Editing Quimperlé

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Quimperlé
|native name        = Kemperle
|commune status     = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image              = Quimperlé Brémond d'Ars.JPG
|caption            = Brémond d'Ars street
|image coat of arms = COA fr Quimperlé (Finistère).svg
|arrondissement     = Quimper
|canton             = Quimperlé
|INSEE              = 29233
|postal code        = 29300
|mayor              = Michaël Quernez<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   = CA [[Quimperlé Communauté]]
|coordinates        = {{coord|47.8736|-3.5486|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        =
|elevation min m    = 2
|elevation max m    = 83
|area km2           = 31.73
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}

'''Quimperlé''' ({{IPA|fr|kɛ̃pɛʁle}}; {{Langx|br|Kemperle}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Finistère]] [[Departments of France|department]], region of [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]], northwestern [[France]].

==Geography==
Quimperlé is in the southeast of Finistère, 20&nbsp;km to the west of [[Lorient]] and 44&nbsp;km to the east of [[Quimper]]. Historically, it belongs to [[Cornouaille]]. The town is situated at the confluence of the [[Isole]] and [[Ellé]] rivers that combine to form the [[Laïta]] river, hence its name: confluent (kemper-) of the Ellé (-le). A fourth smaller river, the Dourdu (black water in Breton), joins the Laïta downstream. [[Quimperlé station]] has rail connections to Quimper, Lorient, Vannes and Rennes.

The city is traditionally divided in two parts, the High Town and the Lower Town. The Lower Town, in the valley, is the historical centre, and developed around the Saint-Colomban church (of which only the front wall remains) and the [[Sainte-Croix de Quimperlé Abbey|abbey of Sainte Croix]] (Holy Cross). It covers the land between the Ellé and Isole rivers as well as the banks of the Laïta, an area that is sometimes flooded.

The more modern High Town, in the plain above the valley, centres around the Saint-Michel church and its market square. Seen from the Lower Town, its "mountain" topped with the Saint-Michel church has earned Quimperlé the nickname of "[[Mount Saint Michel]] on land"

The town also developed, less importantly, on the East side of the valley, facing the Saint Michel mountain. This area is called Bourgneuf, a common name for recent neighbourhoods.

<gallery widths="200px">
095 Quimperlé.jpg|Confluence of the [[Isole]] and [[Ellé]] rivers in Quimperlé.
</gallery>

==Map==

{{wide image|Quimperlé_opentopomap.png|400px|Topographic map}}

==Population==
Inhabitants of Quimperlé are called in French ''Quimperlois''.

{{Historical populations
|align = none
|cols = 2
|percentages = pagr
|source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|28472|Quimperlé}}</ref> and INSEE (1968-2017)<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-29233#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE</ref>
|graph-pos = bottom
|1793 |4549
|1800 |5617
|1806 |4263
|1821 |4724
|1831 |5275
|1836 |5541
|1841 |5261
|1846 |5791
|1851 |6114
|1856 |6375
|1861 |6240
|1866 |6863
|1872 |6253
|1876 |6533
|1881 |6821
|1886 |7156
|1891 |8049
|1896 |8306
|1901 |9036
|1906 |9176
|1911 |9188
|1921 |8995
|1926 |8969
|1931 |9062
|1936 |9335
|1946 |10679
|1954 |10030
|1962 |10272
|1968 |10698
|1975 |10907
|1982 |11067
|1990 |10748
|1999 |10850
|2007 |10877
|2012 |12052
|2017 |12057
}}

==History==
It seems that the area was first inhabited by [[Neanderthal]]s, since remains of [[Mousterian]]-style stone tools have been found in the forest between Quimperlé and [[Clohars-Carnoët]]. A few [[dolmen]]s were erected in Quimperlé itself, although there is no trace of an actual settlement in the prehistoric times.

A first settlement was built in the Middle Ages, called Villa Anaurot, after a 5th-century British prince, but it is thought to have been destroyed by the Normans in 868.

A new town called Quimperlé grew around the abbey of Sainte Croix, which was founded in the 12th century. The Romanesque basilica from the abbey can still be seen. The church of St Michel was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and its impressive tower dominates the town from its hilltop position.

==Breton language==
*The municipality launched a linguistic plan concerning the [[Breton language]] through [[Ya d'ar brezhoneg]] on 18 December 2008.
*In 2008, 3.17% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.<ref>{{in lang|fr}} ''Ofis ar Brezhoneg'': [http://www.ofis-bzh.org/fr/services/observatoire/travaux.php?travail_id=83 ''Enseignement bilingue'']</ref>

==Gallery==

===Old houses===
<gallery widths="200px">
File:Maison du 16ème siècle.jpg|Old house called Ty Coz in place Saint Michel
File:Quimperlé maison archers.JPG| [[Timber framing|Timbered]] house called Maison des archers 
File:568 Quimperlé.jpg| [[Timber framing|Timbered]] house in Street Dom Maurice

</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Communes of the Finistère department]]
*Entry on sculptor [[Jean Joncourt]] who lived in Quimperlé
*[[List of works of the two Folgoët ateliers]]
*[[Henri Alphonse Barnoin]]
*[[Chapelle de Lothéa]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.quimperle.com/ Town council website] {{in lang|fr}}
* [http://www.quimperletourisme.com/ Tourist office website] {{in lang|fr}}
* [https://archive.today/20130213180022/http://patrimoine.region-bretagne.fr/main.xsp?execute=show_document&id=MERIMEEIA29000469  Cultural Heritage] {{in lang|fr}}

{{Finistère communes}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quimperle}}
[[Category:Communes of Finistère]]