Lesneven

Commune in Brittany, France

(2020–2026) Claudie Balcon^[1]Area10.27 km² (3.97 sq mi)Population7,377 • Density720/km² (1,900/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal codeElevation14–79 m (46–259 ft)Websitewww.lesneven.bzh¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Lesneven (French pronunciation: [lɛsnəvɛ̃]; Breton: Lesneven) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.

It lies 24 kilometres (15 miles) northeast of Brest, about 12 km (7 miles) from the English Channel in the middle of the Leon plateau.

History

Lesneven has its origins in the immigration from southwest Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries, and the name (Les-an-Even) means "court of Even" in Common Brittonic (Llys-Ifan in Welsh) after an alleged military leader of that period.^[3] Lesneven was the castle-town controlling Léon during the Middle Ages. The castle is now gone, but many buildings of the 15th-18th centuries are still to be found in the centre. The Museum of Léon is here. The town now functions as a market and service centre for the surrounding rural district.

Population

Inhabitants of Lesneven are known in French as Lesneviens.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 3,200 —     1800 1,860 −7.46% 1806 2,178 +2.67% 1821 2,314 +0.40% 1831 2,404 +0.38% 1836 2,664 +2.08% 1841 2,832 +1.23% 1846 2,847 +0.11% 1851 2,847 +0.00% 1856 2,663 −1.33% 1861 2,662 −0.01% 1866 2,759 +0.72%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1872 2,978 +1.28% 1876 2,905 −0.62% 1881 2,950 +0.31% 1886 3,028 +0.52% 1891 3,284 +1.64% 1896 3,488 +1.21% 1901 3,496 +0.05% 1906 3,375 −0.70% 1911 3,776 +2.27% 1921 3,899 +0.32% 1926 3,969 +0.36% 1931 4,111 +0.71%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1936 4,300 +0.90% 1946 4,825 +1.16% 1954 5,181 +0.89% 1962 5,071 −0.27% 1968 5,626 +1.75% 1975 6,083 +1.12% 1982 6,145 +0.14% 1990 6,250 +0.21% 1999 6,348 +0.17% 2007 6,740 +0.75% 2012 7,167 +1.24% 2017 7,311 +0.40%
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968-2017)[5]

Breton language

The municipality launched a linguistic plan concerning the Breton language through Ya d'ar brezhoneg 18 July 2007.

In 2008, 19.08 percent of primary-school children attended bilingual schools.^[6]

International relations

Lesneven is twinned with:

• Kežmarok, Slovakia (friendship pact)^[7]
• Carmarthen, Wales^[8]
• As Pontes de García Rodríguez, Spain.

See also

• Kernouës
• Communes of the Finistère department

References

External links