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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hôtel des Ducs de Bretagne, located in Ploërmel in Morbihan, is a private hotel originally built around 1150. This place welcomed several Dukes of Brittany until the 14th century, who stayed there and signed official acts, such as the assizes of Count Geoffroy in 1187 or the edict of John I hunting the Jews of the duchy in 1240. In the 15th century, after being abandoned for the benefit of the Carmelite convent, the building was sold to an individual, Jean Mouillard, in 1498. The present hotel, rebuilt in the 16th century, preserves medieval and Renaissance architectural elements, such as its wood-paned facades and its staircase with external screws.

In the 17th century, the house became an inn under the name of Hotel de l'Ecu de France. Its architecture combines defensive features (west wall joined to the city's ramparts, murderous) and civilian elements (woodwork, adorned chimneys, including one with the Duke of Mercœur's weapons). The building suffered damage during the allied bombardment of 12 June 1944, requiring further restorations, especially for its wood sections and its structure. Ranked a historical monument in 1925 (inscription) and partly in 1931 (facade, roof, chimneys), it illustrates the evolution of the use of a ducal building throughout the centuries.

The hotel is distinguished by its square plan and its four pavilions, whose main body has three levels plus attices. The façade on Beaumanoir Street, made of stone on the ground floor and in wooden strips on the floors, features a door in the middle of a hanger surmounted by an egg-eye and flanked by a composite pile. Inside, the rooms, connected by a gallery, house remarkable chimneys, such as the monogram of the Duke of Mercœur. The western facades, integrated with the former fortifications, recall the strategic role of Ploërmel, a closed town whose enclosure is still partially visible.

Historical sources underline the political importance of this place: in 1309 it welcomed the states of Brittany, and in 1580 the act reforming custom was signed there. These events reflect its status as a ducal residence before its decline in the 15th century. The declaration of 1676 by the Marquis de Bellevüe confirms its subsequent use as an inn, while the damage of 1944 and the modern restorations (as the partial remake of the wood panels) testify to its continued preservation. Today the property of the municipality, the hotel combines medieval heritage, Renaissance and urban memory.

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