Quimper
The founding of the modern city of Quimper is attributed to King Gradlon, who is supposed to have been driven out of England by the Saxons after the collapse of the Roman Empire.

rue Kéréon, one of the historic streets close to the cathedral

    

    

There is still a ‘rue de Roi Gradlon’ in the centre of the town, and the main square, ‘Place Saint Corentin’ is believed to be the site of his original castle.

      

      

       

      

The town is built on the confluence of the river Odet and the river Steir, and takes its name from the Breton word for confluence – Kemper.

During the Middle Ages the town became a major administrative centre. Work on the Saint-Corentin Cathedral began in the 1200s and took about three centuries to complete. It is named after the hermit, Corentin, who advised Gradlon in the founding and the administration of his kingdom, and who was the first bishop of Cornouaille.

The city was also well-fortified with walls and ramparts, and acted as an important strategic centre. The medieval city that developed within the walls was composed of narrow streets and wooden houses. In 1762 the town suffered a terrible fire which raged out of control for two weeks and destroyed many of the old buildings. Rebuilding was unplanned and haphazard.

Quimper was selected to be the capital of Finistère when the government of 1789 decided to divide France up into departments. In the mid-1800s, the railway arrived in Quimper. These factors led to a complete redevelopment of the town: the old walls were demolished along with the narrow streets that surrounded the cathedral.

Large public buildings, such as the Art gallery and the prefecture, and much of the lay-out of the centre of the town, date back to this period, giving Quimper an open aspect similar to the areas of Paris that were redeveloped by Baron Hausmann at around the same time.