Editing Brittany (section)

==Culture==

===Architecture===
[[File:Fr Josselin Castle from river with flowers.JPG|thumb|[[Josselin Castle]]]]
Brittany is home to many [[megalith]]ic monuments; the words ''[[menhir]]'' and ''[[dolmen]]'' come from the [[Breton language]]. The largest menhir alignments are the [[Carnac stones]]. Other major sites include the [[Barnenez]] [[cairn]], the [[Locmariaquer megaliths]], the [[Menhir de Champ-Dolent]], the [[Mane Braz]] [[tumulus]] and the [[Gavrinis]] tomb. Monuments from the [[Roman Gaul|Roman]] period are rare, but include a large temple in [[Corseul]] and scarce ruins of villas and city walls in [[Rennes]] and [[Nantes]].

Brittany has a large number of medieval buildings. They include numerous [[Romanesque style|Romanesque]] and [[French Gothic]] churches, usually built in local [[sandstone]] and [[granite]], castles and half-timbered houses visible in villages, towns and cities. Several Breton towns still have their medieval walls, such as [[Guérande]], [[Concarneau]], [[Saint-Malo]], [[Vannes]], [[Fougères]] and [[Dinan]]. Major churches include [[Saint-Pol-de-Léon Cathedral]], [[Tréguier Cathedral]], [[Dol Cathedral]], [[Nantes Cathedral]] and the [[Kreisker chapel]]. Most of the Breton castles were rebuilt between the 13th and the 15th century, such as the [[Château de Suscinio]], the [[Château de Dinan]], the [[Château de Combourg]], the [[Château de Largoët]], the [[Château de Tonquédec]], the [[Josselin Castle]] and the [[Château de Trécesson]]. The most impressive castles can be seen along the border with France, where stand the [[Château de Fougères]], the [[Château de Vitré]], the [[Château de Châteaubriant]] and the [[Château de Clisson]].

[[File:Cahire.JPG|thumb|left|A traditional house in [[Plougoumelen]]]]
The [[French Renaissance]] occurred when Brittany lost its independence. The Renaissance architecture is almost absent in the region, except in [[Upper Brittany]], close to the border with France. Major sites include the [[Château des ducs de Bretagne]], the last permanent residence of the dukes, which displays the transition from late Gothic to Renaissance style. The [[Château de Châteaubriant]], a former fortress, was transformed into a vast palace in the Italian style.

[[File:Bénodet - Le Minaret.jpg|thumb|upright|An [[Art Deco]] villa in [[Bénodet]]]]
In [[Lower Brittany]], the medieval style never totally disappeared. However, local innovations permitted some changes and the birth of a particular style. Its most distinctive feature is the [[parish close]], which displays an elaborately decorated church surrounded by an entirely walled churchyard. Many villages still have their closes, they date from the 16th and 17th centuries and sometimes include an elaborately carved [[calvary (sculpture)|calvary sculpture]].

During the 17th and the 18th centuries, the main [[seaport]]s and towns obtained a typical French look, with [[baroque]] and [[neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] buildings. [[Nantes]], which was at the time the biggest French harbour, received a theatre, large avenues and quays, and [[Rennes]] was redesigned after a fire in 1720. At the same period, the wealthy [[ship-owner]]s from [[Saint-Malo]] built many mansions called "Malouinières" around their town. Along the coast, [[Vauban]] and other French architects designed several citadels, such as in [[Le Palais]] and [[Port-Louis, Morbihan|Port-Louis]]. In rural areas, Breton houses remained simple, with a single floor and a [[longhouse]] pattern. They were built with local materials: mostly granite in [[Lower Brittany]] and [[schist]] in [[Upper Brittany]]. [[Slate]]s and [[thatching|reeds]] were usually used for roofing. During the 19th century, the Breton architecture was mainly characterised by the [[Gothic Revival]] and [[Eclecticism]]. [[Clisson]], the southernmost Breton town, was rebuilt in an Italian [[Romanticism|Romantic]] style around 1820. The Breton [[lighthouse]]s were mostly built during the 19th century. The most famous are [[Ar Men]], [[Phare d'Eckmühl]], [[La Vieille]] and [[La Jument]]. The lighthouse on the [[Île Vierge]] is, with 77 meters, the highest in Europe.

At the end of the 19th century, several [[seaside resort]]s were created along the coast and villas and hotels were built in [[historicism (art)|historicist]], [[Art Nouveau]], and later in the [[Art Deco]] styles. These architectures are particularly present in [[Dinard]], [[La Baule]] and [[Bénodet]]. Architecture from the 20th century can be seen in [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[Brest, France|Brest]] and [[Lorient]], three cities destroyed during the [[Second World War]] and rebuilt afterwards, and in the works of the Breton nationalist architects like [[James Bouillé]] and [[Olier Mordrel]].

