Paris1972-Versailles2003

I am hugely surprise not written a post on this wonderful square of my dear Vannes! I had mentioned it in some post briefly, but really it needs a post of its own. Therefore, new text and older pictures not yet in my blog, here is my bit on the Place du Poids Public of Vannes !!! I must say right off the bat , my favorite square! 

The Place du Poids Public or public weight square.It is the former place du Poids du Roi, The name of this traditionally commercial square is linked to the verification of the weights and measures of goods which was carried out there. It was part of the new developments during the expansion of the city to the south at the end of the 14C. The half-timbered houses in the square bear witness to the first urbanization in the 15-16C. I will cite as an example No. 13, 17 and 19. The beautiful corner hotel in white stone makes a strong mark on the premises with its watchtower and classical architecture. it was enlarged and modified in the 17C. Under the influence of the arrival of the Parliament of Brittany in Vannes in 1675, many houses in the square were remodeled, probably for rental purposes. In the 19C, embellishment work focused on the southern slope with the construction of new buildings on the site of the mill and adjoining dwellings. Along with that of the Lices, this square is the site of a famous market which is held every Wednesday and Saturday of the week.  

Some of its half-timbered houses have been preserved, the others having been rebuilt in the 17-18C and at the end of the 19C. The Hôtel de Francheville,(see post) built in the 17C, strongly marks the transition between this square and that of Les Lices with its corner watchtower on a snout. The Place du Poids Public was modified during the construction of the hotels on rue Saint-Vincent at the end of the 17C. At least two of them had a Parisian-style courtyard, accessible by the Place du Poids Public, one of whose entrances has been preserved. The alignment plan of 1841 proposed an orthogonalization of the square by creating, on the place du moulin des Lices, a front of houses parallel to the north side, and in its southern part, a street linking it to the place de la Poissonnerie (where fish market is see post). This project was only partially realized in its southern part. The Moulin des Lices mill was destroyed in 1886, and the houses that replaced it encircle its plot.

The City of Vannes on the Place du Poids Public : https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/place-du-poids-public

There you go folks, feel better now, to show this gem of my capital city of Vannes. It is as said, a must to visit and you will be glad, the looks at it are awesome, full of wonderful architecture and history of this fine city. Hope you enjoy the post on the place du Poids Public and do visit it

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I am hugely surprise not written a post on this wonderful square of my dear Vannes! I had mentioned it in some post briefly, but really it needs a post of its own. Therefore, new text and older pictures not yet in my blog, here is my bit on the Place des Lices of Vannes !!

The Place des Lices is originally a former free space devoted to tournaments and other outdoor exercises that took place in the Middle Ages. The Lices, a term which was used to designate the field or the enclosed land surrounded by palisades, intended for these activities, recall this first use of the premises. This space was created in the 14C during the accession of Jean IV,(John) Duke of Brittany. The latter who wishes to make Vannes his administrative capital. Located at the foot of the first urban wall, this square is bordered to the east by the farmyard of the Hermine castle and various ducal buildings, coin workshop, kiln houses, tennis court, castle stables. It is surrounded by various constructions including the old Lices chapel, built around 1400-1425 with its cemetery. The area is bounded by half-timbered houses, and new ones were built in the 17C on the site of the old courtyard of the castle, which had become obsolete. The 19C alignments led to the demolition of the ducal chapel and the reworking of a number of old facades. At the same time, the square takes for vocation a market which is still held today every Wednesday and Saturday of the week. In 1912, the square was provided with a covered market for small producers, which in 2000 was replaced by a new covered market or halle (see post).

The Place des Lices, formerly Place de la Réunion, is the main public square in downtown Vannes . It hosts a bi-weekly market and is surrounded by shops. It is an elongated and sloping space, with an irregular plan, extending into the historic center of Vannes. It communicates to the north with the Cathedral St Pierre (see post) by rue de la Monnaie and to the south with the port by rue Saint-Vincent and porte Saint-Vincent (see post). It is also in direct contact with the Place du Poids Public and with the ramparts. The square is about 200 meters long, with an average width of 25 meters.

