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 o ...
in northwestern France.
Roscoff is renowned for its picturesque architecture, labelled (small town of character) since 2009. Roscoff is also a traditional departure point for Onion Johnnies.
After lobbying by local economic leaders headed by Alexis Gourvennec, the French government agreed in 1968 to provide a deep-water port at Roscoff. Existing ferry operators were reluctant to take on the relatively long Plymouth–Roscoff crossing so Gourvennec and colleagues founded Brittany Ferries. Since the early 1970s Roscoff has been developed as a ferry port for the transport of Breton agricultural produce and for motor tourism. Brittany Ferries link Roscoff with both Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Owing to the richness of
iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , ...
ÃŽle de Batz
The Île de Batz ( br, Enez Vaz) is an island off Roscoff in Brittany, France. Administratively, it is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
Climate
Île de Batz has a oceanic climate ( Köppen climate ...
, called in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the
harbour
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is ...
.
Sights
* Roscoff parish church Our Lady of ''Croaz Batz'' (''Notre Dame de Croaz Batz''): Renaissance and Gothic church from the 16th century
* The house known as "that of
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...
"
* The Station Biologique de Roscoff, a research laboratory in oceanography and marine biology
* The Jardin Exotique de Roscoff
Image:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 02.jpg
Image:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 03.jpg
Image:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 04.jpg
Image:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 05.jpg
Image:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 06.jpg
Image:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 07.jpg
Image:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 08.jpg
Image:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 09.jpg
Image:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 10.jpg
* The Onion Johnny museum
Population
Inhabitants of Roscoff are called in French ''Roscovites''.
Breton language
The municipality launched a language plan 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 14 November 2008.
In 2008 18.44% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools. ''Ofis ar Brezhoneg'' ''Enseignement bilingue'' /ref>
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymout ...
daily from February to November with occasional Christmas sailings, to Cork twice a week (Friday and Tuesday service).
Irish Ferries
Irish Ferries is an Irish ferry and transport company that operates passenger and freight services on routes between Ireland, Britain and Continental Europe, including Dublin Port– Holyhead; Rosslare Europort to Pembroke as well as Dublin ...
used to operate a ferry service from Roscoff to Rosslare from May to September but now sail to Cherbourg instead.
Historic events
* In 1375 the harbour was destroyed by English forces under the
Earl of Arundel
Earl of Arundel is a title of nobility in England, and one of the oldest extant in the English peerage. It is currently held by the Duke of Norfolk, and is used (along with the Earl of Surrey) by his heir apparent as a courtesy title. The ...
. It would later be rebuilt at its current location, Kroas Batz.
* From 1522 to 1545–1550 the construction the Church of Our Lady of Kroas Batz (see ''Monuments'' above).
* In 1548 the six-year-old
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...
, having been betrothed to the Dauphin
François
François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis.
People with the given name
* Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters"
* Francis II of France, King ...
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Great Torrington
Great Torrington (often abbreviated to Torrington, though the villages of Little Torrington and Black Torrington are situated in the same region) is a market town in Devon, England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to ...
, United Kingdom
*
Auxerre
Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are re ...
, France
Image gallery
File:Roscoff during high tide.jpg, Roscoff from the pie File:Iledebatzblicknachroscoff.jpg, View of Roscoff from ''ÃŽle-de-Batz''
File:Low tide in Brittany.jpg, Boats at low tide in Roscoff
File:Roscoff Harbour.JPG, Roscoff Harbour at low tide
File:Roscoff from Bridge.JPG, Roscoff from Bridge to the ferry to ''ÃŽle-de-Batz'' at low tide
File:Notre-Dame de Croaz Batz - 201.jpg, The Renaissance
spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...
(1576) of Roscoff parish church Our Lady of ''Croaz Batz''
File:PSroscoff-4157 tonemapped.jpg, The lighthouse
File:PSroscoff-4201tonemapped.jpg, Sainte Barbe chapel
File:PSroscoff-4215tonemapped.jpg
File:Roscoff 2008 PD 74.JPG, ''Ar Vil'' from the sea
File:Promenade dans Roscoff-001.JPG
File:France Bretagne 29 Roscoff 01.jpg
File:Promenade dans Roscoff-005.JPG
File:Maison Dumas à Roscoff.JPG,
Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer. ...