Lorient

{{Main|History of Lorient}}

Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presence of megalithic architecture. Ruins of Roman roads (linking Vannes to Quimper and Port-Louis to Carhaix) confirm Gallo-Roman presence.

File:Lorient-au-18-eme-siecle.jpg

In 1664, Jean-Baptiste Colbert founded the French East Indies Company.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|pages=66–87|year=1939|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}} In June 1666, an ordinance of Louis XIV granted lands of Port-Louis to the company, along with Faouédic on the other side of the roadstead. One of its directors, Denis Langlois, bought lands at the confluence of the Scorff and the Blavet rivers, and built slipways. At first, it only served as a subsidiary of Port-Louis, where offices and warehouses were located.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=67|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}} The following years, the operation was almost abandoned, but in 1675, during the Franco-Dutch War, the French East Indies Company scrapped its base in Le Havre since it was too exposed during wartime, and transferred its infrastructures to l'Enclot, out of which Lorient grew. The company then erected a chapel, workshops, forges, and offices, leaving Port-Louis permanently.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=68|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}}

The city's name is derived from Le Soleil d'Orient, the first ship constructed at the site, in 1669. Workers gave the site the name of the ship, which, by contraction, became simply L'Orient and finally Lorient.{{cite web|url=https://troisponts.net/2012/09/11/lorigine-du-nom-de-lorient/|title=L'Origine du nom de Lorient|date=11 September 2012}}

The French Royal Navy opened a base there in 1690, under the command of Colbert de Seignelay, who inherited his father's position as Secretary of State of the Navy. At the same time, privateers from Saint-Malo took shelter there. In 1700, the town grew out of l'Enclot following a law forcing people to leave the domain to move to the Faouédic heath. In 1702, there were about 6,000 inhabitants in Lorient, though activities slowed, and the town began to decline.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=69|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}}

File:Le port et la rade de Lorient vers 1800.jpg

The town experienced a period of growth when John Law formed the Perpetual Company of the Indies by absorbing other chartered companies (including the French East India Company), and chose Lorient as its operations base. Despite the economic bubble caused by the Company in 1720, the city was still growing{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=70|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}} as it took part in the Atlantic triangular slave trade. From 1720 to 1790, 156 ships deported an estimated 43,000 slaves.René Estienne, [https://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/indes/sites/default/files/Compagnie_des_Indes_et_traite_negriere.pdf « Les archives des compagnies commerciales et la traite : l'exemple de la Compagnie des Indes »], Service historique de la Défense, Lorient, janvier 2009 In 1732, the Company decided to transfer its sales headquarters from Nantes to Lorient, and asked architect Jacques Gabriel to raise new buildings out of dimension stones to host these new activities, and to embellish the L'Enclos domain. Sales began in 1734, peaking up to 25 million livres tournois.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=71|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}} In 1769, the Company's monopoly ended with the scrapping of the company itself, under the influence of the physiocrats.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=73|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}}

Until the Company's closure, the city took advantage of its prosperity. In 1738, there were 14,000 inhabitants, or 20,000 considering the outlying villages of Kerentrech, Merville, La Perrière, Calvin, and Keryado, which are now neighbourhoods within the present-day city limits. In 1735, new streets were laid out and in 1738, it was granted city status. Further work was undertaken as the streets began to be paved, wharves and slipways were built along the Faouédic river, and thatched houses were replaced with stone buildings following 18th-century classical architecture style as it was the case for l'Enclos. In 1744, the city walls were erected, and proved quickly useful as Lorient was raided in September 1746.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=72|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}} Following the demise of the Company, the city lost one-seventh of its population.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=74|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}}

In 1769, the city evolved into a full-scale naval base for the Royal Navy when the King bought out the Company's infrastructures for 17,500,000 livres tournois. From 1775 on, the American Revolutionary War brought a surge in activity, as many privateers hailed from Lorient. When the war ended, transatlantic lines opened to the United States, and in 1785, a new commercial company started under Calonne's tutelage (then Controller-General of Finances) with the same goal as the previous entities, i.e. conducting trade in India and China, with again Lorient standing as its operative base.

