| In the early 3rd century AD, the
Bretons, a Celtic race, fled both the overcrowding of Britain and the invasion
of the Saxons. They left the British Isles to settle in Armorica and renamed it
Brittany. The first saints came with them and they evangelised the new country:
St Corentin, St Gwénolé, S Ronan, St Pol, and St Brieuc. The
Breton language took over from Latin. |
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The Bretons' struggle was not over, and their subsequent history was
dominated by an ongoing fight for independence and the upholding of their
religious and cultural traditions. From the 7th century, the Franks tried to
overcome Brittany, and the success of the Dukes of Brittany in resisting this
drive - while at the same time seizing territory for themselves - pushed back
the borders to create the very sizable region we know today. |
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| The 15th century was the Golden Age
of Brittany: trade, business, the humanities and the arts, as well as
architecture and education, saw enormous support and growth under Duke of
Brittany, Jean the 4th of Monfort. |
|
But the battle for independence
continued, and while in 1487 the royal army of France was defeated by the
Bretons at Nantes, in July 1488 the Duke's troops were defeated at St Aubin du
Cormier, near Rennes. Eventually, in 1532, the Traité d'Union
Perpétuelle effectively confirmed the submission of Brittany to France,
while to some extent guaranteeing the cultural and religious freedom of the
Bretons. |
|
The spirit of Breton independence
lived on in hiding, and in this century in 1932 the monument representing the
Traité was blown up by the secret organisation Hwenn ha Du (Black and
White). More recently, successive French governments have endeavoured to
balance politics with respect for the unique and ancient Breton
heritage. |
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