Pontivy, Administrative center in Morbihan, France
Pontivy is a commune in northern Morbihan that sits where the Blavet River meets the Canal de Nantes à Brest. The town has a medieval quarter with timber-framed houses around a castle and a newer quarter with straight streets near the canal.
A monk named Ivy built the first bridge over the Blavet in the 7th century and gave the place its name, which means Ivy's bridge. Napoleon renamed it Napoleonville in 1804 because it was militarily important, but the old name returned after his fall.
The town goes by Pondi in Breton, and many signs use both names because the region spoke only Breton for centuries. You hear both languages at the market and in shops, with older residents switching to Breton more often.
The town sits centrally between larger cities in Brittany and works well as a stopover when driving through the region. The streets in the older quarter are narrow and cobbled, so comfortable shoes help.
The canal links the Atlantic and the English Channel and was originally dug to bypass British blockades, but now only leisure boats pass through. Some locks still work by hand and you can watch lock keepers at work.
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