| Commune status | Prefecture and commune |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 48.5136°N 2.7653°W |
| Insee | 22278 |
| Postal code | 22000 |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Brieuc |
| Canton | Saint-Brieuc-1 and 2 |
| Mayor | Valentin Giraudeau[1] |
| Term | 2020–2026 |
| Intercommunality | Saint-Brieuc Armor |
| Elevation min m | 0 |
| Elevation max m | 134 |
| Area km 2 | 21.88 |
| Population demonym | Briochin, Briochine |
Saint-Brieuc (sɛ̃ bʁijø; Breton: Sant-Brieg sãnt ˈbriːɛk; fr-gallo: Saint-Berieu) is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.
History
Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk, Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 5th century and established an oratory there.[2] 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.
The Hôtel de Ville was completed in 1873.[3]
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.
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.[5]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1793 | 7,335 | — |
| 1800 | 8,394 | +14.4% |
| 1806 | 9,000 | +7.2% |
| 1821 | 9,956 | +10.6% |
| 1831 | 10,420 | +4.7% |
| 1836 | 11,313 | +8.6% |
| 1841 | 12,484 | +10.4% |
| 1846 | 13,239 | +6.0% |
| 1851 | 12,813 | −3.2% |
| 1856 | 14,888 | +16.2% |
| 1861 | 15,341 | +3.0% |
| 1866 | 15,812 | +3.1% |
| 1872 | 15,253 | −3.5% |
| 1876 | 16,355 | +7.2% |
| 1881 | 17,833 | +9.0% |
| 1886 | 19,240 | +7.9% |
| 1891 | 19,948 | +3.7% |
| 1896 | 21,665 | +8.6% |
| 1901 | 22,198 | +2.5% |
| 1906 | 23,041 | +3.8% |
| 1911 | 23,945 | +3.9% |
| 1921 | 24,511 | +2.4% |
| 1926 | 26,043 | +6.3% |
| 1931 | 28,320 | +8.7% |
| 1936 | 31,640 | +11.7% |
| 1946 | 36,674 | +15.9% |
| 1954 | 37,670 | +2.7% |
| 1962 | 43,142 | +14.5% |
| 1968 | 50,281 | +16.5% |
| 1975 | 52,559 | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 48,563 | −7.6% |
| 1990 | 44,752 | −7.8% |
| 1999 | 46,087 | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 46,178 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 45,936 | −0.5% |
| 2017 | 44,372 | −3.4% |
| 2023 | 44,364 | −0.0% |
EHESS[6] and INSEE (1968-2023)[7]
Breton language
In 2008, 3.98% of primary school children attended bilingual schools.[8]
Transport
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[9]
- 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
References
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ Anonymous (2012-05-05). "Saint-Brieuc - Sant Breig". Transceltic - Home of the Celtic nations. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
- ^ "Saint-Brieuc. La mairie, un édifice qui a 150 ans". Ma Ville. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ "Seaweed suspected in French death". BBC News. 7 September 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
- ^ Côtes-d'Armor, habitants.fr
- ^
- ^ Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE
- ^ (in French) Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue
- ^ "British towns twinned with French towns". Archant Community Media Ltd. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
External links
- City council website Archived 23 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
- saint-brieuc.maville (in French)
- Saint-Brieuc Tourism Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine (in English)