Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The ramparts of Quimper are a series of fortifications built around the city from the 13th century, extending over 1,500 metres and protected by streams like the Odet and the Steir. These walls, reinforced by six fortified doors and moat to the north, incorporate a defence tower of 18 meters in diameter, originally called Bihan tower and then Tourbie tower. They played a key role in the fighting of the War of Succession of Brittany, especially in 1344, when Charles de Blois seized the city after a three-week siege, causing a massacre of 1,400 inhabitants. Jean IV de Montfort did not resume Quimper until 1364, after the death of Charles de Blois at the Battle of Auray, putting an end to a conflict that left the city exsangued.

In the 15th century, the lack of maintenance and obsolescence of the ramparts against artillery made fortifications vulnerable, gradually opening them outside. Used as a dwelling for the governor until the 16th century, these ramparts lose their defensive function. Today, there are remains such as the Place de la Tourbie tower and the Nevet tower, the latter having been the subject of artistic lighting in 2019, combining public lighting and projections inspired by Breton embroidery, before being interrupted for reasons of energy sobriety.

Ranked historic monuments in 1909 for most of the remains and in 1928 for the turret on the Steir, the ramparts testify to the military and urban history of Quimper. Their initial construction in the 14th century, marked by medieval techniques, reflects the strategic stakes of Brittany at the time, between feudal conflicts and adaptation to military evolutions. Their decline also illustrates the transition to modern defence systems, while leaving an architectural heritage still visible in the Quimperian landscape.

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