Saint-Brieuc

Saint-Brieuc ([sɛ̃ bʁijø], Breton: Sant-Brieg pronounced [sãnt ˈbriːɛk], Gallo: Saent-Berioec) is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.

Saint-Brieuc Sant-Berioec (Gallo) Sant-Brieg (Breton)
Prefecture and commune
Saint-Brieuc Cathedral
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Saint-Brieuc
Saint-Brieuc Show map of France Saint-Brieuc Show map of Brittany
Coordinates: 48°30′49″N 2°45′55″W
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Côtes-d'Armor
Arrondissement	Saint-Brieuc
Canton	Saint-Brieuc-1 and 2
Intercommunality	Saint-Brieuc Armor
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Valentin Giraudeau[1]
Area 1	21.88 km2 (8.45 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	44,607
• Density	2,000/km2 (5,300/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Briochin, Briochine
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	22278 /22000
Elevation	0–134 m (0–440 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

The historic bishoprics of Brittany

Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk, Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 5th century and established an oratory there.^[3] Bro Sant-Brieg/Pays de Saint-Brieuc, one of the nine traditional bishoprics of Brittany, which were used as administrative areas before the French Revolution, was named after Saint-Brieuc. It also dates from the Middle Ages when the ‘pays de Saint Brieuc’, or Penteur, was established by Duke Arthur II of Brittany as one of his eight ‘battles’ or administrative regions.

Geography

The town is located by the English Channel, on the Bay of Saint-Brieuc. Two rivers flow through Saint-Brieuc: the Goued/Gouët and the Gouedig/Gouédic.

Other towns of notable size in the département of Côtes d'Armor are Gwengamp/Guingamp, Dinan, and Lannuon/Lannion all sous-préfectures.

In 2009, large amounts of sea lettuce, a type of alga, washed up on many beaches of Brittany, and when it rotted it emitted dangerous levels of hydrogen sulphide.^[4] A horse and some dogs died and a council worker driving a truckload of it fell unconscious at the wheel and died.^[4]

Neighbouring communes

Langueux, La Méaugon, Plérin, Ploufragan, Trégueux and Trémuson.

Climate

Saint-Brieuc experiences an oceanic climate.

Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France^[5]

Town	Sunshine (hours/yr)	Rain (mm/yr)	Snow (days/yr)	Storm (days/yr)	Fog (days/yr)
National average	1,973	770	14	22	40
Saint-Brieuc	1,565	774.7	7.4	8.4	44.8[6]
Paris	1,661	637	12	18	10
Nice	2,724	767	1	29	1
Strasbourg	1,693	665	29	29	56
Brest	1,605	1,211	7	12	75

Climate data for Saint-Brieuc (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1985–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	15.9 (60.6)	21.8 (71.2)	23.9 (75.0)	26.6 (79.9)	29.0 (84.2)	34.9 (94.8)	39.7 (103.5)	38.1 (100.6)	31.5 (88.7)	29.5 (85.1)	20.7 (69.3)	16.8 (62.2)	39.7 (103.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	8.9 (48.0)	9.4 (48.9)	11.4 (52.5)	13.6 (56.5)	16.4 (61.5)	19.3 (66.7)	21.4 (70.5)	21.6 (70.9)	19.5 (67.1)	15.8 (60.4)	12.0 (53.6)	9.5 (49.1)	14.9 (58.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	6.3 (43.3)	6.5 (43.7)	8.0 (46.4)	9.8 (49.6)	12.5 (54.5)	15.3 (59.5)	17.2 (63.0)	17.4 (63.3)	15.5 (59.9)	12.6 (54.7)	9.2 (48.6)	6.9 (44.4)	11.4 (52.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	3.8 (38.8)	3.6 (38.5)	4.7 (40.5)	6.0 (42.8)	8.6 (47.5)	11.2 (52.2)	13.0 (55.4)	13.2 (55.8)	11.5 (52.7)	9.4 (48.9)	6.5 (43.7)	4.3 (39.7)	8.0 (46.4)
Record low °C (°F)	−11.3 (11.7)	−9.4 (15.1)	−3.9 (25.0)	−1.8 (28.8)	1.1 (34.0)	3.6 (38.5)	7.1 (44.8)	6.6 (43.9)	4.5 (40.1)	−3.9 (25.0)	−4.8 (23.4)	−7.2 (19.0)	−11.3 (11.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	74.2 (2.92)	64.5 (2.54)	53.3 (2.10)	59.7 (2.35)	56.2 (2.21)	50.7 (2.00)	41.9 (1.65)	44.5 (1.75)	52.4 (2.06)	81.6 (3.21)	87.7 (3.45)	90.6 (3.57)	757.3 (29.81)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	13.5	12.4	10.6	10.9	9.2	7.8	7.3	7.6	8.4	12.8	14.2	14.8	129.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours	65.2	82.9	121.6	163.2	188.1	196.2	198.1	181.8	164.0	109.6	79.3	65.9	1,615.9
Source: Meteociel [7]

Culture

Saint-Brieuc is one of the towns in Europe that host the IU Honors Program.

