Concarneau has been inhabited as far back as prehistoric times, when it was only a small rocky outcrop. The abundance of fish and its sheltered location in the heart of the bay, made it attractive to settlers. In the early days of Christianity, a monastery became the hub of a population of fishermen. Up until the 10th century, its unique defences consisted of fortified ditches topped with wooden fences.


In the 14th century, the town was fortified and became the fourth most important stronghold of Brittany. In 1373, after 30 years of English occupation, Duguesclin restored the town to Breton control. In 1451, the town walls were rebuilt and in 1491, the marriage of Anne of Brittany with the king of France made it a royal stronghold. Since then, with the exception of the ‘Passage’ gate, enlarged in 1785, and the construction of the new belfry at the turn of the century, the exterior view has remained pretty much the same.
Up to the Révolution, as well as the garrison, Concarneau consisted of a population of fishermen who manned a few dozens fishing boats, trading in wheat and wine. The fish was pressed, dried and sent by horse and cart to the inland towns. In 1795, 300 fishing units were recorded but this relative affluence was stopped short by the wars of the Empire and coastal blockades. It’s only by 1851, with the emergence of the first canning factories that the standard of living will start rising again. By 1900, records showed 30 factories employing some 2000 workers out of a total population of 7000.
The tuna fished during the summer months enabled the factories to continue working for most of the year, but the disappearance, in 1905, of large shoals of sardines meant the fleet of 800 trawlers was plunged into chaos. This tragic period saw the advent of the ‘Filets Bleus’ charity, founded by a group of local artists and painters to assist those families most in need. These artists were the co-founders of the town’s artistic movement which developed around the quarter of ‘La Croix’.
After the First World War, the small boats gave way to smacks and the sails slowly but surely were replaced by engines. Trawl fishing became an all-year round operation and in 1925, the development of the inner harbour was started. During German occupation, large trawlers, withdrawn back from Boulogne and Lorient, marked the beginning of a generation of specifically designed deep-sea ships.
The fishing regulations, the cost of fuel, foreign competition and the evolution of taste were to provoke a new crisis, resulting in the closure of factories. Consequently, the local economy diversified to rapidly send fresh fish towards the larger areas of consumption.
Today, the port activity turns towards shipbuilding and repairing thanks to the dry dock inaugurated in 2001.
Concarneau has succeeded in retaining a rich architectural heritage from its past history: fortifications, timber-framed houses, granite façades and gables and yet more hidden treasures and secrets will be revealed as you walk through its narrow streets.