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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The former Notre-Dame-des-Victoires convent, located in Saint-Malo, dates from the seventeenth century. Originally dedicated to religious life, it was transformed into a barracks, reflecting the evolution of the urban and military needs of the private city. Its architecture and history are marked by this dual vocation, spiritual and then strategic.

In 1669 Colbert, minister of the Navy under Louis XIV, founded a royal school of hydrography in Saint-Malo, ancestor of the present national school of merchant marine. Although this school later occupied separate premises, this historical context shows the maritime and educational importance of the city as early as the seventeenth century. The Convent-Career thus embodies a period when Saint-Malo affirmed his role in the training of officers and coastal defence.

The building, which has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1929, houses a remarkable mural, the Berger's Annonce, which was classified in 1962. This work, located in the chapel of the former convent, bears witness to the artistic richness of the place before its military conversion. Today, after sheltering maritime formations, the site is being rehabilitated to become a museum dedicated to the maritime history of Saint-Malo.

The intramural location at 4 Rue de la Victoire highlights its integration into the fortified heritage of the city. The department of Ille-et-Vilaine and the Brittany region, marked by a strong maritime identity, see this monument as a symbol of their religious, military and educational heritage.

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