Quiberon

French commune
nomcommune=Quiberon


native_name=Kiberen




x = 37
y = 106
lat_long=coord|47|29|03|N|3|07|09|W|region:FR_type:city
région=Bretagne
département=Morbihan
arrondissement=Lorient
canton=Quiberon (chief town)
insee=56186
cp=56170
maire=Jean-Michel Belz
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm="none as of 2007"
alt moy=15 m
alt mini=0 m
alt maxi=33 m
hectares=883
km²=8.83
sans=5,073
date-sans=1999
dens=574
date-dens=1999

Quiberon or Kiberen in Breton is a commune of the Morbihan "département", in the "région" of Bretagne. It is situated on a peninsula, the Presqu'île de Quiberon. It is primarily known as a seaside resort for the French during summer, and for its history of sardine production.

History

During the Seven Years War the bay was the site of the Battle of Quiberon Bay between the French and British fleets. In the French Revolution, in July 1795 Quiberon was used by French Royalist exiles, with assistance from the British, as the base for a failed invasion of Brittany (traditionally a royalist area). The invasion was defeated by the Revolutionaries under general Lazare Hoche.

In the 19th century, Nicolas Appert, a chemist, tuned a technique that permitted the sterilization of food. Thanks to this process, Quiberon became the leading harbour for sardine fishing and the production of canned sardines in France. Many families from the Finistère "département" migrated to Quiberon for the fishing season (May to October). When the men put out to sea, the women worked in the sardine can factories.

The railway between Auray and Quiberon was inaugurated in 1882. It deeply changed Quiberon's inhabitants' way of life. Fishing, canning and the exploitation of seaweed has been replaced by tourism. At that time, some famous people went to Quiberon for a stay, including the writer Gustave Flaubert, Anatole France and Sarah Bernhardt. The year 1924 was important for the peninsula because it was classified as health resort. Now, the main resources for Quiberon come from tourism.

Monuments

* Église Notre-Dame de Locmaria, 19th century chapel
* Chapelle Fort Penthièvre, 19th century
* Prehistoric site
* Musée de la mer (Museum of the sea)
* Monument to the Battle of Quiberon between the Revolutionaries and Royalists

Demographics

Inhabitants of Quiberon are called "Quiberonnais".

As of the census of 1999, the town has a population of formatnum:5,073.

ee also

*Communes of the Morbihan department
*Battle of Quiberon Bay

ources

[http://www.maires56.asso.fr Mayors of Morbihan Association] fr icon; [http://www.insee.fr/en/home/home_page.asp INSEE] en icon; [http://www.ign.fr/rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1&lng_id=EN IGN] en icon

External links

* [http://www.ville-quiberon.fr/index.php City website] fr icon
* [http://www.quiberon.com/ Tourism Office website] fr icon
* [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/merimee_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_98=INSEE&VALUE_98=56186 French Ministry of Culture list for Quiberon] fr icon
* [http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/mapPerformPage?strAddress=&strCP=56170&strLocation=Quiberon&strCountry=1424&image2.x=28&image2.y=7 Map of Quiberon on Michelin] en icon