Enceinte fortifiée
MonumentHidden Treasure
Enceinte fortifiée, located in Rennes (Département 35), 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
- Rennes, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.1115, -1.6852
- Mérimée Reference
- PA35000085
A thousand-year-old testament to the power of Rennes, the fortified walls reveal three superimposed layers of defence, from Late Antiquity to the Flamboyant Middle Ages, with the majestic Mordelaise Gate as the jewel in the crown.
History
In the heart of Rennes, behind the contemporary facades and busy streets of the historic centre, lie the remains of a colossal defensive system dating back seventeen centuries. The fortified walls of Rennes are not a monument in the conventional sense of the term: they are an architectural palimpsest, a story in stone that, if you look carefully, reveals three successive ages of the city and its military ambitions. Some striking sections still emerge in the light of day, enough to summon the imagination and restore the scale of what was once one of the most robust strongholds in western France. The most spectacular section stretches to the west of the old town, between the Mordelaise Gate - a masterpiece of 15th-century Breton fortification - and the Duchesne Tower, whose massive granite curves dominate the urban landscape with quiet authority. These two structures form an ensemble of rare coherence, where the small rubble stonework inherited from Antiquity rubs shoulders with the medieval alterations in an almost organic continuity. To the north, in the Place Rallier-du-Baty, another section emerges from the densely built-up area, providing a more intimate view of the fortification. What makes this monument unique is precisely its fragmentary, urban nature. Unlike the fortifications preserved in the open countryside, the Rennes ramparts live to the rhythm of the city: buildings are built up against them, private courtyards contain whole sections of them, and the subsoil preserves their memory. This intertwining with the urban fabric makes it an exceptional subject for archaeological study, constantly enriched by the preventive excavations that accompany renovation projects. The visit is like an investigation: walk along the parapet walk between Mordelaise and Duchesne, observe the ancient foundations at the base of the walls, then look up at the medieval battlements and archways. Urban archaeology enthusiasts will find here an intellectual playground unrivalled in Brittany, while visitors in a hurry will be captivated by the powerful silhouette of the Mordelaise Gate, a point of passage for dukes and kings.
Architecture
The fortified walls of Rennes actually comprise three superimposed and complementary defensive systems, the architectural interpretation of which reveals a coherent evolution of military techniques over twelve centuries. The first wall, dating from the late Roman period, is characterised by its characteristic layout: courses of small schist and granite rubble bound with lime, punctuated by regular beds of baked bricks laid in horizontal rows. This technique, typical of the 4th century throughout the Roman West, makes it possible to identify with certainty the ancient sections where they remain in elevation or under excavation. The thickness of the Roman wall, estimated at between 3 and 4 metres at the base, bears witness to a construction designed to withstand siege engines. The medieval alterations, mainly dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, can be identified by the extensive use of Breton granite, the dominant building material in Ille-et-Vilaine. The Mordelaise gate, the preserved centrepiece of the complex, features two large cylindrical towers pierced with recessed archways and crowned with corbelled machicolations. The carriageway is protected by a double system of portcullises and shutters, the sliding grooves of which can still be seen in the masonry. The Duchesne tower, circular in plan and with a bevelled base to deflate projectiles, completes this western system with military elegance.
Related Figures
François Ier — roi de France qui franchit solennellement la porte Mordelaise en 1532 lors du rattachement de la BretagneAnne de Bretagne — duchesse ayant utilisé la porte Mordelaise comme entrée cérémonielle dans sa capitaleFrançois II de Bretagne — dernier duc de Bretagne, témoin des dernières grandes heures de l'enceinte ducaleArthur de Montauban — connétable de Bretagne impliqué dans les défenses de Rennes au XVe siècleJean-Marie de la Motte — érudit rennais du XIXe siècle ayant contribué aux premières études sur les fortificationsPierre-Roland Giot — archéologue breton pionnier des fouilles modernes sur les remparts au XXe siècle
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Enceinte fortifiée located?
Enceinte fortifiée is located in Rennes, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Enceinte fortifiée built?
Enceinte fortifiée dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Enceinte fortifiée open to visitors?
Enceinte fortifiée is currently closed to visitors.
