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Île-de-Bréhat

Update: Quimper-Vannes has moved to a new site: https://quimpervannes.substack.com/

This Blogger site is now an archive. New articles, extracts and launch news for the English edition and French translation will appear on Substack.

Île-de-Bréhat Enez Vriad/Briad [Brihiacum, 1083] ‘Hill Island’
From G: briga, ‘hill’ [OB/W/C: bre] and G/L (suffix): (i)acos, (i)acum, ‘(place with).’

A whole host of Celtic-derived roots and words compete to offer an name origin for the Isle of Bréhat. They all suggest ‘hill’ and the Gaulish origin (above)  is generally the favoured one . 


The modern Chapel Saint-Michel is built on much older sites dating from pagan and fifth century Christian settlements. It may be a small hill but 33m is enough to offer an impressive view of the island.

 Another impressive view of the Isle of Bréhat was painted by Marc Chagall in 1924.



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