Plumelec


Plumelec is a commune in the Morbihan department of the Brittany region, in north-western France.

Geography

Plumelec is west of Rennes via the RN24 road, and north-west of Nantes via the RN165 road. The commune is situated on the Brittany peninsula and is approximately from the southern coast.

Toponymy

The Plumelec placename is composed of plou and Melec, patron of Plumelec.
The name of its people is Méléciens.

History

During World War II, on the night of 5–6 June 1944, the SAS team captain Pierre Marienne, responsible for the preparation of Operation Dingson, was accidentally parachuted near Plumelec, from the la Grée Mill, where there was a German observation post. During the skirmish that ensued, corporal was killed: He was the first death of Operation Overlord.
On 12 July 1944 at dawn, 18 resistance fighters were murdered by French collaborators at Kerihuel: Seven paratroopers, eight rebels and three farmers. Captain Pierre Marienne, nicknamed the "lion" of Saint Marcel after the battle of 18 June, was one of the victims. Three weeks later, on Sunday 6 August, was the Liberation, American tanks travelled through in the direction of Vannes and Lorient.
In all, there were 42 men from Plumelec and one woman, engaged in the Resistance, who gave their lives for the Liberation.
The last survivors of the massacre of Kerihuel have since died: Angèle Guillaume died on 2 November 2011, at the age of 81; Roger Danet, son of Ferdinand-Mathurin, died in January 2013; and his brother Augustin Danet, aged 8 years old at the time of the event, died in February 2014.

Politics and administration

List of mayors


StartEndNamePartyOther details
March 2001March 2014Léon GuyotDVDButcher
March 2014In progressStéphane HamonDVGOwner of a bar-restaurant in the commune

Political trends and results

2008 municipal election


NameVotesElectionAge in 2008JobMunicipal function
Marie Le Gal1158Elected36Visiting nurse
Sylvie Fradet1043Elected39Solicitor's clerk
Michel Guillaume1014Elected53Auxiliary nurseAssistant
Nathalie Loho1005Elected41Nurse
Pierrick Le Labourier997Elected46Poultry farmerAdvisor
Gilbert Vicaud985Elected59FarmerAdvisor
Edouard Étienne980Elected44Farmer
Armel Morvant974Elected54FarmerAdvisor
Jeannine Gillet963Elected35Food worker
Jean-Jo Guyot952Elected59Technical educatorAdvisor
Sylvie Jaffré945Elected36Commercial Business Officer
Yvon Le Callonec934Elected34Commercial ManagerAdvisor
Sophie Le Callonnec884Elected24Caregiver
Stéphane Hamon883Elected44Trader
Robert Le Cam865Elected61RetiredAssistant
Léon Guyot862Elected68Retired traderMayor
Hubert Morice839Elected56FarmerAssistant
Henri Vicaud831Elected62RetiredAdvisor
Christine Gabillet807Elected50Night supervisorAdvisor
Dominique Ollivier759Unelected60Veterinary
Joseph Rottier341Unelected?Retired

Population and society

The inhabitants of Plumelec are called in French Méléciens.

Demography

In 2012, the commune had 2,732 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses carried out in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, real censuses of communes with less 10,000 population are held every five years, unlike other communes which have a sample survey each year.

Sport

Cycling

Many cycling races pass through or arrive by the, which presents a mean slope of 6.2% at Plumelec and a vertical ascent of over. This is why the most prestigious cycling races, such as the Tour de France and the French National Road Race Championships, retain Plumelec as a place of passage and arrival.
The commune is also the mainstay of the Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan, a one-day race held since 1974. This is an event which counts towards the French Road Cycling Cup, it has been classified as 1.1 in the UCI Europe Tour since 2005.

Tour de France

Places and monuments

The commune contains eight monuments listed in the inventory of historical monuments and two places listed in the.

Chateaus and manors

The town has several chateaus and manors:
On the territory of the commune, there are three churches:
Of the ancient Church of Saint-Martin, built in the 15th century and demolished in 1890, the municipality maintains a statue representing the Virgin with the child, wooden painted and dated from the 17th century. This statue is filed since 25 March 1924.

Chapels, crosses and calvaries

On the territory of the commune, the Chapel of Saint-Maudé was built in the 15th century, the Chapel of Tolcoetmeur in the 17th century, the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in the 17th century, the Chapels of Callac and Saint-Joseph in the 19th century; as well as several crosses and calvaries:
The well of Touche-Berthelot of the 16th century, located at the way of the cross of Callac has been registered since 14 October 1963. The edge of this has the shape of an octagon with all the prominent angles cornered by pilasters. Four square tiles, placed diagonally to the coping, bear sculptures in high relief with heraldic subjects. They are topped with two crossed arches of wrought iron on which hangs the pulley.
The fountains of Saint-Aubin and Saint-Melec are also present, as are the monument of Kerihuel and the Cave of Callac.

Language

The commune was Breton-speaking until the 1850s. Today, people mainly speak French and Gallo. In 1806, according to the survey conducted by, the commune was also noted as Breton-speaking.

Notable people