Quiz Brittany (France)
#1. In what part of France is Brittany located?
Brittany (Bretagne in French and Breizh in Breton language) is a peninsula located in the north-west of France. It covers the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period of Roman occupation
#2. This professional cyclist from Brittany won the Tour de France 5 times
Bernard Hinault, born in Yffiniac in 1954, is considered one the greatest cyclists of all time. He has 147 professional wins and co-holds the record of victories in the Tour de France (5), along with Jacques Anquetil (France), Eddy Merckx (Belgium) and Miguel Indurain (Spain).
#3. Did Brittany become part of the kingdom of France before or after Christopher Columbus discovered America?
Brittany became part of the Kingdom of France in 1532, almost 30 years after the marriage of the Duchess Anne de Bretagne (picture) and French King Louis XII, and 40 years after Columbus discovered America.
#4. During WW2, this town held the second largest U-Boat base after Kiel's, Germany.
Lorient is located on the south coast of Brittany. The U-Boat base built in 1940 was capable of sheltering 30 submarines.
Lorient was nearly razed to the grounds by Allied bombing raids but the naval base survived the war. It was decommissioned in 1997. It’s currently a museum.
#5. Held since 1923 in Quimper, this festival celebrates the Breton culture
The festival de Cornouaille or “Cornouaille Kemper” takes place every year in July. Shows, concerts and parades are held day and night. It’s one of the biggest cultural event in Brittany
#6. In the famous comic book Asterix and Obelix, the latter is often seen carrying a large stone. What is the name of that stone?
Obelix is a menhir carver (menhir means “long stone” in Breton language). He very often uses a menhir as a projectile against the Romans. He acquired superhuman strength after falling into the cauldron of a druid’s magic potion when he was a baby…
#7. Known as " The Corsairs City", this walled city was almost completely destroyed by Allies bombing in 1944
St Malo is located in Northern Brittany about 30 miles from the Mont St Michel. Home of French privateers and pirates, it is also the birthplace of Jacques Cartier who discovered Canada in 1534, and gave the country its name.
#8. What is the name of this famous pastry created in 1910 to commemorate a bicycle race between Paris and a city in Brittany?
The Paris-Brest is a choux pastry stuffed with praline flavored cream. Its circular shape is representative of a wheel.
The race was actually a Paris-Brest-Paris (about 750 miles).
#9. Know as the Breton Calvados, this brandy is made from cider
Produced by distilling cider, Lambig must be aged for a minimum of 2 years. The “Pommeau de Bretagne” is a mix of Lambig and apple juice.
#10. In 1978 this super carrier sank 1 mile from the cost of Brittany creating the largest oil spill in history
The Amoco Cadiz ran aground on Portsall Rocks, about 20 miles north of Brest. She split in 3 and about 220,000 tons of crude oil were spilled, contaminating an area of around 320 km2. In 1992, Amoco agreed to pay $230 million in compensation.
#11. The Breton language is closely related to which language?
Breton is a Celtic language imported by Britons fleeing the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain in 5th century.
#12. This beautiful medieval city is the 4th largest urban area in Brittany
The name Vannes comes from the Veneti, a Celtic people who lived in the south-western part of Armorica in Gaul before the Roman invasions. They were defeated by Julius Caesar’s fleet in 56 BC.
