Josselin

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Coordinates: 47°57′25″N 2°32′24″W / 47.95694, -2.54

Commune of Josselin

Josilin

View of the old chateau from the River Oust

Location

Coordinates

47°57′25″N 2°32′24″W / 47.95694, -2.54

Administration

Josselin

Communauté de Communes du Pays de Josselin

Mayor

Joseph Seveno
(2001-2008)

Statistics

Elevation

32 m–93 m
(avg. 30 m)

Land area^¹

4.48 km²

Population^²
(1999)

2,419

- Density

539/km² (1999)

Miscellaneous

INSEE/Postal code

56091/ 56120

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.

Josselin (Breton: Josilin) is a commune of France, in the Morbihan département, in the région of Brittany. It is very close to Pontivy.

1 History
2 Demographics
3 Miscellaneous
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

St Meriadek is said to have founded a chapel there during the 4th century. It became a stronghold of the House of Rohan.

In 1351, during the Breton War of Succession (part of the Hundred Years' War), two groups of approximately 30 English knights (led by Robert Bramborough, the English captain of Ploërmel) and Franco-Breton knights (commanded by Jean de Beaumanoir, captain of Josselin) staged an arranged combat at a spot halfway between the Chateau de Josselin and Ploërmel. The Franco-Breton side eventually won after killing or capturing the English force, including Bramborough. This episode was later known as the Combat of the Thirty.

The old fortress can still be seen today, although only four of the original nine towers remain after the Cardinal Richelieu ordered the castle partially demolished in 1629. (47°57′8″N 2°32′50″W / 47.95222, -2.54722)