La Vraie-Croix (French pronunciation: [la vʁɛ kʁwa]; Breton: Langroez) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.[3] Its inhabitants are called Langroëziens after the Breton name for the commune.

La Vraie-Croix
Langroez
The town hall in La-Vraie-Croix
The town hall in La-Vraie-Croix
Coat of arms of La Vraie-Croix
Location of La Vraie-Croix
Map
La Vraie-Croix is located in France
La Vraie-Croix
La Vraie-Croix
La Vraie-Croix is located in Brittany
La Vraie-Croix
La Vraie-Croix
Coordinates: 47°41′26″N 2°32′30″W / 47.6906°N 2.5417°W / 47.6906; -2.5417
CountryFrance
RegionBrittany
DepartmentMorbihan
ArrondissementVannes
CantonQuestembert
IntercommunalityQuestembert Communauté
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Pascal Guiblin[1]
Area
1
16.63 km2 (6.42 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
1,474
 • Density89/km2 (230/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
56261 /56250
Elevation60–151 m (197–495 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

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Located in the countryside at the edge of the Lanvaux heathland, La Vraie-Croix is a hilly area with many footpaths which offer attractive views.

History

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The name La Vraie-Croix (English: The True Cross) comes from a knight of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem who, returning from a crusade, carried with a fragment of the True Cross. He stopped in the town during this journey. He returned the next day and saw that the fragment had disappeared. The piece was subsequently found in a crow's nest on top of a hawthorn bush.[ambiguous]

The townspeople removed it, but the next day the fragment was back in the crow's nest. They saw it was a sign, and the people decided to build a chapel at the site of the tree to house the relic.[ambiguous]

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 666—    
1975 723+1.18%
1982 835+2.08%
1990 1,068+3.12%
1999 1,068+0.00%
2007 1,290+2.39%
2012 1,382+1.39%
2017 1,471+1.26%
Source: INSEE[4]

Sites and monuments

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The small village church to this day houses a reliquary which contains a piece of the True Cross.

Green spaces

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La Vraie-Croix is renowned for its floral decoration which is organised by the people of the village and which has won numerous awards. Indeed, this county has received a national award several times, as well as a European first prize. For many years the village has achieved a rating of four flowers (the maximum possible) and the grand prize in the Concours des villes et villages fleuris (Cities and villages in bloom competition).[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Maires du Morbihan" (PDF). Préfecture du Morbihan. 7 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ INSEE commune file
  4. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  5. ^ Link to competition website Archived 2009-05-23 at the Wayback Machine
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