French

Every day I go past superb buildings without necessarily taking the time to explore them, so I’ve made up my mind to start exploring my home city of Rennes. Fortunately there is no shortage of interesting places to visit, so I’ll start with a guided tour of the Parlement de Bretagne, organized by the Office du Tourisme de Rennes.

The visit begins in front of the Parlement

The Parlement de Bretagne, is situated right in the heart of Rennes and dates from the 1èth century. The visit starts in front of the building, where our guide tells us the history of the Parlement de Bretagne, from its construction to the present day, and its relationship with the square on which it stands.

The guide explains what the original building looked like, its place in the history of Rennes, the fire which swept through the city in 1720 and, more recently, the fire of 1994 which devastated the building. She also points out various features on the front of the building and describes its architecture.

The magnificent interior

Next we go inside the building where we visit the splendid rooms, each with a specific function and its own little stories and features. The impressive entrance lobby (Salle des Pas Perdus), the historic Assize court (Cour d’Assises) and the Great Hall (Grand’chambre) with its boxes provided in case of royal visits. I had never imagined there would be so many marvellous things to learn about the Parlement.

Further information about guided tours of the Parlement de Bretagne can be found on the Office du Tourisme de Rennes website.

by Anne-C in Historic Tags: Parlement de Bretagne, Rennes