Hermine Castle

You are now looking at the Hermine Castle. This handsome 18th-century mansion has nothing in common with the former Hermine castle. The first castle was built at the request of Duke Jean IV of Brittany in the 14th century. It was embedded in the ramparts, had a magnificent garden and was the main residence of the Dukes of Brittany before they decided to move to Nantes.

King François I resided here in 1532 when he voted for the union of the Duchy of Brittany with France. However, this did not prevent its near-destruction over time. Some of the stones were used to repair the ramparts and others to build the quays in the port of Vannes.

In 1784, a baker bought it, completed its demolition and built the complex you see today. From 1876 onwards, the site was taken over by the State, which assigned various functions to it, including the artillery school, the law school and the Morbihan General Treasury.

In 1976, it became the property of the town and was used as an exhibition space, notably for the annual photography festival. Nowadays, the building is an undeniable part of the town’s heritage, and the town recently embarked on a mega renovation project to transform it into a Fine Arts Museum, due to open its doors at the end of 2025.

A new chapter has thus begun for the Hermine castle, and it certainly has a bright future ahead of it.