Guérande

Guérande

Gwenrann
Guérande Gwenrann
	Location of Guérande
Country	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Loire-Atlantique
Arrondissement	Saint-Nazaire
Canton	Guérande
Government
• Mayor	Annick Mahé
Area 1	81.44 km2 (31.44 sq mi)
Population (2001])	14,296
• Density	180/km2 (450/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	44069 /
Elevation	0–57 m (0–187 ft)
Website	www.ville-guerande.fr
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Guérande in French and Gwenrann in the Breton language, (meaning : "white land") is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.

It lies close to the Atlantic Ocean. The old walled town (known in French as vieille ville) is surrounded by nearly intact ramparts and has four fortified gates (the largest of which is a 15th century châtelet known as Porte Saint-Michel) and ten towers. It's the capital of the Pays Guérandais, an ancient region of the Duchy of Brittany. The residents are called Guérandais.

Geography

Guérande is almost surrounded by the sea at the West, the Brière marshland at the east and the Vilaine river by the north. At the south extends the sea resort La Baule.

Guérande is known by the salterns which produce a very fine, traditional salt called fleur de sel, and by the old town with fortifications.

History

The town has a very rich history, full of important events. Guérande was visited regularly by Breton rulers such as duchess Anne of Brittany.

The most important event is probably the signature of the first Guérande treaty in 1365. This treaty put an end at the Breton War of Succession between Joanna of Penthièvre and Duke John IV. Then a second treaty was signed in 1381 by John IV and Charles VI, king of France.

Breton language

In 2008, there was 2,02% of the children attended the bilingual schools in primary education.^[1]

Cultural references

The Balzac novel Béatrix is set in Guérande, concerning Calyste, son of the baron de Guenic, and his relations with characters based on George Sand, Franz Liszt, and Marie d'Agoult.