Guingamp


Guingamp is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.

The Saint Loup festival

The Saint Loup festival – a national competition of Breton dances and international festival – takes place every year around mid August. It always ends with the traditional dance : la Dérobée de Guingamp. The main guests are musicians from Asturias, Ireland, Galicia, Scotland, Wales, and other Celtic artists from all over the world. Breton dance features in other cultural manifestations and the local cultural office organizes a contemporary creative dance week.

Sports

The city is well-kown for its professional football team called En Avant de Guingamp which won the French Cup against Rennes in the 2008–2009 season while it was still part of the 2nd league. The team made its comeback to the 1st League for the 2013–2014 season, which it had left 9 years before. Guingamp again won the French Cup against Rennes in 2013–2014 and qualified for the UEFA Europa League 2014-15 rounds.
The club's stadium has a higher capacity than Guingamp's total population.

Population

Inhabitants of Guingamp are called guingampais.

Breton language

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.

Culture

The Saint Loup dance festival is held every year in mid-August. Also, there is the annual 'pardon', which brings pilgrims to pay homage to the 'Black Virgin' in the Basilica of Notre Dame de Bon Secours.

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.

Personalities

Guingamp is twinned with: