Roscoff

Roscoff
	Roscoff; Rosko
	Center of Roscoff from Sainte Barbe chapel
	Roscoff
	Location within Brittany region Roscoff
Administration
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Finistère
Arrondissement	Morlaix
Canton	Saint-Pol-de-Léon
Intercommunality	Pays Léonard
Mayor	Joseph Seité; (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	0–58 m (0–190 ft); (avg. 6 m or 20 ft)
Land area1	6.19 km2 (2.39 sq mi)
Population2	3,648 (2008)
- Density	589 /km2 (1,530 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	29239/ 29680
	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.

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Coordinates: 48°43′38″N 3°59′04″W / 48.7272°N 3.9844°W / 48.7272; -3.9844

Roscoff (Breton: Rosko) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.

Roscoff is renowned for its picturesque architecture, labeled « Petite cité de caractère de Bretagne (small town of character)^[1] » since 2009. Roscoff is also a traditional departure point for Onion Johnnies.

After lobbying by local economic leaders headed by Alexis Gourvennec, the French Government agreed in 1968 to provide a deep water port at Roscoff. Existing ferry operators were reluctant to take on the relatively long Plymouth/Roscoff crossing, so Gourvennec and colleagues founded Brittany Ferries. Since the early 1970s, Roscoff has been developed as a ferry port for the transport of Breton agricultural produce, and for car-based tourism. Brittany Ferries' and Irish Ferries link Roscoff with the United Kingdom and Ireland which provides a boost to the local economy.

The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour.

[edit] Sights

Roscoff parish church Our Lady of Croaz Batz (Notre Dame de Croaz Batz): Renaissance and Gothic church from the 16th century
The house known as "that of Mary, Queen of Scots"
The Station Biologique de Roscoff, a research laboratory in oceanography and marine biology.
The Jardin Exotique de Roscoff

[edit] Population

Inhabitants of Roscoff are called in French Roscovites.

[edit] Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on November 14, 2008.

In 2008, 18.44% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.^[2]

[edit] Passenger ferries

Ro Ro

Brittany Ferries operate ferry services from Roscoff to Plymouth daily from February to November and to Cork once weekly (Saturday service) from March to November.

Irish Ferries operate ferry services from Roscoff to Rosslare from May to September.

[edit] Historic events

In 1375, the harbour was destroyed by the Earl of Arundel. It would later be rebuilt at its current location, at Kroas Batz.
From 1522 to 1545–1550, construction the Church of Our Lady of Kroas Batz (see Monuments above).
In 1548, the six-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, having been betrothed to the Dauphin François, disembarks at Roscoff.
In 1790, Roscoff was raised to independent commune. Until this time, the town had effectively depended on Saint-Pol-de-Léon.