The Cemetery of Saint Michel contains graves of several notable Bretons, and sculptures by Paul le Goff and Jean Boucher. Outside the wall is Armel Beaufils's statue of Anatole Le Braz. Le Goff, who was killed with his two brothers in World War I, is also commemorated in a street and with his major sculptural work La forme se dégageant de la matière in the central gardens, which also includes a memorial to him by Jules-Charles Le Bozec and work by Francis Renaud.

The town of St. Brieux in Saskatchewan, Canada is named after Saint-Brieuc of Brittany. It was founded by immigrants from this region in Brittany. It was settled in the early 1900s.

Demographics

Inhabitants of Saint-Brieuc are called Briochins in French.^[8]

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 7,335 —     1800 8,394 +1.95% 1806 9,000 +1.17% 1821 9,956 +0.68% 1831 10,420 +0.46% 1836 11,313 +1.66% 1841 12,484 +1.99% 1846 13,239 +1.18% 1851 12,813 −0.65% 1856 14,888 +3.05% 1861 15,341 +0.60% 1866 15,812 +0.61% 1872 15,253 −0.60% 1876 16,355 +1.76% 1881 17,833 +1.75% 1886 19,240 +1.53% 1891 19,948 +0.73% 1896 21,665 +1.67%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 22,198 +0.49% 1906 23,041 +0.75% 1911 23,945 +0.77% 1921 24,511 +0.23% 1926 26,043 +1.22% 1931 28,320 +1.69% 1936 31,640 +2.24% 1946 36,674 +1.49% 1954 37,670 +0.34% 1962 43,142 +1.71% 1968 50,281 +2.59% 1975 52,559 +0.63% 1982 48,563 −1.12% 1990 44,752 −1.02% 1999 46,087 +0.33% 2007 46,178 +0.02% 2012 45,936 −0.11% 2017 44,372 −0.69%
Source: EHESS[9] and INSEE (1968-2017)[10]

Breton language

In 2008, 3.98% of primary school children attended bilingual schools.^[11]

Transport

Saint-Brieuc airport

St-Brieuc SNCF station

The Saint-Brieuc railway station, situated on the Paris–Brest railway, is connected by TGV Atlantique to Paris Montparnasse station, with a journey time of about 3 hours.

There are no scheduled air services from Saint-Brieuc – Armor Airport.

Notable people

Saint-Brieuc has been the place of residence for many notable people.

• Yann Fouéré (1910–2011), Breton nationalist, journalist and author
• Patrice Carteron (born 1970), footballer
• Octave-Louis Aubert (1870–1950), editor
• Maryvonne Dupureur (1937–2008), athlete, Olympic 800m silver medallist
• Émile Durand (1830–1903), music theorist and teacher
• Léonard Charner (1797–1869), senator and Admiral of France
• Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (1838–1889), symbolist writer
• Célestin Bouglé (1870–1940), philosopher
• Louis Guilloux (1899–1980), writer
• Patrick Dewaere (1947–1982), actor
• Kévin Théophile-Catherine (born 1989), footballer
• Louis Rossel (1844–1871), Army officer and Communard
• Florent Du Bois de Villerabel (1877–1951), archbishop forced to resign after the Liberation of France in World War II
• Mamadou Wagué (born 1990), footballer
• Raymond Hains (1926–2005), artist
• Anaclet Wamba (born 1960), boxer
• Yelle (Julie Budet) (born 1983), musician
• Roland Fichet (born 1950), author, philosopher
• Jean-Christophe Boullion (born 1969), racing driver
• Alexandre Marsoin (born 1989), racing driver

Twin towns

Saint-Brieuc préfecture of the Côtes-d'Armor is twinned with:

• Aberystwyth, Wales^[12]
• Agia Paraskevi, Greece
• Alsdorf, Germany
• Goražde, Bosnia and Herzegovina

See also

• Diocese of Saint-Brieuc
• Communes of the Côtes-d'Armor department
• Élie Le Goff Entry for Élie Le Goff a Saint-Brieuc born sculptor
• The Saint-Michel cemetery in Saint-Brieuc