^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Châteaulin (Municipality, Finistère, France)

Kastellin

Flag of Châteaulin - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 26 September 2026

Presentation of Châteaulin
Flag of Châteaulin

See also:

Presentation of Châteaulin

Châteaulin (5,085 inhabitants, 2,081 ha) is a commune in the Finistère department.

Near the fortified castle, built on an isolated mound, a settlement began to flourish at the location now known as Vieux-Bourg. To encourage settlement, the Dukes of Brittany welcomed serfs from the Crozon Peninsula and the Porzay region, granting them their freedom after a year and a day of servitude. Additionally, in the 11th century, Duke Alain Fergent donated part of his lands—along with salmon fisheries—to the Benedictine Abbey of Landévennec, which established a priory dedicated to Saint Idunet on the right bank of the Aulne River. Another settlement, known as Locyonnet or Loguionnet, grew up around this priory. On the same bank,
where the road from Carhaix arrived, a third settlement, Lostrat, was established.
The lords of the fortified castle experienced a rapid political rise during the 11th century. They successively attained the title of Count of Cornouaille and then, in 1066, that of Duke of Brittany. Around 1250, Duke John the Red (Jean Le Roux) enclosed his ducal estate with a 32-kilometer-long wall, nicknamed the "Devil's Wall." Salmon fisheries brought wealth to the parish, whose inhabitants were nicknamed pen-eok—meaning "salmon heads." Around the 15th century, the construction of a bridge to replace the various fords across the Aulne facilitated the creation of a single town named Châteaulin, uniting the different settlements that had developed along the river. Formerly a ducal administrative center, the town became a royal sénéchaussée (a royal judicial district) in 1552 - shortly after Brittany was united with France in 1532 - with a jurisdiction covering 27 parishes. Châteaulin thus played a significant judicial role, while slate quarrying and agriculture expanded in importance.
The construction of the canal on the Aulne between 1811 and 1836 led to the development of Port-Launay and to the expansino of the city. Urban development continued into the 20th century, spurred by the growth of the railway network and the Breton road plan. Two viaducts, built to carry trains across the deep Aulne valley, are distinctive features of the city's landscape.

Olivier Touzeau, 26 September 2026

Flag of Châteaulin

The flag of Châteaulin is based on the city's coat of arms.
Source: Rault, Philippe, Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours, [rau98] pp. 60 and 64, quoted on emblemes.free.fr

The coat of arms is blazoned:
Azure, a castle with two roofed towers Argent vanned Or, above a salmon Argent too.

Olivier Touzeau, 26 September 2026