Guérande
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Guérande Gwenrann |
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| Location | |
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Pays-de-la-Loire |
| Department | Loire-Atlantique |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Nazaire |
| Canton | Guérande |
| Mayor | Annick Mahé |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 0 m–57 m (avg. m) |
| Land area¹ | 81,44 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
13 603 |
| - Density | 167 /km² |
| 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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Guérande in French and Gwenrann in the Breton language, (meaning : "white land") is a small town in Loire-Atlantique, in France, close to the Atlantic Ocean. The old walled town (known in French as vieille ville) is surrounded by nearly intact ramparts and has four fortified gates (the largest of which is a 15th century châtelet known as Porte Saint-Michel) and ten towers. It's the capital of the Pays Guérandais, an ancient region of the Duchy of Brittany. There're 14,296 inhabitants (2001), called "Guérandais".
[edit] Geography
Guérande is almost surrounded by the sea at the West, the Brière swamp at the east and the Vilaine river by the north. At the south extends the sea resort La Baule.
Guérande is known by the salterns which produce a very fine, traditional salt called fleur de sel, and by the old town with fortifications.
[edit] History
The town has a very rich history, full of important events. The most important event is probably the signature of the first Guérande treaty in 1365. This treaty put an end at the Breton War of Succession between Joanna of Penthièvre and the Duke John IV. Then a second treaty was signed in 1381 by John IV and Charles VI, king of France. Guérande received the visit regularly of the Breton dirigeants like the duchess Anne of Brittany.
[edit] Twin Cities
