Ploërmel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Commune of Ploërmel
Location
Longitude	02° 23' 46" W
Latitude	47° 55' 57" N
Administration
Country	France
Region	Bretagne
Department	Morbihan
Arrondissement	Vannes
Canton	Ploërmel
Intercommunality	Communauté de Communes de Ploërmel
Mayor	Paul Anselin (2001-2008)
Statistics
Altitude	19 m–106 m (avg. 75 m)
Land area¹	50.81 km²
Population² (1999)	7.525
- Density (1999)	148/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	56165/ 56800
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Ploërmel is a commune of France, in the Morbihan département, in the Brittany région.

[edit] History

In 1351, during the Breton War of Succession (part of the Hundred Years' War), two groups of approximately 30 English and French knights staged a tournament near the gates of town, to show their prowess and make money by capturing opponents. The French team eventually won after killing or capturing the English force. This was later known as the Combat of the Thirty.

On 10 December 2006, the city unveiled a 8.75 m tall statue of Pope John Paul II. It was a gift by Russo-Georgian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, and has sparked some controversy over the separation of Church and State BBC News.

The town gave its name to a monastic order, the Brothers of Ploërmel ^[1]. The Doctor Who actor Tom Baker was a monk of the order for a while in Jersey ^[2].

[edit] References