Dinan

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For the automotive tuning company, see Dinan Cars. For the town in Belgium, see Dinant. For places in Iran, see Dinan, Iran.
Dinan
Château de Dinan

Coat of arms
Dinan
Coordinates: 48°27′23″N 2°02′56″W / 48.4564°N 2.0489°W / 48.4564; -2.0489Coordinates: 48°27′23″N 2°02′56″W / 48.4564°N 2.0489°W / 48.4564; -2.0489
Country France
Region Brittany
Department Côtes-d'Armor
Arrondissement Dinan
Intercommunality Dinan
Government
 • Mayor (2001–present) René Benoît
Area
 • Land1 3.98 km2 (1.54 sq mi)
Population (2008)
 • Population2 10,953
 • Population2 Density 2,800/km2 (7,100/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 22050 / 22100
Elevation 7–92 m (23–302 ft)

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.

Dinan (French: [di.nɑ̃]) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France.

Geography

On the banks of the Rance River

Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead of nestling on the valley floor like Morlaix, most urban development has been on the hillside, overlooking the river Rance. The area alongside the River Rance is known as the port of Dinan and is connected to the town by the steep streets Rue Jerzual and its continuation outside the walls the Rue de Petit Fort. This river has moderate turbidity and its brownish water is somewhat low in velocity due to the slight gradient of the watercourse; pH levels have been measured at 8.13[1] within the city of Dinan and electrical conductivity of the waters have tested at 33 micro-siemens per centimetre. In the centre of Dinan the Rance summer flows are typically in the range of 500 cubic feet per second (14 m3/s).

For many years, the bridge over the River Rance at Dinan was the most northerly crossing point on the river, but the tidal power station at the mouth of the estuary, constructed in the 1960s downstream from Dinan, incorporates a 750 metre long tidal barrage which doubles as a crossing point nearer to the sea.

Population

Historical population
Year Pop.  ±%  
1793 6,393—    
1800 6,406+0.2%
1806 7,188+12.2%
1821 7,175−0.2%
1831 8,044+12.1%
1836 7,356−8.6%
1841 7,533+2.4%
1846 8,159+8.3%
1851 7,732−5.2%
1856 8,238+6.5%
1861 8,089−1.8%
1866 8,510+5.2%
1872 7,698−9.5%
1876 8,180+6.3%
1881 9,964+21.8%
1886 10,105+1.4%
1891 10,444+3.4%
1896 10,620+1.7%
1901 10,534−0.8%
1906 11,078+5.2%
1911 11,410+3.0%
1921 10,161−10.9%
1926 10,002−1.6%
1931 10,633+6.3%
1936 11,822+11.2%
1946 12,737+7.7%
1954 13,844+8.7%
1962 12,847−7.2%
1968 13,137+2.3%
1975 13,429+2.2%
1982 12,267−8.7%
1990 11,591−5.5%
1999 10,907−5.9%
2008 10,953+0.4%

Inhabitants of Dinan are called dinannais and dinannaises.

Attractions

Basilica of St Saviour

The medieval town on the hilltop has many fine old buildings, some of which date from the 13th century. The town retains a large section of the city walls, part of which can be walked round.

Major historical attractions include the Jacobins Theatre dating from 1224, the flamboyant Gothic St Malo's Church, the Romanesque St Saviour's Basilica, Duchess Anne's Tower and the Château de Dinan.

A major highlight in the calendar is Dinan's Fête des Remparts. The town is transformed with decoration and many locals dress up in medieval garb for this two-day festival. The festival takes place every other year.

Breton language

In 2008, 4.97% of primary school children attended bilingual schools.[2]

Personalities

Dinan was the birthplace of:

Maurice Colbourne (1939-89), Actor

Dinan is also associated with:

  • François-René de Chateaubriand (1768-1848), writer, studied in Dinan
  • Bertrand du Guesclin (c1320-80), connétable of France. Born at nearby Broons. His heart is buried in Dinan.
  • John Everett Millais (1829–96), British painter who lived in Dinan as a child
  • Yvonne Jean-Haffen (1895–1993), painter, died in Dinan
  • Danielle Mitterrand (1924-2011), wife of President François Mitterrand, educated at the Roger Vercel college
  • Colonel Robert Jambon (1924/5-2011), soldier in the First Indochina War, died in Dinan
  • Jean-François Paillard (1928-), conductor, educated at the Cordeliers de Dinan
  • Henri Pinault (1904–87), Catholic Bishop of Chengdu, educated at the Cordeliers de Dinan
  • René Pleven, (1901–93), politician, minister, essayist. The hospital in Dinan is named after him.
  • Horace Tuck (1876-1951), English painter, visited Dinan for its picturesque vistas
  • Roger Vercel (1894–1957), writer, winner of the Prix Goncourt in 1934, died in Dinan. A college in the town is named after him.
  • Edward Matthew Ward (1816–79), English artist who painted views of Dinan

Gallery

  • The Rue du Jerzual is a steep medieval street connecting Dinan to the river below.

  • Statue of Jean de Beaumanoir.

  • Statue of Bertrand Du Guesclin.

  • Saint Saviour's Basilica,
    The main altar.

  • Saint Malo's Church,
    Font carried by the Demon.

  • Saint Malo's Church,
    Entrance of Anne of Brittany.

  • Saint Malo's Church,
    Transfer of Saint Malo's relics.


Dinan Port on the Rance River
Panorama from the belvedere of the Jardin Anglais (English garden)

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Twin towns – Sister cities

Dinan is twinned with:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hogan, C. Michael, Water quality of freshwater bodies in France, Lumina Press, Aberdeen, Scotland(2006)
  2. ↑ (French) Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue

External links

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