The French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic wars put an end to trade for nearly two decades.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=75|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}}

File:Berthe Morisot The Harbor at Lorient.jpg.]]

File:Lorient - Cours de la Bôve (1907).jpg

Maritime activities slowed at the start of the 19th century. Activity at the shipyards and naval base reached a low that would last until the July Monarchy. During this period, the city was more of an administrative center.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=76|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}} The first secondary school opened in 1822, a lazaretto in 1823, and barracks in 1839.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=77|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}}

The city began to modernize in the second quarter of the century; in 1825, a roofed slipway and a drydock were added to the shipyards. A sardine cannery{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=80|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}} opened the same year. The first gasworks was built in 1845.{{cite journal|last=Chaumeil|first=Louis|title=Abrégé d'histoire de Lorient de la fondation (1666) à nos jours (1939)|journal=Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l'Ouest|volume=46|issue=1|year=1939|page=79|language=fr|doi=10.3406/abpo.1939.1788}}

In the second half of the 19th century, the steam engine allowed the ports to strengthen their output. The first locomotive reached the city in 1865. In 1861, the original drydock was enlarged as a second one was dug out. The same year, the ironclad Couronne was built on a design directly inspired by the Gloire class, though unlike her wooden-hull predecessors, she was entirely made of iron. She was followed in 1876 by the ironclad Redoutable, the first ship in the world with a steel structure.

In 1889, fishing expanded following the creation of the municipal fish market, and the arrival of steam-powered fishing trawlers in 1900. The Keroman fishing port construction started in 1920.

In 1941, the Germans, then occupying France, chose to establish a U-boat base at Lorient. The submarine facilities quickly became targets of constant bombing from Allied air forces. The Germans decided to build a complex of bomb-proof submarine pens, their largest U-boat base, which would house the 2nd and the 10th U-boat flotillas for the bulk of the Battle of the Atlantic. Karl Dönitz, then supreme commander of the U-boat Arm, moved his staff into the Kernevel villa, just across the water from Keroman, in Larmor-Plage.

In 1943–1944, Lorient was nearly razed to the ground by Allied bombing, which failed to destroy the submarine pens despite 4,000 tons of bombs dropped.{{cite journal|last=Lagarrigue|first=Max|title=Comment les Français vivent-ils les bombardements alliés?|journal=Arkheia|year=2007|url=http://www.arkheia-revue.org/Les-bombardements-allies-comment.html|access-date=21 March 2013|archive-date=3 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703074452/http://arkheia-revue.org/Les-bombardements-allies-comment.html|url-status=dead}} According to the book Steel Boats, Iron Hearts (by former {{GS|U-505||2}} crewman Hans Goebeler), after the Allies failed to damage the U-boat bunkers the bombing shifted to the city itself to deny the Germans workers and other resources. Before the bombings, thousands of leaflets were dropped on the population instructing the inhabitants to evacuate.{{cite book|last1=Hans|first1=Goebeler|title=Steel Boats, Iron Hearts|date=2008|publisher=Savas Beatie LLC}} Between 14 January 1943 and 17 February 1943, as many as 500 high-explosive aerial bombs and more than 60,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on Lorient.

After the Normandy landings in June 1944 and the subsequent breakout, Lorient was surrounded by Allied troops on 12 August 1944. Its usefulness as a naval base gone, Lorient was left in a state of siege, surrounded by the French Forces of the West, supported by a US infantry division. On 10 May 1945, the German garrison surrendered, two days after the official final unconditional surrender of Germany. In 1949, the city of Lorient was awarded the Legion of Honour and the Croix de guerre 1939–1945.

