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Plouvien (Municipality, Finistère, France)

Flag of Plouvien - Image by Ivan Sache, 5 October 2011

Presentation of Plouvien
flag of Plouvien

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Presentation of Plouvien

The municipality of Plouvien (3,654 inhabitants in 2000; 3,370 ha) is located 15 km north of Brest.

Plouvien developed in relation to St. Jaoua. Born in Britain around 500, Jaoua joined St. Pol Aurelian in his evangelization travel to Brittany. Nicknamed the Hermit, he settled around 520 near Lampaul- Ploudalmézeau and then moved to Plouvien. His subsequent life is quite obscure; some traditions claimed that he moved to the abbey of Landévennec, then to the abbey of Daoulas, and eventually to St. Pol-de-Léon, where he succeeded Pol Aurelian as the Bishop of Léon. Jaoua died in 554 in Brasparts and "came back" to Plouvien, according to a famous allegory.
St. Jaoua is said to have founded two monasteries in Plouvien. The lesser monastery (minihy bihan) was allegedly built around St. Jaoua's tomb, today the site of the St. Jaoua chapel, built to keep the saint's funerary monument (15th century). When a child was born, his first clothes were immersed into the St. Jaoua fountain to grant the protection of the saint to the child. The greater monastery (minihy braz) is said to have been the center of the parish of Old Plouvien until 1415.

Source: Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 5 October 2011

Flag of Plouvien

The flag of Plouvien is white with the municipal arms in the middle. The flag was offered by Solange Guillou to the municipality of Plouvien, as reported in the local daily Le Télégramme de Brest on 13 November 1996.

The arms of Plouvien (municipal website), designed by Yann and Mone Nicolas, are "Or a lion disarmed gules crowned of the first holding a crozier or with crozier-shaped letter 'P' argent in base, a chief compony argent and gules". The shield is flanked by Romanesque acanthus leaves vert with two tenons with an ermine spot sable and surmounted with a three- towered mural crown or. The motto of Plouvien "PLOUVIEN DA VIRVIKEN" (in Breton, "Plouvien for ever") is written in letters argent on a scroll gules placed below the shield.

"Or a lion sable" is the banner of arms of the County of Léon, where Plouvien is situated, also recalling that St. Jaou was Bishop of Léon.
The lion holds St. Jaoua's crozier, its crown belonged to Count Hervé of Léon, whose heraldic lion was disarmed by Duke of Brittany John V after Hervé had lost his wealth.
The chief compony comes from the arms of an old family of Plouvien.
The "P" stands for "Plouvien".
The acanthus leaves recall the old chapel and church. The ermine spots stand for Brittany.
The mural crown recalls the fortified manors that existed in the Middle Ages on the municipal territory.

Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 5 October 2011