Belle Île
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Red dot: Location of the city Le Palais on Belle Île
Belle-Île or Belle-Île-en-Mer (ar Gerveur in Modern Breton)—Guedel in Old Breton—is a French island off the coast of Brittany in the département of Morbihan, and the largest of Brittany's islands. It is 14km from the Quiberon peninsula.
Administratively, the island forms a canton: the canton of Belle-Île. It is divided into four communes:
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[edit] Geography
The island measures 17km by 9 km and has an average altitude of 40m. The coasts are a mixture between dangerously sharp cliff edges on the southwest side, the Côte Sauvage (Wild coast), and calm placid beaches (the largest being les Grands Sables (The great sands)) and navigable harbours on the northeast side. The island's climate is oceanic, having less rain and milder winters than on the mainland.
The two main ports are Le Palais (accessible by ferry from Quiberon) and Sauzon (accessible by ferry from Quiberon and Lorient).
There used to be forests on the island, but these have long disappeared due to increasing agricultural use of the land.
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[edit] History
Belle Île was separated from the mainland about 6000 B.C., earlier than its neighbouring islands Houat and Hœdic. Archaeological finds from the Bronze Age suggest that the island enjoyed a large increase in population in this time, probably due to improvements in seafaring.
In the 9th century Belle-Île belonged to the county of Cornouaille.
[edit] Miscellaneous
During the summer the island's population increases dramatically, with many people owning a second home on the island, because of its secluded location and beaches.
Lyrique en Mer/Festival de Belle Ile is the largest opera festival in western France. Founded in 1998 by American opera singer Richard Cowan, the Festival produces two staged operas every summer, conducted by Music Director Philip Walsh and directed by Mr. Cowan, the Artistic Director. Additionally, there are sacred concerts in all four of the island's historic churches, as well as many smaller concerts and Master Classes. Lyrique en Mer has wide support from the French business community as well as from the Conseil General, the Conseil Regional, and the Paris Senate.
It is the setting for a portion of The Man in the Iron Mask, an adventure novel by 19th century French writer Alexandre Dumas, père.
[edit] External links
- Tourist office website
- Belle-Ile visit: more than 300 photos of beaches, creeks, coves, rocks, flowers, etc.
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