Glomel

Glomel (French pronunciation: [ɡlɔmɛl]; Breton: Groñvel) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. The town is also home to the Guerphelès andalusite mine, the largest andalusite mining site in Europe.

Glomel Groñvel
Commune
The church and main road of Glomel
Location of Glomel
Glomel Glomel
Coordinates: 48°13′25″N 3°23′42″W
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Côtes-d'Armor
Arrondissement	Guingamp
Canton	Rostrenen
Intercommunality	Kreiz-Breizh
Government
• Mayor (2023–2026)	Bernard Trubuilt
Area 1	79.93 km2 (30.86 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	1,384
• Density	17/km2 (45/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	22061 /22110
Elevation	134–307 m (440–1,007 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1806 3,062 —     1836 3,687 +0.62% 1841 3,776 +0.48% 1846 3,674 −0.55% 1851 3,814 +0.75% 1856 3,322 −2.72% 1861 3,457 +0.80% 1866 3,450 −0.04% 1872 3,455 +0.02% 1876 3,552 +0.69% 1881 3,670 +0.66% 1886 3,692 +0.12% 1891 3,796 +0.56% 1896 3,860 +0.33% 1901 3,826 −0.18% 1906 4,027 +1.03%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1911 4,226 +0.97% 1921 3,928 −0.73% 1926 3,974 +0.23% 1931 3,594 −1.99% 1936 3,289 −1.76% 1946 3,142 −0.46% 1954 2,686 −1.94% 1962 2,466 −1.06% 1968 2,044 −3.08% 1975 1,756 −2.15% 1982 1,534 −1.91% 1990 1,457 −0.64% 1999 1,460 +0.02% 2009 1,376 −0.59% 2014 1,427 +0.73% 2020 1,350 −0.92%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968–2020)

Inhabitants of Glomel are called glomelois in French.

Geography

Glomel is located on the northern slope of the Montagnes Noires (french, Black Mountains). The Minez Du is the highest peak in the village. The village centre is located 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Rostrenen and 53 km (33 mi) north of Lorient.

Geology

The geology of Glomel is renowned for its exceptionally rich andalusite deposit, known for having the highest andalusite content in the world. This unique mineral, prized for its high-temperature resistance, has been extracted at the Guerphalès mine since 1970. The site, operated by Imerys, plays a crucial role in the global andalusite market, producing 65,000 tonnes annually, which accounts for 20-25% of global output.

Map

Topographic map

Breton language

In 2008, 25.47% of primary school children attended bilingual schools.

Gallery

Churches

• 
  The parish church
• 
  The church Saint Corentin in Trégornan village
• 
  Chapel Saint Conogan
• 
  Chapel Sainte Christine
• 
  Ossuary in Trégornan village

Civil heritage

• 
  Standing stone in village centre
• 
  Coatcouraval castle
• 
  The village hall
• 
  The big trench (canal de Nantes à Brest)

See also

• Communes of the Côtes-d'Armor department

External links

• Base Mérimée: Search for heritage in the commune, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)