Landivisiau (Municipality, Finistère, France)

Last modified: 2005-03-05 by ivan sache
Keywords: finistere | landivisiau | lion (black) | mascles: 14 (yellow) | lozenges: 14 (yellow) | rohan |
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by Arnaud Leroy

• Presentation of Landivisiau
• Municipal flag of Landivisiau

See also:

• France
• Finistère (Department, France)

Presentation of Landivisiau

Landivisiau (8,000 inhabitants) is located between Brest and Morlaix, in northern Brittany.
The name of the city means "the area devoted to St. Thivisiau". The prefix lan- is common in Breton place names. Lampaul, Landévennec, Landerneau, and Lannion were areas dedicated to St. Pol (Paul), St. Wenn (Gwénolé), St. Ernoc and St. Yon, respectively.
If you visit the St. Ann's chapel in the cemetery of Landivisiau, be careful because you will see a caryatid showing the Ankou. The Ankou is the traditional Breton representation of the Death. It is a skeleton usually armed with an arrow or a scythe. The Ankou drives nightly a barrow loaded with the bodies of the deads. If you meet the Ankou, prepare to be scythed and loaded into the barrow.

The Breton poet and novelist Xavier Grall (1930-1981) was born in Landivisiau.

Landivisiau is the heart of the Pays Julot. In the XVIth century, luxury bedsheets made in Landivisiau were called julles, and those who manufactured and sold them were called Julots. Landivisiau is now the capital city of the Breton draft horse.

Ivan Sache, 15 September 2002

Municipal flag of Landivisiau

The municipal flag of Landivisiau is based on the municipal arms. These arms, dating back to 1482, show the canting lion of Léon and the mascles of the Rohan family, former Viscounts of Léon. The black borders are not part of the original coat of arms.

Source: P. Rault. Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]

Ivan Sache, 15 September 2002