Blain

Geography

Blain account with the last census of 1999,7 731 inhabitants. Today with the strong population increase, one estimates it at a little more than 8200 inhabitants.

Blain is bathed by the Isac. It is located between the Canal from Nantes in Brest and the national forest of the Gâvre.

In the car, Blain is at 25 minutes of the periphery Nantaise, 50 minutes of Rennes, 45 minutes of St-Nazaire and 20 minutes of Savenay and soon with 10 minutes of the international airport of Our-Lady-of-Moors.

The communes bordering on Blain are Fay-of-Brittany, Our-Lady-of-Moors, Héric, Chevallerais, Grigonnais, Vay, Gâvre, Guenrouet and Bouvron.

History

Blain is an old city Gallo-Roman E, famous for its many vestiges found at the time of excavations. The majority of the found parts are visible in the museum of the commune.

Blain located between Nantes and Rennes, Nantes and Redon, in the middle of the country of the Namnètes was a place which was appropriate for the establishment of a military conquered ground station. The Romans did not fail to use it for this purpose. Later, the Francs included/understood, them also, the importance of this strategic position. But against the Romans who preferred the raised places, being able to be used at the same time as observation posts, they established a fortification on the edges of the Isac, there even perhaps where the Celts had confined themselves.

This fortification known in the History under the name of Castrum-Bableni was in the beginning, like all the others Fortification S of this time, a rather simple work: two lines of broad and deep ditches finishing on the horseshoe river; enclosed in these ditches, a ground raised with spoil; in the medium a very vast hillock with palisades and keep out of wooden: such was the aspect. It was several times destroyed and raised with the improvements that times brought.

Battle of Blain (843)
Saint-Gohard

In the year 1108, Alain Fergent, Duke of Brittany, had Blain, and behaved there as a Master; he made there build a castle of real military importance. When the Breton S had seized the country, they took possession of this fortification and established one there their captains. This chief, lord of the place in 1090, named Guégon. It was this fortification which Alain Fergent converts into true strong Château. For this work, it called upon all vassal field “ not being distant of more than six miles ”. The Granite was brought of Vigneux and the Temple-of-Brittany; the shelly limestone of Campbon; the sandstone quartzose, which provides the linings and external (turns and of the curtains), came from a layer in the vicinity. This construction did not cease being altered: the Clisson and the Rohan which became the owners about it, true builders, contributed their share there.

List of the lords of Blain

Blain had 12 Frairie S which played a great part in the history blinoise:

List of the festivities of Blain and Saint-Emilien

During the wars of the Vendée the remainders of the Vendean armies in rout crossed the city towards Bouvron, giving up behind them heaps of corpses. They remained 3 days there, the church was réouverte and the celebrated mass.

In 1892, a new neogothic church was built, it had to remain without bell-tower until in 1959, date on which a stone bell-tower was built by the architect Yves Liberge.

The city was occupied by German and was released débus July 1944, but it remained close to the frontline of the Pocket of Saint-Nazaire and was bombarded by German. The American guns were placed at the Château of Groulais and at the edge of the forest of Gâvre.

Administration

Demography

Economy

Many companies: including 10 paid and more: 19

Personalities related to the commune

Saint-Émilien, soldier and bishop of Nantes
Jean Gorin, artist, born in Blain (Saint-Émilien-of-Blain more precisely)
No5el Gerard, former Mayor of Blain and politician of reputation in the area

Places and monuments

the castle of Groulais builds by the dukes of Rohan
the vault St-Roch located on the road of Notre Dame of the Moors
the Forêt of Gâvre
the Forêt of Groulais
the Musée of Arts and Traditions

Twinnings

The town of Blain is twinned with the following communes:

. Located at the north of Romania, it counts 5.500 inhabitants. Initially adopted by the town of Blain, then sponsored
. It is located in full shift at the south-west of London and counts nearly 13.000 inhabitants. The origin of Wootton-Bassett dates from the 7th century, it owes its current name in Alan Bassett which, at the 18th century, made increase its village of Wootton. To celebrate this event, two splendid ducks Colvert were placed thereafter in the pond close to the town hall. They gave rise to many chicks. If you cross them, they are called Wootton and Bassett .
(July 14th)

Representatives of the communes regularly visit themselves in order to maintain an agreement between the communes. A monument was installed to celebrate these twinnings close to the town hall, with the accesses of the pond. A carved stone mentions the dates of twinnings.

References

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