File:Hôtel de Ville de Lorient.JPG (city hall)]]

In April 1945, the Reconstruction Ministry advocated the use of temporary wooden shacks. These shelters were shipped as a kit to be built on site. In 1948, there were 28 settlements under the city's authority, and 20 more in the urban area, distributed among the neighboring towns of Ploemeur, Lanester, Hennebont and Quéven. Each of these neighbourhoods could hold up to 280 houses. A new Hôtel de Ville (city hall) was completed in 1960.{{cite web|url=https://patrimoine.lorient.bzh/histoire/architecture/batiments-publics/hotel-de-ville-de-1940-a-nos-jours/ |title=Hôtel de ville de 1940 à nos jours|publisher=Patrimoine Lorient|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028182541/https://patrimoine.lorient.bzh/histoire/architecture/batiments-publics/hotel-de-ville-de-1940-a-nos-jours/ |archive-date=28 October 2021 }}

This temporary housing would stand from 10 to 40 years depending on the location. The last shack in the largest settlement, Soye, was torn down in 1991. Today, only a few buildings dating to the 18th century still stand.

File:Map lorient.jpg

Lorient is located on the south coast of Brittany, where the rivers Scorff and Blavet join to form the roadstead of Lorient, before discharging into the Atlantic Ocean. The river Ter used to flow into the estuary to the south of the city, however, a dam was constructed in 1967, stopping the flow. The city is {{convert|503|km|mi}} south-west of Paris, {{convert|153|km|mi}} south-west of Rennes and {{convert|158|km|mi}} north-west of Nantes.

The city comprises different neighbourhoods:

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break}}

• Bois du Château
• Keryado
• Saint-Armel
• Kerentrech
• Le Gaillec
• Le Manio
• Kerdual
• Kervénanec
• Lanveur

{{col-break}}

• Keroman
• Kergroise
• Carnel
• Kerfichant
• Kerolay
• Kerguestenen
• Le Mir
• La Perrière
• La Ville Neuve
• La Ville en Bois

{{col-break}}

• Kermélo
• Le Ter
• Kerlin
• Merville
• La Nouvelle Ville
• Le « bout du monde »
• Saint-Maudé
• Frébault-Polygone
• Quehélio
• Kervaric

{{col-break}}

• Keryvalant
• La Fontaine des Anglais
• Kerforn
• Le petit et le grand Batteur
• Le Kreisker
• Kerguillet
• Le Parco
• Soye

{{col-end}}

Adjacent towns:

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Lorient

|North = Quéven, Caudan

|Northeast = Lanester

|East = Lanester

|Southeast = Locmiquélic

|South = Larmor-Plage, Port-Louis

|Southwest =Ploemeur

|West = Ploemeur

|Northwest =Quéven,
Ploemeur

}}

Under the Köppen climate classification, Lorient experiences an oceanic climate (Cfb), with mild winters and cool to warm summers. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year. Frost is rare in winter, as are days over {{convert|30|°C|0|abbr=on}} during summer.

{{Weather box

|location = Lorient (Lann-Bihoué Airport) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1952–present

