I come to my nice Rennes. This time one of the nicest monument , and of course the City is in Îlle et Vilaine dept 35,of my lovely Bretagne, I have come back to this beautiful City after a long hiatus and it was wonderful, Bear with me as the next posts will be on this beautiful City, Let me tell you a bit more on the former Parlement de Bretagne !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
The Parliament of Brittany, officiallyPalace of the Parliament of Brittany, is an emblematic monument of Rennes and Brittany. Located in Place du Parliament de Bretagne, it houses the court of appeal today. It was the seat of the Parliament of Brittany until its dissolution by the French revolution in February 1790, only except its “exile” to Vannes from 1675 to 1689. The Rennes tourist office organizes guided tours there.
The ground floor serving as prison and for administrative tasks, it was not decorated. The dungeons were on the north side and the stew side (current entrance). The most ornate rooms are upstairs.Today we access the floor by the interior courtyard. Double ramp covered gabriel staircase First floor are the Pas-Perdus room It is reached by a monumental door representing justice and strength. It is originally a waiting room and is currently only a place of passage to the other parts of the palace. It is a very large room 36.60 meters long and 12.80 meters wide. The Grand’Chambre is the best -preserved room ceiling with a set of paintings organized around a central hexagonal work: justice, or Minerva. Four circular medallions on each corner of the ceiling (justice tearing its mask from fraud, piety and faith of the oath, Minerva chasing slander, law authority) are linked by intermediate boxes (France protecting justice and Brittany protecting innocence) on the small side of the room. On the big side, two oblong paintings frame the central octagon: sincerity and public bliss. Between these and the medallions, there are four trapezoidal paintings featuring justice and painted on a shades of shades on the background of gold of the lodges were specially arranged in the event of royal visits (but they never employed them) ; now become the second civil chamber of the Court of Appeal. The Félix-Armand Jobbé-Duval room is currently the meeting room 102, but it was the former chancellery and the presentations of the time of Solomon de Brosse, then the third civil chamber before the fire.
The place Royale where the parliament of Brittanysits and the new square dominated by the city/town hall, less monumental and obedient to cannons less rigorous than its neighbor. The monumental aspect of the place Royale had a strong symbolic value. It was a matter of representing the Dominion of the royal power over the provincial parliament following the revolt of the stamped paper, the square serving as a jewel in a monumental statue of Louis XIV. This is call the Place du Parlement de Bretagne as well today.
A bit of history telle us that after having shared its sessions between Nantes and Rennes, the Parliament of Brittany, created in 1554, was definitively fixed in Rennes in 1561 on January 11, 1655 was a historic day which saw the parliament solemnly take possession of the palace, then in all the brilliance of its novelty. The palace is what is most remarkable in this parish district of Saint-Germain, the foundation stone were put on September 15, 1618 , The palace is a composed of four main lines raised on a massif of which all traits of roads by it. The facade is a beautiful peristile flank with two pavilions in front body of a very well executed Doric order. We go up there by a large staircase which is outside at the top of which there is a very large platform or terrace from which one enters the salle des procureurs or prosecutors’ room, which is a vast space of very high extraordinary quantity which ends with an ornate balustrade, In the midst of a large badge of the arms of the king, all with relief compartment and strewn with golden and hermines flowers.
The council chamber is of Jouvenet, famous painter, and very decorated. The other rooms have nothing but noble and gratious that the work is not so finished. Finally everything is so regular, and of an architecture so exact in this building that it can honor its century, and to pass for one of the most beautiful palace in France. The equestrian statue of Roy Louis le Grand (aka Louis XIV) which will be placed on a foot of marble enriched with a bronze bas relief will make it the main ornament. At its end there are two interior galleries underlying and formed of arcades which communicate to all the rooms. The courtyard is in the middle and surrounded by this gallery, what is most remarkable is the big room which excels in the beauty of its dome, The Parliament of Brittany was made up of six rooms, but reduced to five by the edict of September, the two of the requests having been united. These rooms are the grand chambre, the Tournelle, the two of the investigations, and that of the requests. The Grand Chambre is made up of the first president, of the older more mortar presidents and 34 advisers, the turner of five presidents with the last mortar in reception of twenty advisers, knowing ten of the Grand Chambre, five of each room of the investigations, which have been used since the opening of the Parliament ,and have been replaced by such a number of advisers from each of the said rooms to the opening of the chambre des vacations or Vacations room. The other of these rooms go up a large room indifferently according to the order and seniority of their receptions. Each of its rooms is made up of three presidents and thirty advisers as it is more ample by the regulations of July 5, 1724. The chambre des requestes or Requests’ room consists of four presidents and twelve advisers The Vacations’ room, of which the first president makes the opening, it is made up of two mortar presidents and sixteen advisers, 8 of whom are in a large room and four of each investigative.
In a letter to her daughter Madame de Grignan, dated October 23, 1689, Madame de Sévigné writes ,: “There is a very good company in Rennes, everything shines there; On the return from Parliament to this city and in this most beautiful palace in France “.
The Palais du Parliament or palace of parliament had escaped the fire of 1720, However, on February 5, 1994 at 0.30 am, after a difficult day marked by violent demonstrations of the fishermen, the firefighters receive several calls indicating that the Parliament is in flames. The fire will mobilize 150 fire fighters, and will remain engraved in the memory of the Rennes. Reconstruction has extended over 10 years. Part of the services of the Court of Appeal was able to reintegrate the palace in October 1999.
The Rennes tourist office on the parlement de Bretagne: https://www.tourisme-rennes.com/decouvrir-rennes/histoire/parlement-de-bretagne-rennes/
The official Court of Appeals of Rennes: https://www.cours-appel.justice.fr/rennes/la-cour-dappel-de-rennes
There you go folks ,another jewel in my wonderful capital city of Rennes. The walks are worth it with plenty of lovely areas, Again, hope you enjoy the post on the former Parlement de Bretagne !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 