Préfecture de Vannes
MonumentHidden Treasure
Préfecture de Vannes, located in Vannes (Département 56), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Vannes, Département 56, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.6581, -2.7538
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00091805
The Second Empire jewel of Vannes, the Morbihan prefecture boasts a remarkable Louis XIII pastiche, crowned by a sculpted pediment featuring the Breton heroes Nominoë and Alain Barbe-Torte.
History
In the heart of Vannes, capital of the Morbihan département, the prefecture is one of the most elegant institutional buildings in 19th-century Brittany. Built in 1865 in a style that deliberately borrowed from the architectural vocabulary of Louis XIII, it bears witness to the Second Empire's desire to place its major administrations within an aesthetic of prestige and historical continuity. Far from being a mere administrative building, it is a veritable architectural manifesto that reflects the French identity. What immediately sets the building apart is the richness of its sculptural programme. The rounded pediment of the central pavilion, the work of sculptor Le Merle executed in 1864, depicts the imperial eagle flanked by two armed figures embodying Nominoë and Alain Barbe-Torte, tutelary figures of Breton independence. This bold blend of Bonapartist symbols and references to regional history reflects the complex relationship between Paris and Brittany in the mid-nineteenth century. The interior also has some surprises in store. The ground floor of the main building, entirely given over to ceremonial rooms, offers a succession of solemn spaces, including the council's deliberation room, refurbished and decorated by Bompard, painter to the Navy, on the occasion of the visit of the King of Cambodia in 1948. The banister of the main staircase, forged by Albert Lefebvre, adds a touch of refined craftsmanship to the ensemble. The building is set in a park designed between 1863 and 1865 by English landscape architect John Wallen, whose romantic layout contrasts harmoniously with the symmetrical rigour of the facades. This green setting is one of the most pleasant green spaces in the centre of Vannes, inviting you to take a timeless stroll just a stone's throw from the town's medieval ramparts.
Architecture
The Vannes prefecture is a typical example of the Louis XIII pastiche practised in official French architecture during the Second Empire. The main building is built around a raised central body, topped by a mansard roof and crowned by a rounded pediment adorned with sculptures - the imperial eagle flanked by Nominoë and Alain Barbe-Torte. A bull's eye, a recurring motif in French classical vocabulary, illuminates the cupola that tops the central pavilion. Two symmetrical wings frame a courtyard of honour, giving the building the U-shaped layout so characteristic of the great aristocratic residences and administrative buildings of the period. A vaulted passageway under the left pavilion provides a discreet link with the outbuildings to the rear. The interior layout follows a rigorous functional logic: the ground floor of the main building is reserved exclusively for ceremonial rooms - reception room, deliberation room, prefect's study - while the wings house the administration offices and the secretary-general's flats. The grand staircase, whose handrail forged by Albert Lefebvre is an exceptional example of nineteenth-century wrought ironwork, serves this representative space with the requisite solemnity. The departmental archives building, erected in 1920, completes the ensemble harmoniously thanks to the use of Breton granite, a noble material with a strong sense of identity, which anchors the ensemble in its regional context while adding a more austere note. The parklands designed by John Wallen, with their curved paths and beds of varied species, temper the geometric rigour of the architecture and provide a setting of English Romantic-inspired greenery.
Related Figures
Aimé — architecte départemental du Morbihan, auteur des plans soumis dès 1860Le Merle — sculpteur, auteur des frontons de la cour d'honneur et de la façade sud (1864)Albert Lefebvre — forgeron d'art, créateur de la rampe de l'escalier principalJohn Wallen — paysagiste anglais, concepteur du parc (1863-1865)Bompard — peintre de la Marine, décorateur de la salle des délibérations (1948)Charles de Gaulle — y tient audience le 22 juillet 1945 après la LibérationNominoë — roi de Bretagne, figure de l'indépendance bretonne représentée sur le frontonAlain Barbe-Torte — duc de Bretagne, héros de la résistance aux Vikings, également sculpté sur le fronton
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Préfecture de Vannes located?
Préfecture de Vannes is located in Vannes, Département 56 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Préfecture de Vannes built?
Préfecture de Vannes dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Préfecture de Vannes open to visitors?
Préfecture de Vannes is currently closed to visitors.