Drefféac

Drefféac is a commune with 1937 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Loire -Atlantique in the Pays de la Loire. It belongs administratively to the arrondissement of Saint- Nazaire and the canton of Saint -Gildas -des- Bois.

Geography

Drefféac located 22 kilometers south of Redon. The surrounding communities are Saint -Gildas -des- Bois, Sainte -Anne- sur- Brivet and Pontchâteau.

Origin of the name

The name probably derives from the Breton Drefféac dref - Oak from, with the Latin suffix - acum, denoting the estate.

History

In the Middle Ages the church belongs to the feudal estate of La Roche -Bernard. Drefféac is administered to 1614 by the monks of the Abbey of Saint -Gildas -des- Bois. In 1714, the city is destroyed by a devastating fire. By the end of the 18th century, the area is partly through the forest of Perche and peat bogs, which are cultivated in the early 1770s, covered. During the Revolution, the village is in contrast to the vast majority of the canton rather on the Republican side. The pastor of Drefféac, Nicolas Pichon, resigned his priesthood and was constitutional priests and later mayor of Drefféac.

Languages

The Breton was spoken until the 12th century. 39% of the family names are Breton origin. Around the 12th to the 15th century, the Gallo followed the Breton, was probably a part of the population bilingual.