Quimper

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Quimper
Kemper  (Breton)
Prefecture and commune
The river Odet in the centre of Quimper
The river Odet in the centre of Quimper
Coat of arms of Quimper
Coat of arms
Country France
Region Brittany
Department Finistère
Arrondissement Quimper
Canton Quimper-1 and 2
Intercommunality Quimper Bretagne Occidentale
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Isabelle Assih[1]
Area1 84.45 km2 (32.61 sq mi)
Population (Jan. 2018)2 Lua error in Module:Wd at line 405: invalid escape sequence near '"^'.
INSEE/Postal code 29232 / 29000
Elevation −5–151 m (−16–495 ft)
(avg. 6 m or 20 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Quimper (US /k[unsupported input]ˈpɛər/,[2] French: [kɛ̃pɛʁ] ( listen); Breton: Kemper [ˈkẽmpəʁ]; Latin: Civitas Aquilonia or Corisopitum) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.

Administration

Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department.

Geography

The city was built on the confluence of the Steir, Odet and Jet rivers. Route National 165, D785, D765 and D783 were constructed to intersect here, 62 km (39 miles) northwest of Lorient, 181 km (112 mi) west of Rennes, and 486 km (302 mi) west-southwest of Paris.

Climate

Quimper has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Quimper is 11.9 °C (53.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,250.2 mm (49.22 in) with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 17.8 °C (64.0 °F), and lowest in February, at around 6.7 °C (44.1 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Quimper was 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) on 30 June 1976; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −10.1 °C (13.8 °F) on 13 January 1987.

Town Sunshine

(hours/yr)		 Rain

(mm/yr)		 Snow

(days/yr)		 Storm

(days/yr)		 Fog

(days/yr)
National Average 1,973 770 14 22 40
Quimper 1,684 1,249.2 6.3 14.0 60.4[4]
Paris 1,661 637 12 18 10
Nice 2,724 767 1 29 1
Strasbourg 1,693 665 29 29 56
Brest 1,605 1,211 7 12 75


Climate data for Quimper (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1967–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.9
(62.4)		 18.6
(65.5)		 23.3
(73.9)		 27.1
(80.8)		 30.3
(86.5)		 35.9
(96.6)		 34.9
(94.8)		 35.8
(96.4)		 31.1
(88)		 26.8
(80.2)		 19.7
(67.5)		 17.7
(63.9)		 35.9
(96.6)
Average high °C (°F) 9.4
(48.9)		 9.7
(49.5)		 11.9
(53.4)		 13.9
(57)		 17.0
(62.6)		 19.8
(67.6)		 21.7
(71.1)		 21.9
(71.4)		 19.8
(67.6)		 16.0
(60.8)		 12.4
(54.3)		 10.0
(50)		 15.3
(59.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6.8
(44.2)		 6.7
(44.1)		 8.5
(47.3)		 10.1
(50.2)		 13.1
(55.6)		 15.8
(60.4)		 17.7
(63.9)		 17.8
(64)		 15.8
(60.4)		 12.8
(55)		 9.5
(49.1)		 7.4
(45.3)		 11.9
(53.4)
Average low °C (°F) 4.2
(39.6)		 3.8
(38.8)		 5.2
(41.4)		 6.3
(43.3)		 9.2
(48.6)		 11.7
(53.1)		 13.6
(56.5)		 13.6
(56.5)		 11.8
(53.2)		 9.7
(49.5)		 6.6
(43.9)		 4.7
(40.5)		 8.4
(47.1)
Record low °C (°F) −10.1
(13.8)		 −8.4
(16.9)		 −7.0
(19.4)		 −2.2
(28)		 0.3
(32.5)		 3.9
(39)		 6.6
(43.9)		 6.9
(44.4)		 4.2
(39.6)		 −1.2
(29.8)		 −4.6
(23.7)		 −7.2
(19)		 −10.1
(13.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 151.1
(5.949)		 120.4
(4.74)		 98.9
(3.894)		 90.2
(3.551)		 90.2
(3.551)		 59.3
(2.335)		 67.2
(2.646)		 64.6
(2.543)		 86.9
(3.421)		 130.1
(5.122)		 139.7
(5.5)		 151.6
(5.969)		 1,250.2
(49.22)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 16.4 13.0 13.7 12.4 11.3 8.8 9.6 9.5 9.6 14.8 15.9 15.8 150.8
Average snowy days 1.4 2.1 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.8 5.5
Mean monthly sunshine hours 65.9 85.7 126.5 170.7 194.2 215.9 194.3 194.0 177.3 111.5 77.9 70.1 1,683.8
Source #1: Météo France[5][6]
Source #2: Meteociel [7]

Etymology

The name Quimper comes from the Breton kemper, meaning "confluent".

History

Quimper, with its vernacular architecture, is a popular tourist destination

Quimper is the ancient capital of Cornouaille, Brittany's most traditional region, and has a distinctive Breton Celtic character. Its name is the Breton word kemper (cognate to Welsh cymer), meaning "confluence". The town developed at the confluence of the rivers Le Steir and L'Odet. Shops and flags celebrate the region's Celtic heritage.

Quimper was originally settled during Roman times. By AD 495, the town had become a Bishopric. It subsequently became the capital of the counts of Cornouailles. In the eleventh century, it was united with the Duchy of Brittany. During the War of the Breton Succession (1341–1364), the town suffered considerable ruin. In 1364, the duchy passed to the House of Montfort.