===Fine arts===
[[File:Paul Gauguin 078.jpg|thumb|upright|''The Beautiful Angèle'' by [[Paul Gauguin]]]]
Until the 19th century, [[Catholicism]] had been the main inspiration for Breton artists. The region has a great number of [[baroque]] [[retable]]s, made between the 17th and the 19th century. Breton sculptors were also famous for their ship models that served as [[ex-voto]]s and for their richly decorated furniture, which features naïve Breton characters and traditional patterns. The [[box-bed]] is the most famous Breton piece of furniture. The Breton style had a strong revival between 1900 and the [[Second World War]] and it was used by the [[Seiz Breur]] movement. The Seiz Breur artists also tried to invent a modern Breton art by rejecting French standards and mixing traditional techniques with new materials. The leading artists of that period were the designer [[René-Yves Creston]], the illustrators [[Jeanne Malivel]] and [[Xavier Haas]], and the sculptors [[Raffig Tullou]], [[Francis Renaud (sculptor)|Francis Renaud]], [[Georges Robin]], [[Joseph Savina]], [[Jules-Charles Le Bozec]] and [[Jean Fréour]].

Brittany is also known for its [[needlework]], which can be seen on its numerous headdress models, and for its [[faience]] production, which started at the beginning of the 18th century. [[Quimper faience]] is known worldwide for its bowls and plates painted by hand, and other towns, such as [[Pornic]], also maintain a similar tradition. The potteries usually feature naïve Breton characters in traditional clothing and daily scenes. The designs have a strong traditional Breton influence, but [[Orientalism]] and [[Art Deco]] have also been used.

Because of its distinct culture and natural landscape, Brittany has inspired many French artists since the 19th century. The [[Pont-Aven School]], which started to emerge in the 1850s and lasted until the beginning of the 20th century, had a decisive influence on modern painting. The artists who settled in [[Pont-Aven]] wanted to break away from the [[Academic art|Academic style]] of the {{Lang|fr|[[École des Beaux-Arts]]|italic=no}} and later from [[Impressionism]] when it began to decline. Among them were [[Paul Gauguin]], [[Paul Signac]], [[Marc Chagall]], [[Paul Sérusier]] and [[Raymond Wintz]]. Before them, Brittany had also been visited by Academic and Romantic painters like [[Jean Antoine Théodore de Gudin]] and [[Jules Achille Noël]] who were looking for dramatic seascapes and storms.

===Music===
{{Main|Music of Brittany|Breton dance}}
[[File:Bagad.JPG|thumb|The [[Lann-Bihoué]] [[bagad]]]]
Since the early 1970s, Brittany has experienced a tremendous revival of its folk music. Numerous festivals were created, along with smaller ''[[fest-noz]]'' (popular feasts). The ''[[bagad]]où'', bands composed of [[bagpipe]]s, [[bombard (music)|bombards]] and drums (including [[Snare drum|snare]]), are also a modern creation, inspired by the Scottish [[pipe band]]s. The [[Lann-Bihoué]] bagad, one of the most well-known, belongs to the [[French Navy]]. It is the only one that does not take part to the annual bagadoù competitions. [[Celtic harp]] is also common, as are vocals and dances. The [[Kan ha diskan]] is the most common type of singing. The performers sing calls and responses while dancing. Breton dances usually imply circles, chains or couples and they are different in every region. The oldest dances seem to be the [[passepied]] and the [[gavotte]], and the newest ones derive from the [[quadrille]] and [[French Renaissance]] dances.

[[File:Nolwenn Leroy - Alan Stivell.jpg|thumb|left|[[Nolwenn Leroy]] and [[Alan Stivell]] (2012)]]
In the 1960s, several Breton artists started to use contemporary patterns to create a Breton pop music. Among them, [[Alan Stivell]] contributed most in popularising the [[Celtic harp]] and Breton music in the world. He also used [[American rock|American]] [[rock and roll]] in his works and influenced 1970s Breton bands such as [[Kornog]], {{ill|Gwerz (band)|fr|Gwerz (groupe)}} and [[Tri Yann]], who revived traditional songs and made them popular across France. [[Soldat Louis]] is the main Breton rock band,{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} and Breton singers include [[Gilles Servat]], [[Glenmor]], [[Dan Ar Braz]], [[Yann-Fañch Kemener]], [[Denez Prigent]], [[Nolwenn Korbell]] and [[Nolwenn Leroy]]. The [[Manau (group)|Manau]] [[Hip hop]] group from Paris has strong Breton and Celtic inspirations. You can also find the well known group [[Matmatah]] from Brest.