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|Jan record high C = 16.8

|Feb record high C = 18.4

|Mar record high C = 23.3

|Apr record high C = 27.1

|May record high C = 29.8

|Jun record high C = 35.9

|Jul record high C = 37.6

|Aug record high C = 37.5

|Sep record high C = 31.0

|Oct record high C = 27.2

|Nov record high C = 19.6

|Dec record high C = 16.4

|year record high C = 37.6

|Jan avg record high C = 13.5

|Feb avg record high C = 14.2

|Mar avg record high C = 17.5

|Apr avg record high C = 21.3

|May avg record high C = 25.3

|Jun avg record high C = 28.9

|Jul avg record high C = 29.7

|Aug avg record high C = 29.1

|Sep avg record high C = 26.5

|Oct avg record high C = 21.0

|Nov avg record high C = 17.0

|Dec avg record high C = 13.9

|year avg record high C = 31.4

|Jan high C = 9.7

|Feb high C = 10.4

|Mar high C = 12.6

|Apr high C = 15.0

|May high C = 18.1

|Jun high C = 20.8

|Jul high C = 22.5

|Aug high C = 22.6

|Sep high C = 20.7

|Oct high C = 16.8

|Nov high C = 13.0

|Dec high C = 10.4

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = 6.9

|Feb mean C = 7.1

|Mar mean C = 8.8

|Apr mean C = 10.7

|May mean C = 13.7

|Jun mean C = 16.4

|Jul mean C = 18.0

|Aug mean C = 18.1

|Sep mean C = 16.1

|Oct mean C = 13.3

|Nov mean C = 9.8

|Dec mean C = 7.5

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = 4.0

|Feb low C = 3.8

|Mar low C = 5.0

|Apr low C = 6.4

|May low C = 9.3

|Jun low C = 11.9

|Jul low C = 13.6

|Aug low C = 13.5

|Sep low C = 11.5

|Oct low C = 9.7

|Nov low C = 6.6

|Dec low C = 4.6

|year low C =

|Jan avg record low C = -3.5

|Feb avg record low C = -2.7

|Mar avg record low C = -1.0

|Apr avg record low C = 0.4

|May avg record low C = 3.5

|Jun avg record low C = 6.3

|Jul avg record low C = 8.9

|Aug avg record low C = 8.0

|Sep avg record low C = 6.0

|Oct avg record low C = 2.8

|Nov avg record low C = -0.1

|Dec avg record low C = -2.6

|year avg record low C = -4.9

|Jan record low C = -13.1

|Feb record low C = -11.0

|Mar record low C = -7.4

|Apr record low C = -4.1

|May record low C = -1.1

|Jun record low C = 1.6

|Jul record low C = 3.4

|Aug record low C = 4.1

|Sep record low C = 1.0

|Oct record low C = -1.8

|Nov record low C = -5.0

|Dec record low C = -8.7

|year record low C = -13.1

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 109.0

|Feb precipitation mm = 82.5

|Mar precipitation mm = 66.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 67.5

|May precipitation mm = 66.0

|Jun precipitation mm = 52.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 55.2

|Aug precipitation mm = 53.3

|Sep precipitation mm = 65.7

|Oct precipitation mm = 103.8

|Nov precipitation mm = 107.6

|Dec precipitation mm = 114.5

|year precipitation mm =

|unit precipitation days = 1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 14.3

|Feb precipitation days = 11.6

|Mar precipitation days = 10.9

|Apr precipitation days = 10.6

|May precipitation days = 9.8

|Jun precipitation days = 8.0

|Jul precipitation days = 8.3

|Aug precipitation days = 7.7

|Sep precipitation days = 8.3

|Oct precipitation days = 12.6

|Nov precipitation days = 13.8

|Dec precipitation days = 14.2

|year precipitation days =

|Jan humidity = 88

|Feb humidity = 85

|Mar humidity = 82

|Apr humidity = 79

|May humidity = 81

|Jun humidity = 80

|Jul humidity = 80

|Aug humidity = 81

|Sep humidity = 84

|Oct humidity = 87

|Nov humidity = 87

|Dec humidity = 88

|year humidity = 83.5

|Jan sun = 70.6

|Feb sun = 98.6

|Mar sun = 143.7

|Apr sun = 190.8

|May sun = 214.1

|Jun sun = 224.3

|Jul sun = 231.7

|Aug sun = 219.4

|Sep sun = 192.8

|Oct sun = 119.9

|Nov sun = 87.1

|Dec sun = 72.0

|year sun = 1865.0

|source = Météo France,{{cite web|url=https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_56185001.pdf|title=Données climatiques de la station de Lorient|publisher=Météo France|language=fr|access-date=9 September 2023|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190609/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_56185001.pdf|url-status=live }} Infoclimat (humidity, 1961–1990),{{cite web|url=https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07205-lorient-lann-bihoue.html|title=Normes et records 1961-1990: Lorient-Lann Bihoué (56) - altitude 42m|language=fr|publisher=Infoclimat|access-date=30 December 2015}} and Meteociel {{cite web|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=56185001|title=Normales et records pour Lorient-Lann Bihoue (56)|publisher=Meteociel|access-date=14 September 2020}}

