Ploërmel

Ploërmel was a fortified town in inland Brittany and a favoured residence of its dukes. Its central position made it a meeting place for Breton political institutions: the parliament and later the Estates of Brittany met here repeatedly between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries. During the Breton War of Succession, Ploërmel was held for the Montfort cause while nearby Josselin supported Charles of Blois. In 1351, thirty men from each side fought the celebrated Combat of the Thirty on the heath between the two towns. Fairs, markets, courts and religious houses helped Ploërmel prosper into the sixteenth century. The wars of the Catholic League later brought destruction to the Carmelite convent, which was subsequently rebuilt. In 1819 Abbé Jean-Marie de La Mennais founded a congregation of teaching brothers at Ploërmel, adding a new chapter to the town's religious and educational life.