Town in Morbihan (56)
Population: 4,000 (Gacilliens). 39,500 inhabitants for the De l'Ouest à Brocéliande Communauté.
Personalities: Yves Rocher (entrepreneur), Jean-Pierre Guillemot (cyclist), Bruno Altmayer, Anne Smith, Jean Lemonnier (painters).
Specialities: Breton specialities, fresh galettes, Maison Tiegezh (Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant), La Trinitaine biscuit factory, Merlin biscuit factory. Artisanal beers from the Lulu brewery. Choco'n Co chocolates. Jagoury preserves.
Events and festivals: Photography Festival (since 2004, Europe's largest open-air photo festival).
Sport: US La Gacilly (football, club founded in 1921). US LA Gacilly Cycling. Competitions: Élan Gacillien (35th edition in 2025), 2024 Tour de Bretagne, 2023 Tour de l'Avenir.
Economy: Yves Rocher group (cosmetics), industry, agriculture, commerce, tourism.
Websites: https://www.la-gacilly.fr
LA GACILLY AND CYCLING
La Gacilly, just 7km from Redon, can boast to have seen Eddy Merckx win three years before his first Tour de France win! It was in 1966, in the Circuit du Morbihan, where the Belgian, who was not yet a 'cannibal', won solo ahead of his team-mate Raymond Delisle. La Gacilly, famous for its photography festival, also hosted the Circuit du Morbihan in 1965 and 1967. Closer to home, the town of cosmetics giant Yves Rocher hosted the Tour de l'Avenir in 2023 (stage win by Anders Foldager) and the Tour de Bretagne in 2024, with a victory by Baptiste Veistroffer.
SIGHTS
La Gacilly Photography Festival
Since 2004, the La Gacilly Photo Festival has transformed the town into an open-air gallery, where visitors can admire large-format photographic works, offering an unforgettable cultural experience. From April onwards, the photos are gradually displayed in public spaces, transforming the streets and alleys of La Gacilly. After its inauguration, the Festival Photo La Gacilly welcomes visitors free of charge until the autumn, in the midst of the largest open-air photographic scene in France.
https://www.festivalphoto-lagacilly.com
Yves Rocher
Yves Rocher created the brand that bears his name in 1959 in La Gacilly. Its plant-based cosmetics are sold by mail order. The company positioned itself in the market for cosmetic products sold outside pharmacies at low prices. The company grew rapidly: from an initial workforce of 30, it increased to around 300 employees in 1969 with the inauguration of the brand's first factory in La Gacilly. Yves Rocher used his economic success to establish himself in politics: in 1962, he became mayor of the town, a position he held for 46 years, until 2008.
In 1991, the Yves Rocher Foundation for the protection of nature was created. In 1993, the Yves Rocher company launched eco-refills to reduce packaging and costs with a view to sustainable development.
Since 1975 Yves Rocher has had its own botanical garden at La Gacilly, conserving 1500 species of plants. At La Gacilly, 60 hectares of fields are also farmed using agro-ecology methods for the manufacture of products. In total, 93% of the brand's products are made in Brittany.
The Posternak-Ifop barometer ranks Yves Rocher in third place among companies with the best image in 2024. Yves Rocher died in 2009. On the strength of strong international growth, the company has suffered a certain setback since the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020.
An immersive museum and botanical garden are now open to the public to discover the company's history and culture.
Château de la Forêt-Neuve
This 15th-century château, rebuilt in the 18th century, is owned by the Yves Rocher group.
Sourdéac Castle
Built: 16th century
Restored: 19th century
History: a manor house belonging to the de La Motte family can be traced back to the end of the 14th century. In the Middle Ages, the castle was the seat of the lordship of Sourdéac. It passed to the Rohan family and was sold in 1531 to Jean V de Rieux. He had a new building constructed between 1548 and 1550. The estate remained in the family until 1713. Confiscated during the Revolution, the château was sold in 1796 to Julien Mathurin Eoche-Duval, a wealthy man from Nantes. During the 19th century, the château was home on several occasions to the novelist Paul Féval, who wrote several novels there. Sold after the Second World War to the de Cacqueray family, the château has since been converted into a bed and breakfast and still belongs to them.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1925 (staircase)
Broceliande Forest
Broceliande is a mythical forest mentioned in several texts, most of which are linked to the Arthurian legend. These medieval texts feature Merlin, the fairies Morgana and Viviane, King Arthur and certain knights of the Round Table. The forest of Broceliande is home to the Valley of No Return, where Morgana traps unfaithful men until she is foiled by Lancelot of the Lake, and the fountain of Barenton, reputed to make it rain. Broceliande is also said to be the place where Merlin retreated, was imprisoned or died.
Since the early 19th century, folklorists, scholars and writers have endeavoured to give the name a geographical reality and to associate it with certain forest massifs in Armorican Brittany, notably the forest of Paimpont. The emergence of tourism has helped to reinforce this trend, which is not shared by some researchers who consider this assimilation to be an "invention". This has not prevented the myth and name of Broceliande from being exploited by tourists in and around the Paimpont forest, or from being adopted by local authorities.
TO EAT
Fresh galettes from Maison Tiegezh
Maison Tiegezh, located in Guer, 17 km from La Gacilly, is one of the best restaurants in the region. It has remained true to its roots, dating back to 1972 when the grandfather of the current chef, Baptiste Denieul, opened a crêperie specialising in fresh galettes. Despite his Michelin star, the chef was keen to keep a crêperie open alongside his restaurant to remain true to the family history.