Dinan (; ) is a walled

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...

town and a commune in the

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 in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of

Léhon Léhon (; ; Gallo: ''Léon'') was a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, it was merged into the commune of Dinan. Instead of nestling on the valley floor like

Morlaix Morlaix (; , ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. History The Battle of Morlaix, part of the Hundred Years' War, was fought near the town on 30 Septembe ...

, 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 Rance may refer to: Places * Rance (river), northwestern France * Rancé, a commune in eastern France, near Lyon * Ranče, a small settlement in Slovenia * Rance, Wallonia, part of the municipality of Sivry-Rance ** Rouge de Rance, a Devonian ...

. 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 both water clarity and wa ...

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 or BASIC may refer to: Science and technology * BASIC, a computer programming language * Basic (chemistry), having the properties of a base * Basic access authentication, in HTTP Entertainment * Basic (film), ''Basic'' (film), a 2003 film ...

8.13 within the city, and

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

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

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 Dinan station (French: ''Gare de Dinan'') is a French railway station on the Lison to Lamballe line, in the town of Dinan, Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany. It has included a railway museum since 1991. The station was opened in 1879 by the Western Railwa ...

has rail connections to

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 ...

Lamballe Lamballe (; ; Gallo: ''Lanball'') is a town and a former commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Lamballe-Armor. It lies on the river Gouessant east ...

and

Dol-de-Bretagne Dol-de-Bretagne (, literally ''Dol of Brittany''; ; Gallo: ''Dóu''), cited in most historical records under its Breton name of Dol, is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine ''département'' in Brittany in northwestern France. Geography Dol-de-Bret ...

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 The Society of the Friends of the Constitution (), renamed the Society of the Jacobins, Friends of Freedom and Equality () after 1792 and commonly known as the Jacobin Club () or simply the Jacobins (; ), was the most influential political cl ...

dating from 1224, the

flamboyant Gothic Flamboyant () is a lavishly-decorated style of Gothic architecture that appeared in France and Spain in the 15th century, and lasted until the mid-sixteenth century and the beginning of the Renaissance.Encyclopedia Britannica, "Flamboyant style ...

St Malo's Church, the Romanesque St Saviour's Basilica,

Duchess Anne's Tower Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ...

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. At least in November, the city hosts the Festival Films courts de Dinan, an international French-speaking

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theater, cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent ...

Breton language

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

Prominent people

Prominent people born in Dinan include: *

Charles Beslay Charles Victor Beslay (1795 in Dinan, Côtes-d'Armor – 1878 in Neuchâtel) was the oldest member of the Paris Commune. An engineer, he was councillor general of Morbihan in 1830. Later, in Paris, he founded a steam machine factory, and tried t ...

(1795–1878), member of the Council of the Paris Commune *

Théodore Botrel Jean-Baptiste-Théodore-Marie Botrel (14 September 1868 – 28 July 1925) was a French singer-songwriter, poet and playwright. He is best known for his popular songs about his native Brittany, of which the most famous is ''La Paimpolaise''. Dur ...

(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 ''Gangster ...

(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 i ...

(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 Brittany ...

(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, 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 influenced French literature of the nineteenth century. Descended from an old aristocratic family from Bri ...

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

Bertrand du Guesclin Bertrand du Guesclin (; 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' War. From 1370 to his ...

(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 s ...

(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 . Life Danielle Émilienne Isabelle Gouze was born on 29 October 1924 in Ver ...

(1924–2011), wife of President François Mitterrand, educated at the Roger Vercel college * Colonel 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 Mo ...

(1928– ), conductor, educated at the Cordeliers de Dinan *

Henri Pinault Henri-Marie-Ernest-Désiré Pinault (; 7 September 1904 – 24 February 1987) was the Roman Catholic bishop of Chengdu from 1949 until 1983, four years before his death. Early life Pinault was born on 7 September 1904 into a family of farm ...

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

René Pleven René Jean Pleven (; 15 April 190113 January 1993) was a notable political figure of the French Resistance and Fourth Republic. An early associate of Jean Monnet then member of the Free French led by Charles de Gaulle, he took a leading role i ...

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

(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 to ...

(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 (; 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' War. From 1370 to his ...

. 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 a

twin town A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

with: *

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

, Belgium *

Exmouth Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort situated on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe, southeast of Exeter. In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of settl ...

, United Kingdom *

Lugo Lugo (, ) is a city in northwestern Spain in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia. It is the capital of the Lugo (province), province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 100,060 in 2024, ...

, Spain

Climate

References

External links

*
Town council website

Dinan Basilica Image
* {{Authority control Communes of Côtes-d'Armor Subprefectures in France Fortified settlements Côtes-d'Armor communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia