Quimper

Quimper Kemper (Breton)
Prefecture and commune
The river Odet in the centre of Quimper
Coat of arms
Location of Quimper
Quimper Quimper
Coordinates: 47°59′48″N 4°05′47″W
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Finistère
Arrondissement	Quimper
Canton	Quimper-1 and 2
Intercommunality	Quimper Bretagne Occidentale
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Isabelle Assih
Area 1	84.45 km2 (32.61 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	63,642
• Density	750/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	29232 /29000
Elevation	−5–151 m (−16–495 ft) (avg. 6 m or 20 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Quimper (US: /kæ̃ˈpɛər/, French: [kɛ̃pɛʁ] ; Breton: Kemper [ˈkẽmpəʁ]; Latin: Civitas Aquilonia or Corisopitum) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.

Administration

Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department.

Geography

The city was built on the confluence of the Steir, Odet and Jet rivers. Route National 165, D785, D765 and D783 were constructed to intersect here, 62 km (39 miles) northwest of Lorient, 181 km (112 mi) west of Rennes, and 486 km (302 mi) west-southwest of Paris.

Climate

Quimper has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Quimper is 11.9 °C (53.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,250.2 mm (49.22 in) with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 17.8 °C (64.0 °F), and lowest in February, at around 6.7 °C (44.1 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Quimper was 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) on 30 June 1976; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −10.1 °C (13.8 °F) on 13 January 1987.

Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France

Town	Sunshine (hours/yr)	Rain (mm/yr)	Snow (days/yr)	Storm (days/yr)	Fog (days/yr)
National average	1,973	770	14	22	40
Quimper	1,684	1,249.2	6.3	14.0	60.4
Paris	1,661	637	12	18	10
Nice	2,724	767	1	29	1
Strasbourg	1,693	665	29	29	56
Brest	1,605	1,211	7	12	75

Climate data for Quimper (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1967–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	16.9 (62.4)	18.6 (65.5)	23.3 (73.9)	27.1 (80.8)	30.3 (86.5)	35.9 (96.6)	34.9 (94.8)	35.8 (96.4)	31.1 (88.0)	26.8 (80.2)	19.7 (67.5)	17.7 (63.9)	35.9 (96.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	9.4 (48.9)	9.7 (49.5)	11.9 (53.4)	13.9 (57.0)	17.0 (62.6)	19.8 (67.6)	21.7 (71.1)	21.9 (71.4)	19.8 (67.6)	16.0 (60.8)	12.4 (54.3)	10.0 (50.0)	15.3 (59.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)	6.8 (44.2)	6.7 (44.1)	8.5 (47.3)	10.1 (50.2)	13.1 (55.6)	15.8 (60.4)	17.7 (63.9)	17.8 (64.0)	15.8 (60.4)	12.8 (55.0)	9.5 (49.1)	7.4 (45.3)	11.9 (53.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	4.2 (39.6)	3.8 (38.8)	5.2 (41.4)	6.3 (43.3)	9.2 (48.6)	11.7 (53.1)	13.6 (56.5)	13.6 (56.5)	11.8 (53.2)	9.7 (49.5)	6.6 (43.9)	4.7 (40.5)	8.4 (47.1)
Record low °C (°F)	−10.1 (13.8)	−8.4 (16.9)	−7.0 (19.4)	−2.2 (28.0)	0.3 (32.5)	3.9 (39.0)	6.6 (43.9)	6.9 (44.4)	4.2 (39.6)	−1.2 (29.8)	−4.6 (23.7)	−7.2 (19.0)	−10.1 (13.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	151.1 (5.95)	120.4 (4.74)	98.9 (3.89)	90.2 (3.55)	90.2 (3.55)	59.3 (2.33)	67.2 (2.65)	64.6 (2.54)	86.9 (3.42)	130.1 (5.12)	139.7 (5.50)	151.6 (5.97)	1,250.2 (49.22)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	16.4	13.0	13.7	12.4	11.3	8.8	9.6	9.5	9.6	14.8	15.9	15.8	150.8
Average snowy days	1.4	2.1	0.7	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.8	5.5
Mean monthly sunshine hours	65.9	85.7	126.5	170.7	194.2	215.9	194.3	194.0	177.3	111.5	77.9	70.1	1,683.8
Source 1: Météo France
Source 2: Meteociel

Etymology

The name Quimper comes from the Breton kemper, meaning "confluent".

History

Quimper, with its vernacular architecture, is a popular tourist destination

Quimper is the ancient capital of Cornouaille, Brittany's most traditional region, and has a distinctive Breton Celtic character. Its name is the Breton word kemper (cognate to Welsh cymer), meaning "confluence". The town developed at the confluence of the rivers Le Steir and L'Odet. Shops and flags celebrate the region's Celtic heritage.

Quimper was originally settled during Roman times. By AD 495, the town had become a Bishopric. It subsequently became the capital of the counts of Cornouailles. In the eleventh century, it was united with the Duchy of Brittany. During the War of the Breton Succession (1341–1364), the town suffered considerable ruin. In 1364, the duchy passed to the House of Montfort.

The town has a rustic atmosphere, with footbridges spanning the rivers that flow through it. The Church of Locmaria, a Romanesque structure, dates from the eleventh century. The Cathedral of Saint-Corentin, with its Gothic-style façade, was constructed between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. It is the oldest Gothic structure in lower Brittany. Its two towers are 76 m (250 feet); its spires were added in the nineteenth century. The fifteenth-century stained glass windows are exceptional. The cathedral is dedicated to Quimper's first bishop, Corentin.

