Saint-Renan

Saint-Renan Lokournan
Commune
Two of the oldest buildings of downtown Saint-Renan in 2010.
Coat of arms
Saint-Renan
Location within Brittany region  Saint-Renan
Coordinates: 48°25′54″N 4°37′14″W
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Finistère
Arrondissement	Brest
Canton	Saint-Renan
Intercommunality	Pays d'Iroise
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	Gilles Mounier
Area1	13.31 km2 (5.14 sq mi)
Population (2008)2	7,341
• Density	550/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	29260 /29290
Elevation	26–97 m (85–318 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.

Saint-Renan (Breton: Lokournan) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.

History

The city is named after the Irish saint "Ronan", who came in the V^th century to evangelize the area.

While Brest was a village, the city of Saint-Renan will develop throughout the Middle age. In 1276, the Duke of Brittany even established one of the court of justice there. Until the end of the XVII^th century, Saint-Renan is a big "Sénéchaussée" (the town of the seneschal) first ducal and then royal. It had a central place in the everyday life on inhabitants. A lot of buildings in the center town are from this period.[1]

Population

Inhabitants of Saint-Renan are called Renanais in French.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1793	886	—
1800	908	+2.5%
1806	841	−7.4%
1821	1,043	+24.0%
1831	1,074	+3.0%
1836	1,094	+1.9%
1841	1,027	−6.1%
1846	1,010	−1.7%
1851	1,282	+26.9%
1856	1,246	−2.8%
1861	1,241	−0.4%
1866	1,277	+2.9%
1872	1,307	+2.3%
1876	1,497	+14.5%
1881	1,569	+4.8%
1886	1,758	+12.0%
1891	1,806	+2.7%
1896	1,815	+0.5%
1901	1,954	+7.7%
1906	2,087	+6.8%
1911	2,218	+6.3%
1921	2,172	−2.1%
1926	2,158	−0.6%
1931	2,099	−2.7%
1936	2,188	+4.2%
1946	2,860	+30.7%
1954	2,682	−6.2%
1962	3,077	+14.7%
1968	3,488	+13.4%
1975	4,550	+30.4%
1982	5,542	+21.8%
1990	6,576	+18.7%
1999	6,820	+3.7%
2008	7,341	+7.6%

Tourism

Old houses of XV^th and XVI^th centuries are historical and architectural attractions.

Every two years, the medieval festival of Saint-Renan, the biggest of the department, highlights the city's heritage. The 15th edition will take place on the 15th and 16 July 2017. [2]

The saturday morning market - one of the biggest - is the opportunity to taste local products such as "kouign amann" (cake which name means "sugar and butter" in Breton language), Kig Ha Farz, algae, crepes, cider, caramel, chitterlings sausages...

The six artificial lakes are part of the industrial heritage of the city, which nickname was "the European capital of pewter" in the 60s. The two largest ones, named "Ty Colo" and "Comiren" are perfect places for long relaxing walks.

The church of the XVII^th century has undergone several transformations over time. Built on top of a hill, its bell tower is visible from a large part of the city. The churchyard contains a military area dedicated to the British aviators from the Royal Air Force who died for freedom and for France during the World War II.[3]

Breton language

In 2016, 14% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.

Notable natives and residents

• Nolwenn Leroy, singer and songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the second series of the French television reality show, Star Academy.
• Benoît Hamon, politician, member of both the Socialist Party (“PS”), and the Party of European Socialists, candidate for the 2017 French Presidential Election.

See also

• Communes of the Finistère department

References

• INSEE

• Mayors of Finistère Association (in French)

External links

• Official website (in French)
• French Ministry of Culture list for Saint-Renan (in French)