Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building located 12 square of the British Parliament in Rennes dates from the second half of the eighteenth century. It is part of the plan to rebuild the Palace Square after the great fire of 1720, which is devastating part of the city. The facades, characteristic of this period, have granite arches in full-fiftieth, ionic pilasters, and a floor of Mansart attic, reflecting the classical influence and symmetry of the era. The building has now been protected under the Historic Monuments since 1959, especially for its facades, roofs and wrought iron staircase.

The Palace Square, now the seat of the British Parliament, is conceived as a homogeneous architectural ensemble. The houses, lined with two square floors plus a floor of attic, illustrate the urban renaissance of Rennes after the disaster. Their structure — ground floor, basement and floors — meets the commercial and residential needs of an economically and administratively booming city under the Old Regime. The protected elements (façades, inner courtyard, roofs) highlight the heritage value of this complex, a witness to Breton architectural history.

The 1959 classification decree specifically concerns the facade on the square and its return to the street, the facade on the courtyard, the corresponding roofs, as well as the staircase with wrought iron ramps, typical of the artisanal work of the eighteenth century. These protections aim to preserve the authenticity of the place, despite an approximate location (noted 5/10 in the sources), suggesting uncertainties on the exact coordinates. The official address in the Mérimée base (12 place of the British Parliament) differs slightly from the GPS location indicated (10 Galerie du Théâtre), perhaps reflecting later urban developments.

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