Guingamp

Guingamp (French pronunciation: [ɡɛ̃ɡɑ̃] (listen); Breton: Gwengamp pronounced [ˈɡwɛnɡãmp]) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. With a population of 6,895 as of 2017, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Guingamp, which played in Ligue 1 from 2013 until 2019.

Guingamp

Gwengamp
Subprefecture and commune
Guingamp's Town Hall
Coat of arms
Location of Guingamp
Guingamp
Guingamp
Coordinates: 48°33′48″N 3°09′00″W
CountryFrance
RegionBrittany
DepartmentCôtes-d'Armor
ArrondissementGuingamp
CantonGuingamp
IntercommunalityGuingamp
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Philippe Le Goff
Area
1
3.41 km2 (1.32 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
6,895
 • Density2,000/km2 (5,200/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Guingampais
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
22070 /22200
Elevation62–126 m (203–413 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

The town has the remains of three successive castles, the last of which was razed to the ground by the order of Cardinal Richelieu. They were reduced to three towers.

Vincent de Bourbon, great-grandson of Louis XIV, was Count of Guingamp from 1750 until his death in 1752.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
17935,177—    
18005,190+0.3%
18064,973−4.2%
18215,550+11.6%
18316,100+9.9%
18366,466+6.0%
18416,796+5.1%
18466,949+2.3%
18516,718−3.3%
18566,893+2.6%
18617,350+6.6%
18666,977−5.1%
18727,045+1.0%
18767,895+12.1%
18818,404+6.4%
18868,744+4.0%
18919,196+5.2%
18969,272+0.8%
19019,252−0.2%
19069,212−0.4%
19119,385+1.9%
19217,923−15.6%
19268,575+8.2%
19318,644+0.8%
19368,663+0.2%
19469,080+4.8%
19548,117−10.6%
19628,912+9.8%
19689,232+3.6%
19759,284+0.6%
19828,507−8.4%
19907,905−7.1%
19998,008+1.3%
20087,477−6.6%
20127,235−3.2%

Sports

The city is well-known for its professional football team, En Avant de Guingamp, which won the Coupe de France against Rennes in the 2008–09 season while it was still part of Ligue 2. The team returned to Ligue 1 for the 2013–14 season for the first time in 9 years. Guingamp again won the French Cup against Rennes in 2013–14 and qualified for the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League.

With 18,120 seats, the club's stadium has a higher capacity than Guingamp's total population of 6,895.

Culture

The Saint Loup festival, a national competition of Breton dances and international festival, takes place every in around mid August. It culminates in a traditional dance called la Dérobée de Guingamp. The festival features Celtic musicians from Asturias, Ireland, Galicia, Scotland, Wales, and elsewhere. Breton dance features in other cultural manifestations and the local cultural office organizes a contemporary creative dance week.

The municipality launched a plan for the Breton language through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on 8 July 2008. In 2008, 15.89% of primary school children attended bilingual schools.[2]

The annual 'pardon' brings pilgrims to pay homage to the 'Black Virgin' in the Basilica of Notre Dame de Bon Secours.

Personalities

Twin towns – sister cities

Guingamp is twinned with:

A view from one the Trieux's bridges

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. (in French) Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue
  3. "20 ans de souvenirs". Le jumelage de Guingamp et Shannon (in French). Retrieved 11 August 2017.
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