. On 24 July 1882, the Auray-Quiberon line was opened. Known as the ''Tire-bouchon'' (), it currently runs only in the summer. Auray station is located more than 2 km north of the town centre because of the problem of building a viaduct crossing the Loch Valley. A new area was developed in the late 19th century along the road from Brech which has a junction with the Lorient road at the northern exit of the town next to the station. In particular, the Saint-Goustan port trading companies created premises there. The establishment of a train depot and a maintenance workshop for locomotives in the early 20th century attracted a greater workforce. Today, the station is served by the Paris - Rennes - Quimper
TGV The TGV (; , , 'high-speed train') is France's intercity high-speed rail service. With commercial operating speeds of up to on the newer lines, the TGV was conceived at the same period as other technological projects such as the Ariane 1 rocke ...
and Brittany TER. In the summer, the station experiences a significant increase in activity. It is one of the boarding points for the car-train service and the Auray - Quiberon line has been reopened to passenger traffic. The freight business is very small, like everywhere else in Morbihan.


Sights

* The port of Saint-Goustan. * The church of St Gildas. Built in 1636 and classified as a historic monument, it contains an altar-piece from Laval and a 19th-century organ. * The Chapel of the Holy Spirit. Built in the thirteenth century, it is the last remnant of the headquarters of the Montpellier Ordre du Saint-Esprit. In the fourteenth century, this ''Maison Magistrale Conventuelle et Hospitalière du Saint-Esprit à Auray'', referred to in 1289 by Jean Monette, would become one of the major houses in France and, under his authority, one of some fifty foundations. In 1762,
Pope Clement XIII Pope Clement XIII (; ; 7 March 1693 – 2 February 1769), born Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 July 1758 to his death in February 1769. He was installed on 16 July 1758. ...
abolished the Ordre du Saint-Esprit. Auray installed the headquarters of a general hospital on the site and later, in 1790, a military hospital. In the early 19th century, what remains of the buildings was converted into a barracks. Restoration work took place from 1990-1994 which returned the chapel to its earlier form and it has taken the name of Caserne Dugesclin. The restoration has allowed the building to regain its original form: a unique space of five spans and a shape uncommon to Brittany. The building was classed as a historical monument on 4 November 1982. * The Town Hall, built in the 18th century has been a historical monument since 1963. * The church of Saint-Sauveur. Built in the 19th century (its door dates to the sixteenth century), it contains a model battleship armory dating from 1865. * The Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes (1862–1878). * The Saint-Goustan bridge. The first mention of a stone bridge linking the lower town to the upper is from the thirteenth century. In 1464, after its rebuilding, it was renamed Pont Neuf. Its final form dates to 1752 and its last restoration was in 1983. A toll-house building is on the right-hand-side. * The Chazelles fountain. Located on the Martin dock, it dates from 1821 and was used to supply water to people and passing boats. * The Auray monastery, north of the Auray railway station, is in Brech.


Personalities

* Roland Becker, a traditional Breton musician, was born in Auray. * Alain Lanty, pianist, composer and performer, was born in Auray. * Georges Cadoudal, head of the Chouan during the French Revolution, was born in Kerléano which is today in Auray, but which was in the Brech parish at the time of his birth. * Philippe Gildas, TV presenter, was born in Auray. * Auguste Le Guennant (1881–1972), composer and organist, was born in Auray * Ulrich Le Pen, a footballer, was born in Auray. * Charles Letourneau (1831–1902), an anthropologist, was born in Auray * Marcel Mettenhoven, the landscape painter, was born and died in Auray. * Ballerat Georges, (1902–2000), a landscape painter, died in Auray. * General Auguste Lahoulle (1891-1959) was born in Auray. * Norman Doray, DJ and record producer, was born in Auray.


International relations

Auray is twinned with: *
Ussel, Corrèze Ussel (; ) is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France. Its inhabitants are called Ussellois. Location The community of Ussel is located in the Massif central on the foothills of the plateau de Millevaches. The city itself s ...
, France * Utting, Germany


Sport

Since 1985, the city has hosted the ''Open Super 12'' during French winter vacations, an international tennis tournament. Some well-known players have taken part, including
Amélie Mauresmo Amélie Simone Mauresmo (; born 5 July 1979) is a French former professional tennis player, tennis coach, and tournament director. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 39 weeks. Maur ...
,
Olivier Rochus Olivier Rochus (; born 18 January 1981) is a former Belgian tennis player. Rochus won two singles titles in his career and in 2004 won the French Open doubles title, partnering fellow Belgian Xavier Malisse. His career-high singles ranking is wo ...
,
Justine Henin-Hardenne Justine Henin (; born 1 June 1982) is a Belgian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 117 weeks, including as the year-end No. 1 in 2003, 2006 and 20 ...
, Kim Clijsters,
Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal Parera (born 3 June 1986) is a Spanish former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for ...
,
Paul-Henri Mathieu Paul-Henri Mathieu (; born 12 January 1982) is a French former professional tennis player. He won four singles titles on the ATP Tour. His best singles performance in an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament was reaching the semifinals of the 2 ...
,
Richard Gasquet Richard Gabriel Cyr Gasquet (; born 18 June 1986) is a French former professional tennis player. He was ranked as high as world No. 7 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals, ATP, attained in July 2007. Gasquet won 16 singles ...
,
Dinara Safina Dinara Mubinovna Safina (, ; ; born April 27, 1986) is a Russian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 26 weeks, and world No. 8 in doubles. Safina ...
and Alizé Cornet. Auray received the start of the second stage of the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
6 July 2008.


See also

*
Communes of the Morbihan department The following is a list of the 249 Communes of France, communes of the Morbihan Departments of France, department of France. The communes cooperate in the following Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunalities (as of 2025):


References


External links


Tourism Office website
*

{{Authority control Communes of Morbihan Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast