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Saint-Pol-de-Léon |
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| View of Kreisker church from the cathedral | |
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Saint-Pol-de-Léon
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Location within Brittany region
Saint-Pol-de-Léon
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Brittany |
| Department | Finistère |
| Arrondissement | Morlaix |
| Canton | Saint-Pol-de-Léon |
| Intercommunality | Pays Léonard |
| Mayor | Nicolas Floch (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 0–57 m (0–187 ft) |
| Land area1 | 23.43 km2 (9.05 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 7,038 (2008) |
| - Density | 300 /km2 (780 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 29259/ 29250 |
| 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. | |
Saint-Pol-de-Léon (Breton: Kastell-Paol) is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretange in northwestern France, located on the coast.
It is famous for its 13th-century cathedral on the site of the original founded by Saint Paul Aurelian in the 6th century. It has kept a unique architecture, such as Notre-Dame du Kreisker Chapel, an 80 m high chapel, which is the highest in Brittany. It was also the scene of a battle during the Breton War of Succession, where the Montfortists and their English allies defeated an army led by Charles of Blois.
It is the first vegetable producer and farmers market of Brittany (90% of French artichoke production) and exports tens of thousands of vegetables to the whole of Europe every year.
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Inhabitants of Saint-Pol-de-Léon are called Saintpolitains.
| Year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8347 | 8044 | 8044 | 7462 | 7261 | 7121 | 7038 |
The city takes its present name of one of the legendary founder saints of Brittany : Saint Paul Aurelian. The Latin name given to the entire region is now the Leon ("Pays Léonard"). It was long the seat of a bishop, now merged into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Quimper. The city later became a sort of religious capital.
A double stone-alley, quite good preserved, is the last remains of prehistoric population on Saint Pol site. Several vestiges demonstrate a roman military presence in the 3rd century. Based on ancient writings, Saint Pol would have then been enclosed by extraordinary high motted walls.
As of the 6th century, the monastery site became an episcopate named "Kastell Paol". The city then extended beyond its walls. In the 15th century, Saint Pol de Léon is a famous spiritual and cultural centre. The Pempoul harbour is at its rise. Fortified doors protected the 2000 inhabitants until the 18th century. During the 18h century, the bishops of Léon strongly influenced the architectural style of the city. A new episcopal house was erected in 1706 and extended in 1750. The seminary dates from 1708, the catholic college from 1788.
During the Révolution the city lost the episcopate, a rich chapter, a college, 3 religious communities, a retirement house and 15 religious houses. Then started 100 years of economical decline. "Today Saint Pol de Léon is a dead city" was Flaubert report in 1847.
As of 1883, the railway contributed to the considerable expansion of the agricultural production. In 1890 Saint Pol de Léon became the main commercial centre in France for vegetable exportation. Nowadays, the region is still the strongest concentration for horticultural production and transformation.
Scattered over 13 kilometres of coast line, some of the beaches, creeks and strands of St Pol de Léon have names of pieces of poetry : "Tahiti", le "Petit-Nice", "Sainte-Anne"… The walker discovers them from the panoramic viewpoint of the "Champ de la Rive" municipal park, which is overhung by a mission cross erected in 1901. The panorama is the most exceptional of the North-Finistère. The Sainte-Anne islet a listed natural site and hermitage of the White Friars until the 18 century, the gigantic rock on the site, was once armed with cannons.
Saint-Pol-de-Léon is the birthplace of :