Le Faouët, Morbihan

For other places with the same name, see Le Faouët (disambiguation).

Le Faouët Ar Faoued
Covered market
Coat of arms
Le Faouët
Location within Brittany region Le Faouët
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Morbihan
Arrondissement	Pontivy
Canton	Le Faouët
Intercommunality	Pays du Roi Morvan
Government
• Mayor (2008—2014)	André Le Corre
Area1	34.03 km2 (13.14 sq mi)
Population (1999)2	2,806
• Density	82/km2 (210/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	56057 / 56320
Elevation	53–202 m (174–663 ft) (avg. 152 m or 499 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Le Faouët (Breton: Ar Faoued) is a commune in the Morbihan department of the region of Brittany in north-western France.

The Breton language name of the commune means Beech forest. The sixteenth century timber market halls are a noted feature of the town and two medieval chapels lies within the boundaries of the commune.

Geography

Le Faouët/Ar Faoued lies in the historical region of Cornouaille. Traditionally a Breton-speaking area, the French language became commonly used from the 1950s. The town lies in the valley of the river Ellé.

Administration

Le Faouët/Ar Faoued is the seat of the Canton du Faouët. The other communes making up the canton are Berné, Guiscriff, Lanvénégen, Meslan, and Priziac.

Demographics

The population at recent censuses was:

• 1962: 3,039
• 1968: 3,048
• 1975: 3,149
• 1982: 3,177
• 1990: 2,869
• 1999: 2,806

Inhabitants of Le Faouët are called Faouëtais.

Breton language

In 2008, 14,24% of the children attended the bilingual schools in primary education.

Tourist attractions

Chapel of Saint Barbara.

The sixteenth century halles, or covered market, remain in use and are a rare surviving example of a large timber structure from the period.

The chapel of Saint Barbara is sited on a hilltop overlooking the Ellé. The fifteenth century chapel of Saint Fiacre was recently restored. The polychrome timber interior was highly regarded, and earned its creator, Olivier Le Loergan, a title of nobility. The stained glass is also noteworthy. Parts of the interior have suffered considerable damage from insects.

View of Chapelle Sainte Barbe Le Fouët

See also

• Communes of the Morbihan department
• List of the works of the Maître de Lanrivain
• Henri Alphonse Barnoin

External links

• Le Faouët at the IGN
• Le Faouët at the INSEE
• French Ministry of Culture list for Le Faouët (French)
• Map of Le Faouët on Michelin (English)