Vannes

Vannes (Breton: Gwened) is a town and commune located in the Morbihan département, in Brittany, in the west of France. It was founded more than 2000 years ago.

Geography

Vannes is located along the Gulf of Morbihan, at the confluence of the Vannes River. It is a market town and often linked to the sea.

History

In ancient times, the people of Vannes resisted the Roman invasion under Julius Caesar quite successfully. In fact, these Armoricans were a model for the fractious tribe of the Astérix comic book series. They were great sailors, and whenever they were threatened, they took to the sea.

Caesar saw that he would have to dominate the water if he was ever to subdue them. He allied himself with the neighboring Namnete tribe (which gives its name to the city of Nantes) in order to gain the advantage.

The diocese of Vannes was erected in the 5th century. The Council of Vannes was held here in 461.

In fiction

In the novels of Alexandre Dumas, the musketeer Aramis appears at one point as bishop of Vannes.

Miscellaneous

Births

Vannes was the birthplace of:

Francis I (1414-1450), duke of Brittany
Paul César Helleu (1859-1927), artist
Yves Rocard (1903-1992), physicist
Alain Resnais (born 1922), film director
Yves Coppens (born 1934), anthropologist
Bernard Poignant (born 1945), French politician
Mathieu Berson (born 1980), footballer

Sister cities

Vannes is paired with:

Mons, Belgium since 1952
Cuxhaven, Germany since 1963
Fareham, United Kingdom since 1967

It has partnerships (partenariats) with:

External links

Communes of Morbihan | Préfectures

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