[[Yann Tiersen]], who composed the soundtrack for ''[[Amélie]]'', [[Cécile Corbel]] the compositor of [[Arrietty|''Arrietty and the borrowers'']], the [[Electro (music)|Electro]] band [[Yelle]] and the [[avant-garde]] singer [[Brigitte Fontaine]] are also from Brittany. The 19th-century composer [[Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray]] was one of the first western European composers to be influenced by what is now known as [[world music]].

In 2022, [[Alvan (musician)|Alvan]] and [[Ahez]] have been selected to represent France in the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2022]]. Their song, [[Fulenn]], is sung entirely in Breton and is about the legend of Katel Kollet, a lady who dances with the devil.

===Legends and literature===
[[File:Botrel.jpg|thumb|upright|The singer-songwriter [[Théodore Botrel]] dressed in traditional Breton clothing]]
Brittany is closely associated with the [[Matter of Britain]] and [[King Arthur]]. According to [[Wace]], [[Brocéliande]] is located in Brittany and it is nowadays considered to be [[Paimpont forest]]. There, ruins of a castle surrounded by a lake are associated with the [[Lady of the Lake]], a [[dolmen]] is said to be [[Tombeau de Merlin|Merlin's tomb]] and a path is presented as [[Morgan le Fay]]'s [[Val sans Retour]]. [[Tristan and Iseult]] are also said to have lived in Brittany. Another major Breton legend is the story about [[Ys]], a city swallowed by the ocean.

Breton literature before the 19th century was mostly oral.  The oral tradition entertained by medieval poets died out during the 15th century and books in [[Breton language|Breton]] were very rare before 1850. At that time, local writers started to collect and publish local tales and legends and wrote original works.  Published between 1925 and the [[Second World War]], the literary journal [[Gwalarn]] favoured a modern Breton literature and helped translating widely known novels into Breton.  After the war, the journal ''Al Liamm'' pursued that mission. Among the authors writing in Breton are [[Auguste Brizeux]], a Romantic poet, the [[neo-Druid]]ic bard [[Erwan Berthou]], [[Théodore Hersart de La Villemarqué]], who collected the local legends about [[King Arthur]], [[Roparz Hemon]], founder of [[Gwalarn]], [[Pêr-Jakez Helias]], [[Glenmor]], [[Pêr Denez]] and [[Meavenn]].

Breton literature includes 19th-century historical novels by [[Émile Souvestre]], travel journals by [[Anatole Le Braz]], poems and novels by [[Charles Le Goffic]], the works of the singer-songwriter [[Théodore Botrel]] and of the maritime writer [[Henri Queffélec]]. Brittany is also the birthplace of many writers like [[François-René de Chateaubriand]], [[Jules Verne]], [[Ernest Renan]], [[Félicité Robert de Lamennais]] and [[Pierre Abélard]] [[Max Jacob]], [[Alfred Jarry]], [[Victor Segalen]], [[Xavier Grall]], [[Jean Rouaud]], [[Irène Frain]], [[Herve Jaouen]],<ref>Hervé_Jaouen</ref> [[Alain Robbe-Grillet]], [[Pierre-Jakez Hélias]], [[Tristan Corbière]], [[Paul Féval]], [[Jean Guéhenno]], [[Arthur Bernède]], [[André Breton]], [[Patrick Poivre d'Arvor]].

The ''[[Asterix]]'' comics, set during the time of [[Julius Caesar]] and written in the second half of the twentieth century, are set in Armorica, now Brittany.

===Museums===
The Museum of Brittany, located in [[Rennes]], was founded in 1856. Its collections are mainly dedicated to the history of the region. Museums dedicated to [[Prehistory]] and local [[megalith]]s are located in [[Carnac]] and [[Penmarch]], while several towns like [[Vannes]] and [[Nantes]] have a museum presenting their own history.

