Origin and history
The Palace of the Parliament of Brittany, built in the 17th century in Rennes, is a masterpiece of classical architecture originally designed to house the Parliament of Brittany. Its location, chosen in 1611 on the former cemetery of the St. James Hospital, was validated after debates between the city and parliamentarians, the latter preferring an intramural location. The original plans, designed by Germain Gaultier and Thomas Poussin in 1615, were rejected in 1618 in favour of those of Salomon de Brosse, a royal architect who had worked at the Palais du Luxembourg. The first stone was laid on 15 September 1618, but the work, slowed down by financial problems, an epidemic of plague (1627) and the Parliamentary Fronde (1648-1649), would not be completed until 1655.
The building became the permanent seat of the Parliament of Brittany after its final installation in Rennes in 1561, ending decades of traveling appointments between Vannes, Nantes and Rennes. Financing was provided by local taxes, including a tax on cider pots, authorized by Henry IV in 1578. The palace, spared by the great fire of Rennes in 1720 thanks to firebreaks, was modified by Jacques V Gabriel, who removed the large outside staircase to "squeeze" the building in front of an equestrian statue of Louis XIV, now disappeared. The adjacent royal square, redesigned after the fire, became a major urban symbol, framing the palace between Hoche Street and Salomon-de-Brosse Street.
In the 18th century, the palace was perceived in a contrasting way: some, such as De La Roque (1775), criticized its "cold" appearance and its badly placed staircase, while others, such as Louis Morerie (1754), judged it "the most regular building in Europe". After the French Revolution and the dissolution of Parliament in 1790, the building became the Court of Appeal of Rennes in 1804. Its interior, richly decorated by artists such as Charles Errard, Noël Coypel and Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet, reflected the symbolic union of Brittany and France, with allegorical ceilings and interlaced royal and Breton emblems.
The fire of 5 February 1994, triggered by a flare during a demonstration of seamen-fishers, partially destroyed the roof and the first floor, mobilizing the firefighters of Rennes, Nantes and Angers. The identical reconstruction, completed in 1997 at a cost of 35 to 54.88 million euros, saved most of the works of art, although historical tapestries were lost in a second fire in 1997. Today, the palace still houses the Court of Appeal, while the other courts were relocated to the contemporary judicial city inaugurated in 1983.
Architecturally, the palace is distinguished by its classic granite and limestone façade, decorated with bas-reliefs, doric columns and a pediment bearing the arms of France. The frame, nicknamed "the forest" before 1994, was replaced by a metal structure after the fire. The inner courtyard, surrounded by arcade galleries, houses a monumental staircase designed by Jacques Gabriel in 1726. The interior rooms, such as the Grand-Bedroom or the Investigation Hall, retain 17th-century painted ceilings, gilded woodwork and marble fireplaces, testimonies of the judicial fascist of the Old Regime.
Ranked a Historic Monument in 1883, the palace is now a major tourist destination (30 000 visitors in 2003) and a Breton identity symbol, integrated with the logo of the Rennes tourist office. Its history, marked by political conflicts, restorations and functional adaptations, illustrates the tensions between royal power and regional autonomy, as well as the resilience of an exceptional architectural heritage.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review