Brittany, a land of granite
Brittany encompasses the vast Armorican Massif, also known as the Péninsule d’Armorique (Peninsula), a mountainous region formed during the Palaeozoic Era. About six hundred million years ago, France was submerged by a vast sea, the Earth’s crust moving under the influence of magma.
This geological upheaval, known as the Hercynian Folding, gave rise to different mountain ranges: the Massif Central in Auvergne, the Ardennes and the Vosges to the east and north, and the Armorican Massif to the west.
Much of the peninsula’s subsoil is composed mainly of granite, a coarse-grained rock, mainly composed of quartz and feldspar, with mica inclusions. The colour of granite is determined by its feldspar content.
Over time, natural erosion and the cyclical effects of extreme climates in the Mesozoic Era have sculpted the region’s landscape. Around sixty million years ago, the Armorican Massif underwent a second tectonic upheaval, giving rise to its distinctive rugged coastlines and picturesque coves, which contribute to making Brittany one of the most picturesque regions of France.
First Bretons in Armor and Argoat
Archaeological discoveries indicate that the earliest traces of human occupation date back to around 700,000 BC. However, our knowledge of the Neolithic peoples who built the numerous megalithic sites between 5500 and 2000 BC remains very limited.
In the 4th century BC, the Celts arrived in the region and founded the confederation of tribes known as Armorica. Gallic Armorica encompassed a vast coastal territory stretching from Pornic in the south to Dieppe in Normandy. Armor referred to the coastal areas, while Argoat designated inland Brittany, characterised by its wooded landscapes.
In the 5th century AD, a new group of Celts from Cornwall landed in Armorica to escape Anglian and Saxon invasions. They renamed Armorica Little Britannia, to distinguish it from Great Britannia, their original homeland. The name evolved in Brittania and Brittany (Bretagne).
Known as Breizh in Breton, Bretagne became one of the six Celtic nations, alongside Cornwall (Kernow), Ireland (Éire), the Isle of Man (Mannin), Scotland (Alba) and Wales (Cymru).
Duchy of Brittany
In 845, King Louis the Pious recognised Nominoë (known as Nevenoe in Breton) as the first king of Brittany, a title which would later earn him the nickname “Father of the Breton nation“. In 850, Nominoë challenged the authority of Charles the Bald, the successor of Louis the Pious, and emerged victorious from the ensuing battle, thus securing Brittany’s status as an autonomous region.
In the 10th century, the Kingdom of Brittany faced the Norman invasion. However, Nominoë’s descendant, Alain II, also known as Alain Barbe-Torte, successfully repelled them, thus restoring the autonomy of his territory. In 939, Alain II established the Duchy of Brittany. Various Breton feudal dynasties ruled the duchy over the following centuries.
During the Hundred Years’ War, the duchy became a major stake in the conflict between the kings of France and England, each coveting its strategic position. The kings of France elevated many important Breton vassals to influential positions to secure their control over Brittany. However, these vassals quickly became aware of the strategic importance of the duchy and sought to assert their independence from royal authority.
In 1360, the Duchy obtained its full independence, a status it retained until 1491, when Duchess Anne married Charles VIII of France, officially attaching her duchy to the Crown of France.
Although it became a French province in 1532, the duchy retained a degree of autonomy and many privileges until the French Revolution, and remained closely linked to the monarchy throughout its history. This is how Brittany saw the emergence of a counter-revolutionary uprising, the Chouannerie, led by Jean Cottereau, known as Jean Chouan.
Modern day Brittany
Gallo is the predominant language in the northeast of the region, in Haute Bretagne. In the south, in Basse Bretagne (or Breizh-Izel in Breton), the inhabitants are proud to preserve their Breton dialect, Brezoneg. This region is often called the Bretagne Bretonnante.
Modern Bretagne is made up of four departments: Côtes-d’Armor, Morbihan, Finistère and Ille-et-Vilaine. Historical Brittany also included the department of Loire-Atlantique, which is now part of the Pays de la Loire region.
Related article to learn more about this magnificent region: Brittany iconic images
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Historical map of Britannia by Mikael Bodlore-Penlaez CC BY-SA 3.0 – Peuple Celtes en Armorique by Foxpry CC BY-SA 3.0 – Breton dialects map by Pmx CC BY-SA 3.0 – Little cove by Cattzy CC BY-SA 3.0