To the cathedral's west are the pedestrianised streets of Vieux Quimper (Old Quimper), which have a wide array of crêperies, half-timbered houses, and shops. Near the Episcopal palace, which now holds the Musée départemental Breton (devoted to regional history, archaeology, ethnology and economy) are the ruins of the town's fifteenth-century walls. Nearby is the Musée des beaux-arts de Quimper. The museum has a nineteenth-century façade and an entirely rebuilt interior. It houses a collection of fourteenth to twenty-first century paintings that includes works by François Boucher, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Jean-Baptiste Oudry and Peter Paul Rubens, along with canvases by such Pont-Aven School painters as Émile Bernard, Maurice Denis, Georges Lacombe, Maxime Maufra and Paul Sérusier.

The town's best known product is Quimper faience, tin-glazed pottery. It has been made here since 1690, using bold provincial designs of Jean-Baptiste Bousquet. Quimper has a museum devoted to faience. The town has also been known for copper and bronze work, food items, galvanised ironware, hosiery, leather, paper and woollen goods.

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Quimper proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Quimper absorbed the former communes of Ergué-Armel, Kerfunteun and Penhars in 1959. Its inhabitants are called Quimpérois.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 8,400 —     1800 6,651 −3.28% 1806 6,905 +0.63% 1821 9,400 +2.08% 1831 9,860 +0.48% 1836 9,715 −0.30% 1841 10,154 +0.89% 1846 10,943 +1.51% 1851 10,904 −0.07% 1856 11,450 +0.98% 1861 11,438 −0.02% 1866 12,532 +1.84% 1872 13,159 +0.82% 1876 13,879 +1.34% 1881 15,228 +1.87% 1886 17,171 +2.43% 1891 17,406 +0.27% 1896 18,557 +1.29%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 19,441 +0.94% 1906 19,516 +0.08% 1911 19,367 −0.15% 1921 18,444 −0.49% 1926 18,686 +0.26% 1931 18,297 −0.42% 1936 18,814 +0.56% 1946 20,149 +0.69% 1954 19,352 −0.50% 1962 45,989 +11.43% 1968 52,496 +2.23% 1975 55,977 +0.92% 1982 56,907 +0.24% 1990 59,437 +0.55% 1999 63,238 +0.69% 2007 63,961 +0.14% 2012 63,360 −0.19% 2017 62,985 −0.12%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968–2017)

Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on 6 February 2008, to revive the teaching and use of Breton, the historic Celtic language of the region. In 2008, 4.61% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.

Education

Quimper has several schools. These include two Diwan pre-schools, two Diwan primary schools and one Diwan collège (all specialise in use of Breton). In total, 287 students here attended a Diwan school in 2003–2004.

Festivals

While many French festivals are held in the summer season, Quimper has a winter festival: Les Hivernautes.

In the summer, concerts are held on street corners, with pipers and accordion players.

The Festival de Cornouaille, a cultural festival, is typically held in the last week of July.

Tourism

Quimper Cathedral

River Odet

Points of interest in Quimper include:

• Quimper Cathedral and the nearby statue of Gradlon (looking in the direction of Ys)
• Musée des Beaux-Arts (near the cathedral)
• Several churches, including Locmaria, Saint-Mathieu, Kerfeunteun and Ergue-Armel.
• The old town centre with mediaeval fortifications and houses
• Faience museum

Transport

Public transport in Quimper is provided by QUB. The network consists of seven urban bus routes and 16 suburban bus routes. During the summer months of July and August, an additional "beach" bus route is open to service.

The Gare de Quimper is the terminus of a TGV high-speed train line from Paris, which passes through Le Mans, Rennes and Vannes. Journey duration is approximately 3 hours 40 minutes. In addition, the following destinations are served by the TER Bretagne (the regional train network):

• Quimper – Brest (1 hour 9 minutes)
• Quimper – Rennes (2 hours 15 minutes)

Quimper–Cornouaille Airport has flights to Paris and London City.

Notable people

Quimper is the birthplace of:

Élie Catherine Fréron

• Guillaume Hyacinthe Bougeant (1690–1743), Jesuit author
• Louis Billouart, Chevalier de Kerlérec (1704–1770), last French governor of Louisiana
• René Cardaliaguet (1875-2950), priest and writer
• Élie Catherine Fréron (1718–1776), critic and controversialist
• Franciscus Lé Livec de Trésurin (1726–1792), French Jesuit
• Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec (1734–1797), explorer, admiral, discoverer of the Kerguelen archipelago
• Rene-Marie Madec (1736–1784), adventurer, Nawab of India. See also René Madec
• Guillaume François Laennec (1748–1822), French physician
• René Laennec (1781–1826), physician, inventor of the stethoscope
• Max Jacob (1876–1944), poet, painter, writer and critic
• Corentin Louis Kervran (1901-1983), scientist
• Philippe Poupon (born 1954), sailor
• William Stanger (born 1985), footballer
• Jacques Villeglé (b. 1926), mixed-media artist
• Jean-Claude Andro (1937–2000), novelist
• Jessica Cérival (born 1982), athlete
• Dan Ar Braz (b. 1949), guitarist
• Anne Quemere (b. 1966), sailor and sportswoman

Twin towns – sister cities

Quimper is twinned with:

• Limerick, Ireland
• Remscheid, Germany
• Laurium, Greece
• Ourense, Spain
• Yantai, China
• Foggia, Italy

See also

• Communes of the Finistère department
• François Bazin (sculptor)
• Henri Alphonse Barnoin
• Henri Guinier
• Lionel Floch
• List of the works of Charles Cottet depicting scenes of Brittany
• List of works of the two Folgoët ateliers

External links

• Official city council's website