Le Faouët, Morbihan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Commune of Le Faouët |
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| Ar Faoued | ||
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| The covered market at Le Faouët. | ||
| Location | ||
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| Coordinates | ||
| Administration | ||
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| Country | France | |
| Region | Bretagne | |
| Department | Morbihan | |
| Arrondissement | Pontivy | |
| Canton | Le Faouët (chief town) | |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de Communes du Pays du Roi Morvan | |
| Mayor | Francis Le Pichon (2001-2008) |
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| Statistics | ||
| Elevation | 53 m–202 m (avg. 152 m) |
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| Land area¹ | 34.03 km² | |
| Population² (1999) |
2,806 | |
| - Density | 82/km² (1999) | |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| INSEE/Postal code | 56057/ 56320 | |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | ||
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
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Le Faouët (Breton: Ar Faoued) is a commune in Brittany. It is part of the Morbihan département in the Bretagne région of France.
The Breton language name of the commune means Beech forest. The sixteenth century timber market halls are a noted feature of the town and two medieval chapels lies within the boundaries of the commune.
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[edit] Geography
Le Faouët/Ar Faoued lies in the historical region of Cornouaille. Traditionally a Breton-speaking area, the French language became commonly used from the 1950s. The town lies in the valley of the River Ellé
[edit] History
[edit] Administration
Le Faouët/Ar Faoued is the principal town of the Canton du Faouët. The other communes making up the canton are Berné, Guiscriff, Lanvénégen, Meslan, and Priziac.
[edit] Demographics
The population at recent censuses was:
- 1962: 3,039
- 1968: 3,048
- 1975: 3,149
- 1982: 3,177
- 1990: 2,869
- 1999: 2,806
Inhabitants of Le Faouët are called Faouëtais.
[edit] Tourist attractions
The sixteenth century halles, or covered market, remain in use and are a rare surviving example of a large timber structure from the period.
The chapel of Saint Barbara is sited on a hilltop overlooking the Ellé. The fifteenth century chapel of Saint Fiacre was recently restored. The polychrome timber interior was highly regarded, and earned its creator, Olivier Le Loergan, a title of nobility. The stained glass is also noteworthy. Parts of the interior have suffered considerable damage from insects.
[edit] Famous residents
[edit] See also
