- Gaël
French commune
nomcommune=Gaël
native_name=Gwazel
caption=
x=54
y=89
lat_long=coord|48|07|59|N|2|13|12|W|region:FR_type:city
région=Bretagne
département=Ille-et-Vilaine
arrondissement=Rennes
canton=Saint-Méen-le-Grand
insee=35117
cp=35290
maire=Daniel Amet
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=Pays de Saint-Méen-le-Grand
alt moy=80 m
alt mini=51
alt maxi=131 m
km²= 52.1
sans=1351
date-sans=1999
dens=25
date-dens=1999Gaël ( _br. Gwazel, Gallo: "Gaèu") is a commune in the
Ille-et-Vilaine department inBretagne in northwesternFrance .It lies southwest of
Rennes betweenSaint-Méen-le-Grand andMauron . In the 18th century, a fair was held twice a year in August and October.History
Its Breton name is Gwazel, formerly called Guadel(t) or Wadel.
It is best known to English historians as being the ancestral seat of
Ralph de Guader the first earl ofNorfolk andSuffolk in post-Conquest England circa 1070 A.D.This is an ancient Breton parish to the west of
Rennes , whose boundaries formerly stretched to include the territories of Bran, Muel,Saint-Onen ,Crouais ,Saint-Méen-le-Grand ,Concoret andLoscouët-sur-Meu . The parish of Gaël (Guadel) was a dependency of theArchbishopric of Saint-Malo . In the 6th and 7th centuries, Gaël was a major town in the kingdom ofDomnonia .The name is alleged to derive from the word for a ford, river-crossing or river (see Guad- and Guadal-). In local myths there was a 6th century king Hoël (possible link to King Coel) known as the forest king or "Rex Arboretanus". It is a fact that the town is situated amidst the vast forests of Poutrecouët. A royal castle from this era was sited at Meu, not far from Gaël. This later became the seat of the De Montfort family. The emplacement was captured and dismantled by De Guesclin in 1372.
Population
Inhabitants of Gaël are called "Gaëlites".
ee also
*
Communes of the Ille-et-Vilaine department References
* [http://www.amf35.asso.fr Mayors of Ille-et-Vilaine Association] fr icon;
* [http://www.insee.fr/en/home/home_page.asp INSEE] en icon;
* [http://www.ign.fr/rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1&lng_id=EN IGN] en iconExternal links
* [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/merimee_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_98=INSEE&VALUE_98=35117 French Ministry of Culture list for Gaël] fr icon
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