In the 3-4C, Vannes acquired fortifications to defend itself against the Germanic tribes. These walls formed a triangle, one of the points of which was located at the level of the current Place des Lices. In 1380, the Duke of Brittany Jean IV had a new enclosure built and a new castle built. The castle parade ground, which remained unbuilt, became the Place des Lices. The square takes its name from the many tournaments that took place there in the Middle Ages. In 1381, before Duke Jean, five French knights defeated five English knights there. In 1418, Saint Vincent Ferrier, who came from Valencia, Spain, came to preach on the Place des Lices and died in Vannes the following year. A bi-weekly public market is held here on Wednesdays and Saturdays and there is a covered market or halle 700 m2. Among the buildings on the square that are of architectural or heritage interest are the Hôtel de Francheville 17C (see post), remarkable for its watchtower, and the house at No. 11, which has a tower with a staircase notice.

The City of Vannes on the Place des Lices :https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/place-des-lices

There you go folks, feel better now, to show this gem of my capital city of Vannes. It is as said, a must to visit and you will be glad, the looks at it are awesome, full of wonderful architecture and history of this fine city. Hope you enjoy the post on the place des Lices and do visit it

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I am hugely surprise not written a post on this wonderful square of my dear Vannes! I had mentioned it in some post briefly, but really it needs a post of its own. Therefore, new text and older pictures not yet in my blog, here is my bit on the Place Saint Pierre of Vannes !!!

The Place Saint Pierre square has a few old houses adjoining La Cohue (fine arts museum), opposite the St Peter’s Cathedral (see posts). La Cohue designating the old partly Romanesque halls, remains dating from the 16C. The ground floor was occupied by the stalls of merchants, mostly butchers and the first floor reserved for courts of law. The Parliament of Brittany sat there when it was exiled to Vannes. In the last century, a theater occupied the first floor which now houses the museum. At No. 9 Place Saint Pierre is one of the oldest houses in the city, recognizable by its many small windows, testimonies of civil architecture from the beginning of the 15C.  Of course, the must visit in town is that here you have the Cathédrale Saint Pierre (see posts) or St Peter’s Cathedral built in the 13C-15-16C-19C.

This is of course a very old square located between the cathedral and the Cohue, bordered mainly by half-timbered houses and two important buildings facing each other and which give it the character of a square. In the ducal rentier of 1455-1458, it is called “placeix Saint Pere”. It is found referred to as a street on old city maps. It is joined to Place Henri IV (see post) by a narrow passage between two houses. The square is now clear of 3  houses which were attached to the west portal of the cathedral.

The house at 15 place Saint-Pierre 15C includes an undated elevation for the development of the attic, the framework of which shows a high room under the attic. The house is one of the rare examples of houses built almost entirely in half-timbered construction, visible here on three sides. It was subsequently the subject during the 4th quarter of the 20C of a restoration and very important works during its acquisition. by the city for the development of the Musée des Beaux Arts or Fine Arts Museum, also known as Cohue. The corbel brackets on the first floor are recent and of the polygonal base type with rings sculpted with faces, made after the one in place in the room on the ground floor. The base of the house retains two old corner posts.

The house at 2 place Saint-Pierre 16C is a wooden house with overhanging floors. Beautiful sculpted beam between the first and second floors. The second floor almost forms the bridge with that of the house at the other corner of the square.

The house at 7 place Saint-Pierre was built on the edge of the Cohue from which it is separated by an alley. Its facade framework shows that it has retained a first floor from the 15C. This one also shows the remains of the small windows that once ran along the facade. It shows alterations by its second Renaissance wall in the basement and an elevation in the 19C. The place is occupied in the rentier of the ducal domain in 1455.

This is a must to walk it while near or in Vannes, the place Saint Pierre is gorgeous and we always walk by it when in town; which is at least weekly. 

The City of Vannes on its heritage : https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/lieux-remarquables

The Gulf of Morbihan tourist office on Vannes :https://www.golfedumorbihan.co.uk/explore/meet-the-exceptionnal/visit-vannes/

There you go folks, feel better now, to show this gem of my capital city of Vannes. It is as said, a must to visit and you will be glad, the looks at it are awesome, full of wonderful architecture and history of this fine city. Hope you enjoy the post on the place Saint Pierre and do visit it

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!