The [[Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes]] owns a large collection of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities as well as drawings and engravings by [[Domenico Ghirlandaio]], [[Parmigianino]], [[Albrecht Dürer]] and [[Rembrandt]]. Its French art collection gathers works by [[Georges de La Tour]], [[François Boucher]], [[Paul Gauguin]], [[Auguste Rodin]], [[Camille Corot]] and [[Robert Delaunay]]. It has also works by [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Rubens]], [[Peter Lely]] and [[Paolo Veronese]]. The collections of the [[Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes|Museum of Fine Arts of Nantes]] are more dedicated to modern and contemporary art and contain works by [[Edward Burne-Jones]], [[Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres]], [[Eugène Delacroix]], [[Gustave Courbet]], [[Paul Signac]], [[Tamara de Lempicka]], [[Wassily Kandinsky]], [[Max Ernst]], [[Pierre Soulages]] and [[Piero Manzoni]]. The Museums of Fine Arts of [[Brest, France|Brest]] and [[Quimper]] offer similar collections, with large quantities of French painting together with the works of some Italian and Dutch artists. The Museum of Fine Arts [[Pont-Aven]] is dedicated to the [[School of Pont-Aven]]. Contemporary sculptures can be seen in the park around the Château de Kerguéhennec, in [[Bignan]].

Museums in [[Saint-Malo]], [[Lorient]] and [[Douarnenez]] are dedicated to ships and maritime traditions and history. The [[Musée national de la Marine]] has a large annex in Brest and a submarine is opened to visitors in [[Lorient]]. In the same town, it is also possible to visit the [[Keroman Submarine Museum]], and the ''Cité de la voile [[Éric Tabarly]]'', a museum dedicated to sailing. In [[Saint-Nazaire]], where many [[Ocean liner|transatlantic ships]] were built, including {{SS|Normandie}} and {{SS|France|1961|6}}, a museum showing transatlantic interiors was installed in a [[Second World War]] base. Nantes has a [[Jules Verne Museum|museum dedicated to Jules Verne]], a [[Natural History Museum of Nantes|Natural History Museum]] and a museum of archaeology and design, the [[Musée Dobrée]].

===Festivals===
[[File:Tonnerres de Brest 2012 - Götheborg - 003.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Götheborg (ship)|Götheborg]]'' ship replica at the Brest tall ship meeting in 2012]]
Brittany has a vibrant calendar of festivals and events. It hosts some of France's biggest contemporary music festivals, such as [[La Route du Rock]] in [[Saint-Malo]], the [[Vieilles Charrues]] in [[Carhaix]], the [[Rencontres Trans Musicales]] in [[Rennes]], the Festival du Bout du Monde in [[Crozon]], the [[Hellfest]] in [[Clisson]] and the Astropolis in Brest, or [[:fr:Fête du bruit dans Landerneau|La fête du bruit]] in Landerneau and Saint-Nolff. The [[Festival Interceltique de Lorient]] welcomes each year participants all the [[Celtic nations]] and their diasporas. [[La Folle Journée]], in [[Nantes]], is the largest classical music festival in France.

The Breton culture is highlighted during the ''Fête de la Bretagne'', which occurs in many places around Saint-Yves's day (19 May), and during the Festival de Cornouaille in [[Quimper]]. Several towns also organise [[historical re-enactment]]s and events celebrating local traditions, such as the Filets Bleus in [[Concarneau]] which celebrates fishing.

Brittany also has some film festivals like the [[Three Continents Festival]] in [[Nantes]]. The [[Utopiales]] international science fiction festival is held in the same city. Brest and [[Douarnenez]] both organise large [[tall ship]] meetings (See [[Brest Maritime Festival]]).

===Sport===
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}
[[File:Roazhon Park - France Paraguay June 2nd 2017.jpg|thumb|[[Roazhon Park]] in [[Rennes]]]]
[[Association football|Football]], cycling and sailing are the three most popular sports in Brittany. Major football teams are the [[FC Nantes]], the [[Stade Rennais F.C.]], the [[FC Lorient]], the [[Stade Brestois 29]], the [[Vannes OC]] and the [[En Avant de Guingamp]]. Professional footballers coming from the region also form the [[Brittany national football team]] which sometimes plays with national teams.

Several Bretons have won the [[Tour de France]]: [[Bernard Hinault]], [[Louison Bobet]], [[Jean Robic]] and [[Lucien Petit-Breton]] as riders, and [[Cyrille Guimard]] as a ''[[directeur sportif]]''.

[[Rugby Union]] is less popular in the North than in the [[south of France]], but [[Rugby Club Vannes]] are one of few professional teams in northern France.  They currently play in the top tier of French Rugby, [[Top 14]].