}}

In 2017, Lorient had a population of 57,149. In 2017, its intercommunality Lorient Agglomération had 203,309 inhabitants.{{cite web|title=Comparateur de territoire, Intercommunalité-Métropole de CA Lorient Agglomération (200042174)|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1405599?geo=EPCI-200042174|access-date=2 September 2020|publisher=INSEE}} Lorient is the most populous commune in Morbihan département, although the préfecture is the slightly smaller commune of Vannes. Inhabitants of Lorient are called Lorientais.

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Lorient proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Lorient absorbed the former commune of Keryado in 1947.

{{Historical populations

|1793 |22318

|1800 |17837

|1806 |20553

|1821 |17115

|1831 |18322

|1836 |18975

|1841 |23621

|1846 |26434

|1851 |25694

|1856 |28412

|1861 |35462

|1866 |37655

|1872 |34660

|1876 |35165

|1881 |37812

|1886 |40055

|1891 |42116

|1896 |41894

|1901 |44640

|1906 |46403

|1911 |49039

|1921 |46314

|1926 |41592

|1931 |42853

|1936 |45817

|1946 |11838

|1954 |47095

|1962 |60566

|1968 |66444

|1975 |69769

|1982 |62554

|1990 |59271

|1999 |59189

|2007 |58135

|2012 |57706

|2017 |57149

|source = EHESS{{Cassini-Ehess | 20024 | Lorient }} and INSEE[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-56121#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE

| percentages = pagr

| cols = 3

| align = none

| graph-pos = bottom

}}

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg on 25 January 2007.

In 2008, 2.71% of the children attended the bilingual schools in primary education.{{in lang|fr}} Ofis ar Brezhoneg: [http://www.ofis-bzh.org/fr/services/observatoire/travaux.php?travail_id=83 Enseignement bilingue]

File:Fregate forbin.jpg shipyard in 2006]]

File:Vraquier-Iolcos-Triumph.jpg

File:Seven Seas Voyager in Lorient.ogv

Lorient is commonly referred to as La ville aux cinq ports ("the city of five ports"): military, fishing, commercial, passengers and yachting.{{cite web|title=Lorient-ports|url=http://www.lorient.port.fr/pages/quais/index.html|access-date=11 March 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009054531/http://lorient.port.fr/pages/quais/index.html|archive-date=9 October 2013}} In 2010, the sector represented 9,600 direct jobs for a total 12,000 jobs (with indirect jobs accounted for), or 12% of local employment.{{cite journal|last=Josse|first=Charles|journal=Ouest-France|date=25 March 2011|url=http://www.ouest-france.fr/actu/actuLocale_-a-Lorient-le-maritime-pese-12-000-emplois-_40875-1739514------56121-aud_actu.Htm|access-date=11 March 2013|title=Lorient : Actualités et infos en direct, sorties, agenda, images, 56100 - Ouest-France}}

