Spézet

Spézet (Breton: Speied) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.

Spézet Speied
Commune
The town hall in Spézet
Coat of arms
Location of Spézet
Spézet Spézet
Coordinates: 48°11′34″N 3°42′55″W
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Finistère
Arrondissement	Châteaulin
Canton	Carhaix-Plouguer
Intercommunality	Haute Cornouaille
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	Gilbert Nigen
Area ^1	60.67 km^2 (23.42 sq mi)
Population  (2017-01-01)[1]	1,808
• Density	30/km^2 (77/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	29278 /29540
Elevation	45–315 m (148–1,033 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Spézet is a rural municipality in east central Finistère, historically belonging to Cornwall. It is bounded on the west and north by the river the Aulne and Hyères describing large meanders (Nantes-Brest Canal-channel) while at the southeast end of its territory lies Roc'h Toullaëron, which from its height of 318 m is the culmination of the Black Mountains. The village occupies a small hill whose altitude is around 100 meters northwest of the town. The neighboring towns are named St. Hernin (east), Gourin (southeast), Roudouallec (south), St. Goazec (southwest), Châteauneuf-du-Faou (west), Plonévez-du-Faou (northeast) Landeleau and west and north Cléden-Poher.

History

During the Revolt of the Bonnets Rouges ("Red Caps") in 1675, the parishioners involved in the ransacking of the Kergoet castle in Saint-Hernin, owned by the Marquis Le Moyne de Trevigny. The parish is to pay 5000 livres as damages and repairs to the said Marquis for the injury. Four residents of the parish were excluded from the amnesty of 1676.

In 1770, according to Jean-Baptiste Ogée, the parish lands were uncultivated in many parts, especially in the mountains where the soil, poor quality, did not allow residents to take advantage of it. The land was actually good in the north of the parish.

In September and October 1779, an outbreak of dysentery caused about 150 victims in Spézet. Bodies had to be buried without entering the church for fear of contagion, under penalty of a fine of 20 livres.

June 24, 1944, ten resistants arrested in Spézet were shot in Lanvénégen after being sentenced to death by the German military court sitting in Le Faouët.

Population

Inhabitants of Spézet are called in French Spézetois.

Historical population of Spézet

Year	1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851	1856
Population	2531	2559	2703	2987	2631	2793	2797	2782	2958	2933

Year	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896	1901	1906
Population	2922	2990	2735	2960	2987	3060	3166	3590	3701	3899

Year	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954	1962	1968	1975
Population	4095	3997	3913	3736	3662	3345	2871	2555	2299	2165

Year	1982	1990	1999	2008
Population	2076	2038	1861	1844

Sights and monuments

• Jardin botanique des Montagnes Noires
• Manoir de Menez Kamm (where lived the adventurer and reporter, the Countess Vefa de Saint-Pierre) ;
• Manoir du Bois Garin ;
• Église paroissiale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, consacrée en 17198 et son ossuaire ;
• Chapelle du Krann (vitraux du XVIe siècle et bas-reliefs) et son ossuaire ;
• Panorama du roc de Toull al Laëron ;
• Éperon rocheux de Kudel ;
• Alignement des menhirs du "Bois du Duc" ;
• Allée couverte de Kerbasquet

Twin towns

Spézet is twinned with the village of Roundwood, in County Wicklow, Ireland.[2]

See also

• Communes of the Finistère department

References

1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
2. Roundwood School News Archived 2007-11-19 at the Wayback Machine Roundwood.ie. Published in 02-04. Retrieved on 11-12-07.

External links

• Official website (in French)
• Base Mérimée: Search for heritage in the commune, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
• Mayors of Finistère Association (in French)