Combourg (Gallo: Conbórn) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France.

History

The town is part of the Patrimoine Urbain de Bretagne and labelled as one of the Petites Cités de Caractère. Combourg is considered the "cradle of Romanticism" in French literature due to the renowned French writer François-René de Chateaubriand who spent part of his youth in his family's castle, the Château de Combourg. He describes the village and medieval castle in his Mémoirs from Beyond the Grave. Combourg is located between the cities of Rennes and Saint-Malo in Brittany. It is approximately 386 km from Paris, 39 km from Rennes and 36 km from Saint-Malo.

Administration

Mayors

The current mayor of Combourg is Joël Le Besco (Miscellaneous right). He replaced Marie-Thérèse Sauvée (Socialist) in office from 1995 to 2001. Among previous well-known mayors are:

Population

Inhabitants of Combourg are called Combourgeois and, more rarely Combournais, in French.

Personalities

François-René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848), known as the father of Romanticism in French literature, spent his childhood in his family's castle, the Château de Combourg.

International relations

Combourg is twinned with Waldmünchen, in Bavaria, Germany.

Gallery