• Keroman fishing port (fr): In 2010, with a catch of 27,000 tons, it was second only to Boulogne-sur-Mer regarding catch tonnage among French fishing ports, but first considering the cash value.{{cite journal|journal=Ouest-France|date=7 January 2011|url=http://www.ouest-france.fr/actu/actuLocale_-26-000-tonnes-de-poisson-au-port-de-peche-de-Lorient_40811-1646705------56121-aud_actu.Htm|access-date=11 March 2013|title=26 000 tonnes de poisson au port de pêche de Lorient}} It accounts for 3,000 jobs (including 700 fishermen) and 130 fishing vessels.
• Kergroise cargo port : With 2.6 million tons of cargo per year (including oil, cattle fodder, sand, containers), it ranks first in Brittany.{{cite web|title=Lorient - Ports|url=http://www.lorient.port.fr/pages/trafic_mouvement/trafic_mensuel.asp|access-date=11 March 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111095815/http://www.lorient.port.fr/pages/trafic_mouvement/trafic_mensuel.asp|archive-date=11 January 2012}}
• Marinas : mooring berths are dispatched on Lorient (370), Kernevel (1,000), Port-Louis (450), Gâvres (57) and Guidel (102).{{cite web|title=Ports - Pays de Lorient|url=https://www.ports-paysdelorient.fr|access-date=11 March 2013}} Additionally, there is an {{convert|800|m}} long dock dedicated to offshore competitive sailing (Pôle course au large), recently built within the former submarine base.
• Passenger ships : each year, more 457,500 passengers set sail to the nearby islands of Groix and Belle-Île-en-Mer.
• Military : though no longer a French Navy base, new warships are still built at DCNS, docking temporarily on wharves along the Scorff river.

File:Citadelle de Port-Louis (12) - Port et rade de Lorient.jpg

From its founding, shipbuilding has always been of great importance to the city. DCNS continues the legacy of the formerly state-owned shipyards (colloquially known as l'Arsenal) that began operation in 1690. It still builds warships, mainly frigates. There is also a substantial industrial base in Keroman to support the fishing fleet.

Lorient South Brittany Airport is situated just west of the city at Lann Bihoue. It operates charter flights and regular flights to Toulouse. It used to operate direct flights to Paris and Lyon all year long and other city such as London and Porto in the Summer.

The Gare de Lorient is the railway station, offering connections to Quimper, Nantes, Rennes, Paris (less than three hours by TGV) and several regional destinations.

Schools in Lorient belong to the Academy of Rennes.

• CPGE at Dupuy-de-Lôme and Saint Joseph-La salle lycées.
• Université de Bretagne Sud.{{Cite web|url=https://www.univ-ubs.fr/fr/index.html|title=Tout savoir sur la vie des campus|date=6 April 2023|website=www.univ-ubs.fr}}
• Institut universitaire de technologie de Lorient
• École nationale supérieure d'ingénieurs de Bretagne Sud{{Cite web|url=https://www-ensibs.univ-ubs.fr/fr/index.html|title=Accueil du site de l'ENSIBS - Université Bretagne Sud|date=3 May 2021|website=www-ensibs.univ-ubs.fr}}
• École supérieure d'art.{{Cite web|url=http://esa.lorient.fr/|title=École Supérieure d'Art|access-date=27 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304112557/http://esa.lorient.fr/|archive-date=4 March 2013|url-status=dead}}
• École nationale de musique et de danse.[http://enmd.lorient.fr/ École Nationale de Musique et de Danse] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312020636/http://enmd.lorient.fr/ |date=12 March 2009 }}

File:Commando jauber1.jpg storming a ship in a mock assault]]

Active units based near Lorient:

• Naval Commandos (Commando Marine): the special forces of the French Navy. Accordingly, it is one of the most selective units among the French armed forces, equivalent in their mission and affiliation to Navy SEALs or British Special Boat Service. Five out of the six existing naval commandosIn the French Navy nomenclature, commandos are understood as units, not individuals are based in Lanester, just across the Scorff river from Lorient. The Naval Fusilier & Commando Training School is also based here.
• Lann-Bihoué Naval Aviation Base: Five squadrons ("flottilles") are based in Ploemeur. Their tasks include airborne early warning, maritime patrol and air-sea rescue.

{{main|Lorient Submarine Base}}

File:Anoriant submarine.jpg

Lorient was the location of an extensive submarine base, built by the Germans in World War II and used subsequently by the French Navy. Head of the U-Boat Arm Karl Dönitz decided to construct the base on 28 June 1940. Between November 1940 and January 1942 a number of gigantic reinforced concrete structures were built. including three on the Keroman peninsula. They are called K1, K2 and K3. In 1944 work began on a fourth structure. The base was capable of sheltering thirty submarines. Lorient was damaged by Allied bombing raids but the naval base survived the war.

