Bouffay district

Bouffay district is the very heart of Nantais life! And it’s nothing new, since it was here that the Namnètes founded their Celtic city. We know that the village had a fine bronze industry and that tools, wheat and hemp were exchanged for amphorae, carpets, oils and jewellery. With the Roman conquest and the birth of Condevincum, the city expanded around this historic quarter. Its current name dates back to the 10th century, when the Bouffay castle was built for Conan I of Brittany. You’ll notice that the streets here are narrow and still hold many 15th-century half-timbered houses. In February 1718, a fire broke out in a wig-maker’s shop and a large part of the district burnt down. This tragedy initiated the creation of the city’s first fire brigade, founded 3 years later. Today, the district is full of shops, bars and restaurants. The Bouffay streets are always bustling with activity making it the city’s most popular tourist area. You’ll find an original statue by artist Philippe Ramette in the centre of the square. It represents a praise to taking a step aside, and is a tribute to the city’s bold artistic choices. If you explore the district a little further, you’ll even find vines, planted at the end of old hospital street! The free commune of Montmartre in Paris donated its Chardonnay vines to its godchild, the free commune of Buffay, in 1976. While in Paris, the grapes harvested in Montmartre actually produce wine, here they have more of a symbolic and traditional value. A handful of harvesters in costume come to cut the grapes, before pressing them in the old-fashioned way to produce a small bottle of wine. These folkloric harvests marked by humour and cheerfulness are prompt to be done with and prompt to be consummed!