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Guerlédan (Municipality, Côtes-d'Armor, France)

Gwerledan

Flag of Guerlédan - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 2 November 2019

Presentation of Guerlédan
Flag of Guerlédan
Mûr-de-Bretagne

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Presentation of Guerlédan

The municipality of Guerlédan (2,444 inhabitants in 2018; 4,775 ha) was established on 1 January 2017 as the merger of the former municipalities of Mû-de-Bretagne (2,049 inh.; 2,980 ha) and Saint-Guen (452 inh.; 1,795 ha). It is named for Lake Guerlédan (304 ha), the largest man-ade lake in Brittany, which was built from 1923 to 1930 to power the Guerlédan dam.

Olivier Touzeau, 3 November 2019

Flag of Guerlédan

The flag of Guerlédan (photo) is white with the municipal logo.

Olivier Touzeau, 3 November 2019

Mûr-de-Bretagne

Flag of Mûr-de-Bretagne, two versions - Images by Olivier Touzeau, 2 November 2019

Mûr-de-Bretagne (Mûr until 1957) is the site of one of the Tour de France's legendary spots, the Menez Hiez Slope (length, 2 km; average slope, 6.8%; maximum, 15%), which is one of the two "mountains" of Brittany with Cadoudal Hill in Plumelec. Accordingly, the town is often misnamed "le Mur de Bretagne" (Brittany's Wall). The etymology of Mûr is indeed related to mur, from Latin, murus, "a wall", but referring here to town walls.
The 19th stage of Tour de France 1947 was the longest (139 km) individual time trial ever ran in the race history; the stage was won by René Impanis (3h 49' 36") while René Vietto, stuck in the Mûr Slope, had to abandon the yellow jersey to Pierre Brambilla (5th, + 8' 00"). Jean Robic, who finished 2nd (+ 4' 54"), eventually won the Tour, after a legendary attack in the ultimate stage in the Bon-Secours Slope, near Rouen.
The 4th stage of Tour de France 1974, Lorient-Mûr-de-Bretagne (172.5 km) was won by Cadel Evans. The next year, the 8th stage, Rennes-Mûr-de-Bretagne (181.5 km), was won by Alexis Vuillermoz. The 6th stage of the Tour 2018, Brest-Mûr-de-Bretagne-Guerlédan (181.8 km), was won by Dan Martin.

Mûr-de-Bretagne used two flags, a banner of the municipal arms (photo), and a white flag charged with the coat of arms (photo).
The arms of Mûr-de-Bretagne are "Azure, a canton gules four mascles argent, overall a cross engrailed or". The canton features the mascles of Rohan, the powerful feudal family that ruled, directly or indirectly, most of Lower Brittany. "Azure a cross engrailed or" was the coat of arms of the lords of Mûr.

According to Ogée (Dictionnaire historique et géographique de la province de Bretagne, 1778), Mûr originally belonged to the Counts of Cornouailles, who were related with the Duke of Brittany. Ouën, the aunt of Duke Hoël II, married around 1072, Odo, Count of Penthièvre and Tréguier. Their children founded different branches in Lower Brittany. The lords of Mûr were known as Counts of Launaye-Mûr. Christophe de Mûr, the second son of Garcis de Mûr and Beatrix de Rostrenen, married around 1537 Louise, the daughter of Thibaud de la Rivière. Their son, Geoffroy, adopted the name of la Rivière, as did their descendants.
Members of the la Rivière lineage significantly contributed to the history of Brittany. Jean de la Rivière was Chancellor of Brittany in 1450; Robert de la Rivière was Bishop of Rennes in 1457. In 1462, the la Rivière were Feudal Sergeants of the duchy, then a higher dignity. In 1667, Yves-Ollivier de la Rivière was appointed Governor of Saint-Brieuc, which became an hereditary office; he was elevated on 22 June 1669 Count of Ploeuc.
[Encyclopédie Marikavel]

Olivier Touzeau & Ivan Sache, 22 August 2020