The town has a rustic atmosphere, with footbridges spanning the rivers that flow through it. The Church of Locmaria, a Romanesque structure, dates from the eleventh century. The Cathedral of Saint-Corentin, with its Gothic-style façade, was constructed between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is the oldest Gothic structure in lower Brittany. Its two towers are Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).; its spires were added in the nineteenth century. The fifteenth-century stained glass windows are exceptional. The cathedral is dedicated to Quimper's first bishop, Corentin.

To the cathedral's west are the pedestrianised streets of Vieux Quimper (Old Quimper), which have a wide array of crêperies, half-timbered houses, and shops. Near the Episcopal palace, which now holds the Musée départemental Breton (devoted to regional history, archaeology, ethnology and economy) are the ruins of the town's fifteenth-century walls. Nearby is the Musée des beaux-arts de Quimper. The museum has a nineteenth-century façade and an entirely rebuilt interior. It houses a collection of fourteenth to twenty-first century paintings that includes works by François Boucher, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Jean-Baptiste Oudry and Peter Paul Rubens, along with canvases by such Pont-Aven School painters as Émile Bernard, Maurice Denis, Georges Lacombe, Maxime Maufra and Paul Sérusier.

The town's best known product is Quimper faience, tin-glazed pottery. It has been made here since 1690, using bold provincial designs of Jean-Baptiste Bousquet. Quimper has a museum devoted to faience. The town's eating establishments boast some of the best crêpes and cider in Brittany. The town has also been known for copper and bronze work, food items, galvanised ironware, hosiery, leather, paper and woollen goods.

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Quimper proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Quimper absorbed the former communes of Ergué-Armel, Kerfunteun and Penhars in 1959.[8] Its inhabitants are called Quimpérois.

Historical population
Year Pop. ±% p.a.
1793 8,400 —    
1800 6,651 −3.28%
1806 6,905 +0.63%
1821 9,400 +2.08%
1831 9,860 +0.48%
1836 9,715 −0.30%
1841 10,154 +0.89%
1846 10,943 +1.51%
1851 10,904 −0.07%
1856 11,450 +0.98%
1861 11,438 −0.02%
1866 12,532 +1.84%
1872 13,159 +0.82%
1876 13,879 +1.34%
1881 15,228 +1.87%
1886 17,171 +2.43%
1891 17,406 +0.27%
1896 18,557 +1.29%
Year Pop. ±% p.a.
1901 19,441 +0.94%
1906 19,516 +0.08%
1911 19,367 −0.15%
1921 18,444 −0.49%
1926 18,686 +0.26%
1931 18,297 −0.42%
1936 18,814 +0.56%
1946 20,149 +0.69%
1954 19,352 −0.50%
1962 45,989 +11.43%
1968 52,496 +2.23%
1975 55,977 +0.92%
1982 56,907 +0.24%
1990 59,437 +0.55%
1999 63,238 +0.69%
2007 63,961 +0.14%
2012 63,360 −0.19%
2017 62,985 −0.12%
Source: EHESS[8] and INSEE (1968-2017)[9]

Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on 6 February 2008, to revive the teaching and use of Breton, the historic Celtic language of the region. In 2008, 4.61% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.[10]

Education

Quimper has several schools. These include two Diwan pre-schools, two Diwan primary schools and one Diwan collège (all specialise in use of Breton). In total, 287 students here attended a Diwan school in 2003–2004.[11]

Winter Festival

Most French festivals are held in the summer season, but Quimper has a Winter Festival: Les Hivernautes. In the summer, you can also find concerts on street corners, with pipers and accordion players.[12]

Local points of interest

Quimper Cathedral
River Odet
  • Quimper Cathedral. This cathedral has a remarkable bend in its middle.
  • churches (Locmaria, Saint-Mathieu, Kerfeunteun, Ergue-Armel...)
  • an old town centre with mediaeval fortifications and houses
  • Musée des Beaux-Arts (near the cathedral)
  • Cornouaille Festival: traditional dance (last week of July)
  • Faience museum
  • Statue of Gradlon looking in the direction of Ys at Quimper Cathedral

Transport

Public transport in Quimper is provided by QUB. The network consists of seven urban bus routes and 16 suburban bus routes. During the summer months of July and August, an additional "beach" bus route is open to service.

The Gare de Quimper is the terminus of a TGV high-speed train line from Paris, which passes through Le Mans, Rennes and Vannes. Journey duration is approximately 3 hours 40 minutes. In addition, the following destinations are served by the TER Bretagne (the regional train network) :

  • Quimper – Brest (1 hour 9 minutes)
  • Quimper – Rennes (2 hours 15 minutes)

Quimper–Cornouaille Airport has flights to Paris and London City.

Personalities

Quimper was the birthplace of:

Élie Catherine Fréron

Twin towns – sister cities

Quimper is twinned with:[14]

<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Paris, Nice, Strasbourg, Brest
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Quimper, EHESS. Script error: No such module "In lang".
  9. ↑ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "In lang". Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Hervé Gourmelon, Le chevalier de Kerlérec, 1704–1770: L'affaire de la louisiane, second edition (Rennes : Les Portes du large, 2004), 14.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

  1. REDIRECT Template:Prefectures of French departments

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Quimper&oldid=726656987"