Cornouaille, Historical region in western Brittany, France.
Cornouaille is a historical region in western Brittany that stretches along the Atlantic coast and includes several districts such as Pays de l'Aven and Cap Sizun. Coastal towns like Concarneau sit on bays and peninsulas edged by rocky cliffs and wide sandy beaches.
Between 852 and 857, Cornish princes founded an independent principality on the Breton coast and named it after their homeland across the English Channel. This small principality endured for several centuries before merging into the larger Breton rule.
Place names and speech patterns preserve a connection to Breton, a Celtic language still heard in villages and at markets. Gatherings and festivals often feature Breton dances and bagpipe music passed down through generations.
Visitors can explore the region best by following coastal roads along the peninsulas and stopping in smaller harbors or villages. Walking trails along the cliffs offer views of the sea and the surrounding countryside.
The name comes from the Cornovii tribe, meaning people of the peninsula, and recalls how this coastline shaped the identity of those who lived here. This origin remains visible in place names and local stories still told in ports and countryside.
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