Sailing is particularly important for sea-resorts like [[La Trinité-sur-Mer]], [[Pornichet]], [[Concarneau]], [[Lorient]] and the [[îles de Glénan]], where a prestigious school is located. A great number of Bretons have become acclaimed sailors, such as: [[Éric Tabarly]], [[Loïck Peyron]], [[Jean Le Cam]], [[Michel Desjoyeaux]], [[Olivier de Kersauson]], [[Thomas Coville]], [[Vincent Riou]] and [[Marc Pajot]]. The [[Route du Rhum]], the [[Transat Québec-Saint-Malo]], the [[Jules Verne Trophy]] are the main Breton sailing competitions. The [[Solitaire du Figaro]] stages often start in Brittany.

[[Gouren]], a style of [[folk wrestling]], is the most popular Breton sport. The [[Boule bretonne]] is related to [[pétanque]]. The ''Palets'', common in [[Upper Brittany]] and in other French regions, is also related to pétanque, but players use iron disks instead of balls and they have to throw them on a wooden board.

[[Gaelic football]] is also a growing sport in the region,<ref>{{cite web|title=Brittany GAA's 'Mother Goose' has a growing flock|url=https://www.gaa.ie/news/brittany-gaa-s-mother-goose-has-a-growing-flock/|access-date=5 December 2021|website=www.gaa.ie|archive-date=30 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430204641/https://www.gaa.ie/news/brittany-gaa-s-mother-goose-has-a-growing-flock/|url-status=dead}}</ref> with club teams and a 'county' [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]] team representing Brittany against other European 'counties' such as Galicia.
[[File:Galette œuf saucisse.JPG|thumb|[[Galette]]s served with eggs and sausages]]

===Cuisine===
Although [[Muscadet]] and Gros Plant white wines are produced south of the [[Loire]], the traditional drink of Brittany is [[cider]]. Brittany is the second-largest cider-producing region in France.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediaoueg.bzh/le-cidre |title=Le Cidre&nbsp;– Mediaoueg, Ar Vediaoueg&nbsp;– La Médiathèque |publisher=Mediaoueg.bzh |access-date=3 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910212009/http://www.mediaoueg.bzh/le-cidre/ |archive-date=10 September 2015 }}</ref> Breton cider is traditionally served in a bowl or a cup. Brittany also has a long beer-brewing tradition, tracing its roots back to the 17th century. Young artisanal brewers are keeping a variety of beer types alive,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bierbreizh.info/ |title=bierbreizh&nbsp;– Accueil |publisher=Bierbreizh.info |access-date=3 May 2011}}</ref> such as ''Coreff de Morlaix'', ''Tri Martolod'' and ''Britt''. Stronger alcohols include the ''[[chouchen]]'', a sort of [[mead]] made with wild honey, and an apple [[eau de vie]] called ''lambig''. [[Crêpe]]s and [[galette]]s are the two most well-known Breton dishes. The crêpes,<ref>{{cite web |title=Crepes Recipe |url=https://aroundtheyum.com/recipe/recipe-for-crepes/ |website=Around The Yum |date=6 August 2024 |access-date=14 October 2024}}</ref> made and served with butter, are eaten for dessert and the galettes are usually salty and made with [[buckwheat]]. They traditionally replaced bread as basic food and they can be served with cheese, sausages, bacon, mushrooms or eggs. They can be accompanied by Breton [[buttermilk]] called ''lait ribot''. Brittany also has a dish similar to the [[pot-au-feu]] known as the [[kig ha farz]], which consists of stewed pork or beef with [[buckwheat]] dumplings.{{Citation needed paragraph|date=May 2021}} Surrounded by the sea, Brittany offers a wide range of fresh seafood and fish, especially [[mussel]]s and [[oyster]]s. Among the seafood specialities is a fish stew called [[cotriade]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Strootman |first=Kevin |date=2022-01-18 |title=go789 |url=https://go789s.me/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=go789s.me}}</ref> The [[beurre blanc]] sauce, invented in [[Saint-Julien-de-Concelles]], close to [[Nantes]], is often served with fish. Brittany is also known for its salt, mainly harvested around [[Guérande]] and used in butter and milk caramels. The region is notable for its biscuit factories, many towns having their own: [[Quimper]], [[Lorient]], [[Pont-Aven]], [[Saint-Brieuc]], BN and [[Lefèvre-Utile|LU]] in [[Nantes]], La Trinitaine in [[La Trinité-sur-Mer]], and Galettes Saint-Michel in [[Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef]]. They usually make their biscuits with salted butter and sell them in iron boxes. Famous Breton [[pastries]] include the ''[[kouign amann]]'' ("butter cake" in Breton) made with bread dough and high quantities of butter and sugar, and the  ''[[far Breton|far]]'', a sort of sweet [[Yorkshire pudding]] usually made with dried plums.{{Citation needed paragraph|date=May 2021}}