Following the German surrender the base was used by the French Navy, named for Jacques Stosskopf, a hero of the French Resistance who had worked there. The base was decommissioned in 1995 and turned over to civilian use. It's now a museum.

File:Anoriant3.jpg

Each year in August since 1970, Lorient hosts the Festival interceltique, bringing together artists from all the Celtic world (Brittany, Cornwall, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Galicia, Asturias, Australia, Acadia and Isle of Man). Each year, a Celtic nation is chosen as honored guest. It is one of the biggest festivals in Europe by attendance (800,000 people for the 40th edition{{cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/festivals-de-l-ete/article/2010/08/16/record-d-affluence-au-festival-interceltique-de-lorient_1399242_1383721.html|access-date=25 March 2013|newspaper=Le Monde|date=16 August 2010|title=Record d'affluence au Festival interceltique de Lorient}})

Lorient is home to TébéSud (formerly TyTélé), a local TV channel covering Morbihan through DTT.

Catholic churches are among the main religious landmarks of Lorient. While the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption was built in 1850 in a revivalist neo-Gothic style, the church of Saint Joan of Arc was built in a neo-Roman style in the 1930s by French architect Jean Desbois and a few years later in 1955, and the modernist church of Notre-Dame-de-Victoire is the highest point of Lorient with its 4-meter-high concrete bell tower though the population never really accepted this new style.{{Cite book|last=Leniaud|first=Jean-Michel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RlaR9AMfZrsC&dq=Sainte-Jeanne+d%E2%80%99Arc+lorient&pg=PA115|title=Entre nostalgie et utopie: réalités architecturales et artistiques aux XIXe et XXe siècles|date=2005|publisher=Librairie Droz|isbn=978-2-900791-77-6|pages=115|language=fr}} Major Catholic festivals such as Christmas, Carnaval, Easter and the Pardon are celebrated as major feasts of the city.

The most popular club in Lorient is FC Lorient, which currently play in Ligue 1, after winning Ligue 2 in 2020. They are nicknamed les Merlus. They play their home fixtures at Stade du Moustoir. Christian Gourcuff has managed the team for over 20 years (aggregate years).

The converted submarine base has been home port to several skippers and their sailing teams:

• Jérémie Beyou{{cite web|title=Voile news|url=http://www.voilesnews.fr/News/Port/8159-Pole-course-au-large-de-Lorient-creation-d-un-centre-d-affaires-HQE-dedie-au-nautisme|access-date=25 March 2013}} (Delta Dore),
• Pascal Bidégorry (Banque Populaire),
• Franck Cammas (Groupama), winner of the 2011–12 Volvo Ocean Race
• Samantha Davies (Roxy),
• Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty (Maisonneuve),
• Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac),
• Yann Elies (Generali),
• Alain Gautier (Foncia),
• Sébastien Josse (British Telecom),
• Marc Thiercelin (DCNS)

Lorient was also a staging port during the 2011–12 Volvo Ocean Race, as well as the starting point of la Solitaire du Figaro (2009 edition).

Eric Tabarly built three out of his six Pen Duick boats in Lorient.{{cite web|title=Cité de la voile|url=http://www.citevoile-tabarly.com/pen-duick|access-date=25 March 2013}}

{{see also|List of people from Lorient}}

• Marie-Léontine Bordes-Pène (1858–1924), pianist
• Charles Delioux (1825–1915), composer and pianist
• Marie Dorval (1798–1849), actress
• Irène Frain (b. 1950), writer
• Ernest Hello (1828-1885), writer
• Viktor Lazlo (b. 1960), singer
• Rita Strohl (1865–1941), pianist and composer
• Jacques Vaché (1895–1919), writer and artist

• Jean-Baptiste Bompard (1757–1842), took part in the American Revolutionary War as a privateer, later rose to the rank of admiral.
• François Joseph Bouvet (1753–1832), vice admiral and maritime prefect
• Jean-Baptiste Chaigneau (1769–1832), sailor, French consul in Cochinchina
• Pierre-François Forissier, b. 1951, admiral, Chief of Staff of the French Navy (2008–2011)
• Raymond Rallier du Baty (1881–1978), explorer of the Kerguelen islands.

