I have a lot of posts on my wonderful capital City of Vannes in my blog. In my quest to have the latest info I decided to update this post with new text and links for you and me, the memories of it all will be kept ,The city has a gorgeous original architecture untouched by wars with a wonderful canal into the Gulf of Morbihan, one of the most beautiful harbors in the world (conde nast, great bays etc) which of course takes you into the Atlantic ocean, all full of islands paradise. Let me bring you up to date on Vannes,in my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 of my lovely Bretagne and in my belle France, Therefore, here is my take on the streets of Vannes , part III !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
Let me tell you about a wonderful old street of Vannes, It is traced on the edge of the old, cleared ditches, the rue du Mené was regularized in the 18C. This old street runs along the northern part of the urban ramparts wall and gives access to the suburb of Bourg Maria or Mené, seat of the parish of the same name, founded in the 12C. Its name, which means hill in Breton, is linked to the topography of the place. Until the construction of Boulevard de la Paix in the 1950s and 1960s, it remained the urban crossroads of the Nantes-Quimper road axis. In addition to the suburb it serves, its opening responds to the difficult traffic conditions encountered in the narrow and winding streets of the inner city. Aha even back then we had traffic lol!
Unlike its northern slope, which was urbanized at the end of the Middle Ages, the south side of rue du Mené, established at the foot of the ramparts, was built during the second part of the 19C on the former gardens of the Bishop’s Palace. The rue du Mené became a very commercial artery at that time, where prestigious brands opened large and beautiful boutiques: the Grand Bazaar in Morbihan and the André novelty stores whose facades, known by old postcards, are still in place at nos 20 and 21. In 1967, the construction of Monoprix store on the site of the former parish church of Mené affirms the commercial tradition of this street. The place Marchais (former place du marché) and the rue Hoche (former rue Saint-Yves) on the upper part of the street was named rue Joseph Le Brix in 1931. As a result, the numbering of the houses on the street has changed, the numbers 1 and 2 then being assigned lower to the east of rue Billault. It now joins Place Maurice Marchais, and the seat of the city/town hall. Today it starts at the place Joseph Le Brix and continue to the confluence of rue du Lieutenant Colonel Maury, rue Saint Nicolas, and rue Francis Decker. The street is full of shopes , and at the corner of rue du Mené and rue de la Coutume you find Columbus Café! My sons arriving on the left !!!
Vannes is a charming city and this Columbus Café is a very pleasant point for a gourmet break in this pearl of Brittany. We find the products of good quality. Decent value for money. Super cordial waiters and waitresses. Always a pleasure to go there The muffins are delicious!! and our favorites bagels to die for it especially so far from where we tried them first in NJ/NY! Unfortunately my pastramis bagel is on and off as sometimes not available, so I settled for a serrano ham, honey and goat cheese with muffin choco praliné, icea tea peach and expresso coffee , the works. Nice deal in a lovely part of Vannes! The restaurant has two entrances on the same side, one is the main one that goes directly to the counter for your orders with a friendly knowledable staff. They are scatted seats in sets of two or four persons, with those in the back by the restroom more cosy and bar style small round tables and bucket seats, great for families or romantic getaway! You leave the trays on the table or the staff comes to pick them up for you.
The Place de la République is a public square in city center/downtown Vannes It is one of the largest public squares in Vannes. Crossed by rue Thiers, which leads from the City/Town hall to the port Covering an area of approximately 1.8 hectares, it is rectangular in shape. It has a bus terminal and an underground car park is also provided under the square. The main public transport interchange at Vannes is located here. The Place de la République was created in 1862 under the name of “place de la Halle-aux-Grains”, in reference to the covered market which was built there at the same time. Initially square, the square takes a rectangular shape from its origin, when the construction of a court (courthouse and prefecture) is decided there. It also expanded towards the historic center, when the space east of rue Thiers, corresponding to the ditches of the old ramparts, was added to it. In 1955, the Halle aux Grain (grain hall), used as a post office since 1912, was demolished. It was replaced by a new post office in the 1970s.
The rue Thiers starts really by the Hôtel de Ville and bordering the old town of Vannes. It’s a street full of shops, restaurants and passes by the Place de la République. It ends at the traffic circle or rond point du Port on the harbor or Le Port of Vannes. The Hôtel de Ville or City/Town hall, is located on Place Maurice Marchais, was built between 1880 and 1886. This part really faces rue Thiers. The rue Thiers ends at Place Maurice Marchais. The other part of the municipal services of the town is in the municipal administrative center located rue Joseph Le Brix ,diagonally across the street !.
Some interesting things to see on rue Thiers (see posts) are :1 rue Thiers : Merchant’s house built in the latter part of the 16C. The date of 1663 worn on the right gutter wall of the second floor of the neighboring house during the elevation of the wall indicates for some of the alterations made on this date such as the demolition of the rear room and development at each level of a corridor between the spiral staircase and rooms and construction of an additional body posterior to the neighboring house, and others the construction of this house. The house belongs in the regards and the reformation of the royal domain of 1684 to the heirs of the “nobles Pierre Les Moyne” merchants on the port. It would have been an inn under the Ancien Régime.
3 rue Thiers is the former Chapelle des Ursulines or Chapelle de la Sainte Famille or Holy Family within the walls of the Saint-François-Xavier middle /high school. The chapel, placed under the name of the Holy Family, was built between 1688 and 1690 to serve the Ursuline convent. This convent was built between 1627 and 1670 to accommodate a community of nuns from Tréguier. The convent, except the chapel and the sacristy, was sold during the French revolution, later it was erected an oratory in the chapel in 1802 . From the convent, burned in 1949 and largely rebuilt, only this chapel remained, transformed into a library on two levels. Only the facade has retained its 17C appearance.
4 rue Thiers, is the headquarter of the Maison des Plus Belle Baies du Monde or house of the most beautiful bays in the world founded at Vannes (which includes the Gulf of Morbihan).
18 rue Thiers : House probably built in 1880 for Joseph Bernard, roofer, on the old ditches cut into gardens between the bastions of Brozillay and Haute-Folie. According to the archives, the house is built on the same plot as the neighboring house and by the same presumed family-sponsor. The rear outbuildings indicate the existence of a business at this location, probably that of the owner. In 1913, its known that the house is the headquarters of the General Coffee Warehouse Co.
31 rue Thiers, Hôtel de Limur. The construction of the Hôtel des Douves , former name of the Hôtel de Limur, probably begins around 1685. By 1748, begins the long and chaotic destiny of the Hôtel de Limur. It was acquired by the City in 1947, ceded to the State in 1980 and recovered by the City in 1991. It retains the name of the Limur family who owned it from 1820 to 1947.
The City of Vannes on its heritage : https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/decouvrir-le-patrimoine-vannetais
The Great Bays assoc on the gulf of Morbihan/Quiberon : https://world-bays.com/web/en/baies/baie-du-mont-saint-michel/
The official Colombus Café of Vannes : https://www.columbuscafe.com/en/boutique/vannes-rue-du-mene-2/
There you go folks, we are in France; la vie en rose or la vie est belle! Salut. One bit of up close and personal post of daily life in my neck of the woods. We take the road warrior approach seriously and are on the move every day not all posts, This is one post for the memories of always, Again, hope you enjoy this post on the streets of Vannes , part III !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 