Ancienne cohue
MonumentHidden Treasure
Ancienne cohue, located in Vannes (Département 56), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Vannes, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6574, -2.7578
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091777
In the heart of the old town of Vannes, this former medieval town fascinates visitors with its Gothic doorway adorned with a mermaid with braided hair and an owl's head - a rare and bewitching 14th-century sculpture.
History
Nestling in the historic centre of Vannes, right in the heart of inland Brittany, the old cohue is one of those discreet buildings that harbour an unsuspected density of history and art. A public court in the Middle Ages, a place of justice and commerce, it embodies the dual face of the medieval town: that of order and that of trade, two inseparable realities at a time when the market hall and the law courts often shared the same building. What really sets the old Vannes cohue apart is its eastern gateway, a true jewel of late Gothic sculpture. The tiers-point archivolt, delicately decorated with sawtooth motifs, frames a threshold that you cross as if you were opening a picture book. The capitals of the jambs, adorned with stylised flowers, introduce us to a refined decorative vocabulary typical of Breton workshops in the 14th and 15th centuries. But it is a re-used capital on the right that catches the eye and leaves a lasting impression. Two mermaids unfurl their crescent-shaped fish tails, their long braided hair wrapped around the composition, separated by a mysterious owl's head. This fantastic bestiary, a legacy of complex medieval symbolism, gives the building an iconographic depth that is rare outside major cathedral projects. A visit to the former "cohue" is an open-air lesson in architecture, in a Breton town whose cobbled streets and half-timbered houses form one of the best-preserved medieval ensembles in France. The monument is in natural dialogue with nearby Saint-Pierre Cathedral and the Gallo-Roman ramparts, offering a heritage walk of rare coherence.
Architecture
The former cohue in Vannes is part of Breton Gothic civil architecture, characterised by the economy of means and structural solidity typical of public buildings of the 14th and 15th centuries. The building, constructed from granite - the king material of Breton construction - has a sober, massive volume, a legacy of an era when functionality took precedence over ostentation. The building's architectural and sculptural interest is concentrated on its eastern façade. The doorway, surmounted by a pointed arch archivolt, is framed by jambs whose capitals feature delicate Gothic flowers. The sawtooth moulding that runs along the archivolt is a recurring decorative motif in Breton medieval architecture, and can be found on a number of church and chapel portals in the region. The sculptural centrepiece is the re-used capital depicting two mermaids with crescent-shaped tails, their braided hair forming an organic interlace around the composition, separated by a disturbing owl's head. This iconographic repertoire - mermaids, aquatic creatures and nocturnal birds - is part of the tradition of medieval bestiaries, in which each figure has a moral and symbolic meaning: the mermaid embodies carnal temptation and illusion, while the owl evokes wisdom or, according to other interpretations, dark forces. The presence of this capital in a place of justice is no doubt not accidental, reminding those subject to trial of the perils of vice and the need for vigilance in the face of deceptive appearances.
Related Figures
Ducs de Bretagne (fondateurs du cadre institutionnel ayant présidé à l'édification de la cohue aux XIVe-XVe siècles)Jean IV de Bretagne (duc régnant lors des premières phases de construction supposées, fin XIVe siècle)François II de Bretagne (dernier duc indépendant, sous le règne duquel l'architecture civile bretonne connaît son apogée)Anne de Bretagne (sous la régence de qui Vannes vit ses dernières décennies d'indépendance ducale)Artisans lapicides bretons des ateliers vannetais (auteurs anonymes des sculptures de la porte est)
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancienne cohue located?
Ancienne cohue is located in Vannes, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Ancienne cohue built?
Ancienne cohue dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ancienne cohue open to visitors?
Ancienne cohue is currently closed to visitors.
