Le Vieux-Marché (French pronunciation: [lə vjø maʁʃe] ; Breton: Ar C'houerc'had) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France.

Le Vieux-Marché
Ar C'houerc'had
The church of Notre-Dame, in Le Vieux-Marché
The church of Notre-Dame, in Le Vieux-Marché
Location of Le Vieux-Marché
Map
Le Vieux-Marché is located in France
Le Vieux-Marché
Le Vieux-Marché
Le Vieux-Marché is located in Brittany
Le Vieux-Marché
Le Vieux-Marché
Coordinates: 48°36′28″N 3°26′48″W / 48.6078°N 3.4467°W / 48.6078; -3.4467
CountryFrance
RegionBrittany
DepartmentCôtes-d'Armor
ArrondissementLannion
CantonPlestin-les-Grèves
IntercommunalityLannion-Trégor Communauté
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Alain Garzuel[1]
Area
1
23.13 km2 (8.93 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
1,273
 • Density55/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
22387 /22420
Elevation27–192 m (89–630 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Population

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Inhabitants of Le Vieux-Marché are called vieux-marchois in French.

History

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Since the 6th century, a sanctuary dedicated to the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus existed in the town (possibly brought here by oriental monks). Between 1703 and 1704, a chapel was built on top of it in the form of a Latin cross oriented towards the east. It has two side chapels and the one on the south side is built over the dolmen of Stiffell which forms the crypt.[3]

During the time of the Algerian War, Louis Massignon, a catholic scholar of Islam, established a Christian-Muslim pilgrimage to this place as the Seven Sleepers are venerated both in Christianity and Islam. He had discovered the place through his daughter, Geneviève Massignon and it began to hold an important place in his spirituality. Starting in 1954, he set up the pilgrimages modelled after typical Breton pardons which since 1955 have been also attended by Muslims.[3]

After the end of French Algeria, the bell of the Catholic cathedral in Algiers was hung in the church of Vieux-Marché in 1965.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c O'Mahony, Anthony (18 November 2021). "Louis Massignon, the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus and the Christian-Muslim pilgrimage at Vieux-Marché, Brittany". In Bartholomew, Craig; Hughes, Fred (eds.). Explorations in a Christian Theology of Pilgrimage. Routledge. pp. 126–149. ISBN 978-1-351-93766-5. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
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