Ploërmel Ploermael (Breton) | |
|---|---|
 The town hall in Ploërmel | |
 Flag .svg) Coat of arms | |
Location of Ploërmel  | |
  Ploërmel  Ploërmel | |
| Coordinates:47°55′57″N2°23′46″W / 47.9325°N 2.3961°W /47.9325; -2.3961 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Brittany |
| Department | Morbihan |
| Arrondissement | Pontivy |
| Canton | Ploërmel |
| Intercommunality | Ploërmel |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Patrick Le Diffon[1] |
Area 1 | 58.44 km2 (22.56 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 10,021 |
| • Density | 170/km2 (440/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 56165 /56800 |
| Elevation | 19–126 m (62–413 ft) (avg. 75 m or 246 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Ploërmel (French:[ploɛʁmɛl]ⓘ;Breton:Ploermael;Gallo language:Pieurmè) is acommune in theMorbihandepartment inBrittany, in north-westernFrance.[3] On 1 January 2019, the former communeMonterrein was merged into Ploërmel.[4]
The town is both modern and medieval, and has easy access to most parts of Brittany. Ploërmel is set on the edge of theBrocéliande forest, which legend proclaims is the home ofMerlin the Magician, amongst other fantastical characters.[5]
In 1351, during theBreton War of Succession (part of theHundred Years' War), the town was occupied by the Montfortist faction, supported by the English. The rival French-supported Blois faction controlled nearbyJosselin. Two groups of approximately 30 English and French knights staged a tournament at a spot between the two towns, to show their prowess and make money by capturing opponents.[citation needed]The Franco-Breton team eventually won after killing or capturing the Anglo-Breton force. This was later known as theCombat of the Thirty.
In 1944, 10 Resistance fighters were killed by German soldiers. 31 inhabitants were killed, 125 wounded, by the American air raid on the railway station on 12 June, during theNormandy landings.[6]
On 10 December 2006, the city unveiled a statue ofPope John Paul II. It was a gift byRusso-Georgian sculptorZurab Tsereteli, and has sparked controversy over the separation of Church and State.[7]
The town gave its name to a monastic order, the Brothers of Ploërmel.[8] TheDoctor Who actorTom Baker was a monk of the order for a while inJersey.[9]
In 2008 from 24 May till 1 June 2008 the City of Ploërmel became the first City in France to host the International Federation ofCarnival Cities Congress.[10] The Ploërmel Carnival is the largest in central Brittany and is held on Saturdays at the beginning and end of May.
Inhabitants of Ploërmel are calledPloërmelais. The population data given in the table below refer to the commune in its geography as of January 2020.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 6,235 | — |
| 1975 | 6,584 | +0.78% |
| 1982 | 6,896 | +0.66% |
| 1990 | 7,294 | +0.70% |
| 1999 | 7,833 | +0.80% |
| 2007 | 9,016 | +1.77% |
| 2012 | 9,771 | +1.62% |
| 2017 | 9,837 | +0.13% |
| Source: INSEE[11] | ||
In 2008, just 2.62% of the town's children received eitherBreton-medium orbilingual education.[12]
Cobh,Republic of Ireland[13]
Apensen,Germany[13][14]Gornau,Germany[15]
Gorseinon &Llwchwr,Wales[13]
Kolbuszowa,Poland[13]
Dabola,Guinea[13] | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(August 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
An 1859 Frenchopéra comique with music byGiacomo Meyerbeer,Le pardon de Ploërmel (The Pardon of Ploërmel), was about an annual procession in Ploermel.
Ploërmel was one of the favourite places of theSouth African-born British female composer,Priaulx Rainier. She evoked the place in her work for winds and percussion,Ploërmel (1973).
| Climate data for Ploërmel (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) | 21.3 (70.3) | 23.9 (75.0) | 27.7 (81.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 38.7 (101.7) | 39.5 (103.1) | 38.6 (101.5) | 35.3 (95.5) | 29.2 (84.6) | 22.1 (71.8) | 18.5 (65.3) | 39.5 (103.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.0 (48.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 12.7 (54.9) | 15.5 (59.9) | 18.8 (65.8) | 21.9 (71.4) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.3 (75.7) | 21.5 (70.7) | 16.8 (62.2) | 12.4 (54.3) | 9.5 (49.1) | 16.4 (61.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.2 (43.2) | 6.5 (43.7) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.5 (50.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 16.7 (62.1) | 18.6 (65.5) | 18.7 (65.7) | 16.1 (61.0) | 12.8 (55.0) | 9.1 (48.4) | 6.6 (43.9) | 12.0 (53.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.3 (37.9) | 3.0 (37.4) | 4.3 (39.7) | 5.5 (41.9) | 8.6 (47.5) | 11.4 (52.5) | 13.1 (55.6) | 13.0 (55.4) | 10.7 (51.3) | 8.9 (48.0) | 5.7 (42.3) | 3.6 (38.5) | 7.6 (45.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15.4 (4.3) | −14.5 (5.9) | −8.4 (16.9) | −5.0 (23.0) | −2.5 (27.5) | 0.8 (33.4) | 4.1 (39.4) | 3.5 (38.3) | 0.3 (32.5) | −4.4 (24.1) | −8.3 (17.1) | −11.8 (10.8) | −15.4 (4.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 84.1 (3.31) | 62.8 (2.47) | 52.8 (2.08) | 57.6 (2.27) | 57.7 (2.27) | 52.8 (2.08) | 40.2 (1.58) | 47.4 (1.87) | 56.7 (2.23) | 80.9 (3.19) | 85.0 (3.35) | 89.2 (3.51) | 767.2 (30.20) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.3 | 10.4 | 9.5 | 10.0 | 9.3 | 8.1 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 7.8 | 11.7 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 119.4 |
| Source: Meteociel[16] | |||||||||||||
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