Pont-l'Abbé

Pont-l'Abbé
Pont-'n-Abad

Pont-l'Abbé
Administration
Country France
Region Brittany
Department Finistère
Arrondissement Quimper
Canton Pont-l'Abbé
Intercommunality Pays Bigouden Sud
Mayor Daniel Couic
(2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation 0–37 m (0–121 ft)
Land area1 18.21 km2 (7.03 sq mi)
Population2 8,079  (2008)
 - Density 444 /km2 (1,150 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 29220/ 29120
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.

Pont-l'Abbé (Breton: Pont-'n-Abad, "Abbot's bridge") is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.

The self-styled capital of Pays Bigouden (roughly the region between the river Odet and the Bay of Audierne), Pont-l'Abbé was founded in the 14th century by a monk of Loctudy who built the first bridge across the river estuary, hence the name. The same monk also built the first castle.

Contents

Population

Inhabitants of Pont-l'Abbé are called in French Pont-l'Abbistes.

Historical populations
Year Pop. ±%
1793 1,698
1800 1,884 +11.0%
1806 1,883 −0.1%
1821 2,115 +12.3%
1831 2,785 +31.7%
1836 3,163 +13.6%
1841 3,325 +5.1%
1846 3,626 +9.1%
1851 3,810 +5.1%
1856 3,947 +3.6%
1861 4,286 +8.6%
1866 4,526 +5.6%
1872 4,739 +4.7%
1876 4,991 +5.3%
1881 5,110 +2.4%
1886 5,729 +12.1%
1891 5,536 −3.4%
1896 5,797 +4.7%
1901 6,315 +8.9%
1906 6,432 +1.9%
1911 6,652 +3.4%
1921 6,637 −0.2%
1926 6,724 +1.3%
1931 6,656 −1.0%
1936 6,563 −1.4%
1946 6,644 +1.2%
1954 6,393 −3.8%
1962 6,396 +0.0%
1968 6,791 +6.2%
1975 7,325 +7.9%
1982 7,266 −0.8%
1990 7,374 +1.5%
1999 7,846 +6.4%
2008 8,079 +3.0%

Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on February 2, 2008.

In 2008, 5.08% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.[1]

The Fête des Brodeuses (Embroideress' Festival) in July is one of Brittany's major traditional gatherings, and includes a Breton Mass at the Notre-Dame des Carmes church.

Sights

International relations

Pont-l'Abbé is twinned with:

Personalities

Jérôme Kerviel, the trader formerly with Société Générale in Paris that was linked with losses of approximately 4.9 billion (US$7.16 billion) stemming from fraudulent equity index futures trading, grew up in Pont-l'Abbé.

See also

References

  1. ^ (French) Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue

External links