Coordinates: 48°43′38″N 3°59′04″W / 48.72722°N 3.98444°W / 48.72722; -3.98444
Roscoff (Breton: Rosko) is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretagne in north-western France.
The nearby Île-de-Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour.
After lobbying by local economic leaders headed by Alexis Gourvennec, the French Government agreed in 1968 to provide a deep water port at Roscoff. Existing ferry operators were reluctant to take on the relatively long Plymouth/Roscoff crossing, so Gourvennec and colleagues founded Brittany Ferries.
Since the early 1970s, Roscoff has been developed as a ferry port for the transport of Breton agricultural produce, and for car-based tourism. Brittany Ferries' links with the United Kingdom and Ireland provide a boost to the local economy. In the late 1990s people from the South West (of England) began to travel to Roscoff from Plymouth in order to stay for one or two days and import French wines at much cheaper prices than in England.
Roscoff is also a traditional departure point for Onion Johnnies.
[edit] Monuments
[edit] Demographics
Inhabitants of Roscoff are called Roscovites.
As of the census of 2006, the town has a population of 3,705.
[edit] Breton language
The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on November the 14th of 2008.
In 2007, there was 19,1% of the children attended the bilingual schools in primary education.[2]
[edit] Historic events
- In 1375, the harbour was destroyed by the Earl of Arundel. It would later be rebuilt at its current location, at Kroas Batz.
- From 1522 to 1545–1550, construction the Church of Our Lady of Kroas Batz (see Monuments above).
- In 1548, the six-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, having been betrothed to the Dauphin François, disembarks at Roscoff.
- In 1790, Roscoff was raised to independent commune. Until this time, the town had effectively depended on Saint-Pol-de-Léon.
[edit] Twin towns
Roscoff is twinned with the small North Devon (England) town of Great Torrington.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE)
- ^ (French) Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue
