Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer, Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany, France

🇫🇷 Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer (Sant-Yagu-an-Enez) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor département of Brittany in north-western France.

History The village evolved just south of the abbey walls along what is now Grande Rue in the western part of the peninsula. The new monks repaired and expanded the levees, reclaiming farmland from the sea. For the villagers, a secular parish was established. It was known as Landouar (a variant of Landoac), and was part of the Bobital deanery within the old Bishopric of Saint-Malo.

The main economic activity of the village was fishing, especially of mackerel. A 17th-century royal order limited fishing to an official flotilla of fifteen boats manned by 120 to 180 men. Other fishermen, hence, began to venture to Newfoundland in search of cod. To protect the coast from foreign incursion, Louis XIV's commissioner for fortifications, Vauban, ordered the construction of a watchtower, designed by Jean-Siméon Garangeau, on the Île de Ebihens in 1694. It is today private property.

During the French Revolution the town gained political independence from the abbey. A commune was established in 1790, and the town was first named "Isle-Jacut" and then "Port-Jacut". The few monks were chased away and the abbey looted in 1793. The ruins and land were later sold as national goods. (The Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Saint-Méen-le-Grand purchased the property in 1875 and constructed the current buildings, now a retreat and exhibition centre.)

It was not until 1873 that the current name, "Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer", was officially adopted. During the 19th century oyster fishing developed as a supplementary activity to mackerel fishing and by 1870 oyster farming was introduced. Saint-Jacut also became a seaside resort, adding yet another source of revenue for the inhabitants. In the 20th century this became the primary economic activity, completely replacing farming and fishing, although oyster farming continues. Urban space replaced farms, especially to the east and south of the original village and north of the abbey, along the now-coveted seashore.

Location Saint-Jacut is sited on a well protected peninsula between two sea inlets. The sandy beach slopes unusually gently: the lateral distance between the low tide and high tide positions - as much as five km - is correspondingly above average, as is the speed with which the sea moves between the two extremities.