• Henri Dupuy de Lôme (1816–1885), naval architect, chief designer of the Napoléon, La Gloire and Gymnote, which were breakthroughs in naval technology, also designed airships, deputy representing Morbihan, member of the Academy of Sciences, senator for life.
• Pierre-Paul Guieysse (1841–1914), Morbihan deputy, Minister of the Colonies.
• Jean-Yves Le Drian, b. 1947, former mayor of Lorient, former Morbihan deputy, former Minister of Defence, former Secretary of State.
• Jules Simon (1814–1896), philosopher, President of the Council of Ministers, senator for life, member of l'Académie française.

• Georges Eo, b. 1948, former football player and manager
• Christian Gourcuff, b. 1955, former manager of FC Lorient
• Yoann Gourcuff, b. 1986, son of the former, international midfielder, currently plays for Stade Rennais F.C.
• Ronan Le Crom, b. 1974, goalkeeper
• Jérémy Morel, b. 1984, left-back for Olympique de Marseille
• Illan Meslier, b. 2000, goalkeeper for Leeds United

• Pierre Fatou (1878–1929), mathematician and astronomer
• Nicole Le Douarin, b. 1930, biologist

• Jacques Andrieux (1917–2005), WWII fighter ace and Compagnon de la Libération.
• Élisabeth Le Port (1919-1943) WWII French Resistance member.
• Jacques Stosskopf (1898–1944), naval engineer, résistant. Mistaken for being a traitor, in 1946 the submarine base was renamed "Base Ingénieur Général Stosskopf" in his honour.

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}

Lorient is twinned with:{{cite web|title=Jumelages|url=https://www.lorient.bzh/jumelages/|website=lorient.bzh|publisher=Lorient|language=fr|access-date=17 November 2019}}

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• {{flagicon|IRL}} Galway, Ireland
• {{flagicon|ESP}} Vigo, Spain
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Wirral, England, United Kingdom
• {{flagicon|LAT}} Ventspils, Latvia
• {{flagicon|GER}} Ludwigshafen, Germany
• {{flagicon|CZE}} České Budějovice, Czech Republic
• {{flagicon|TUR}} Denizli, Turkey

{{div col end}}

• Mississippi Company
• FC Lorient
• Festival Interceltique de Lorient
• Arrondissement of Lorient
• Communes of the Morbihan department
• Raid on Lorient (1746)
• History of Lorient
• Gabriel Hotel
• Fishing port of Lorient-Keroman

;Notes

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Commons|Lorient|Lorient}}

{{Wikivoyage}}

• [https://www.lorient.bzh Official website] (in French)
• [http://www.lor56.fr Ville de Lorient et Festival Interceltique Images] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112030259/http://lor56.fr/ |date=12 November 2018 }}
• [https://www.uboat-bases.com/en/Lorient/welcome.html Keroman submarine base]
• [https://www.festival-interceltique.bzh/ Festival Interceltique de Lorient]
• {{Search Mérimée|56121}}
• [http://www.antoniomucherino.it/en/photoalbum.php See pictures on Antonio Mucherino's web site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303164044/http://www.antoniomucherino.it/en/photoalbum.php |date=3 March 2012 }}
• [https://www.lorient-tourisme.fr/ Tourism office] (in French)

{{Morbihan communes}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Subprefectures in France

Category:German Navy submarine bases

Category:Communes of Morbihan

Category:Port cities and towns on the French Atlantic coast