Town Hall

You might be familiar with this building, for it’s a smaller replica of the Paris Town Hall!  Vannes’ Town Hall was built between 1881 and 1886. This place is nothing like the old town centre. Here, you can sense the major urban redevelopment of the 19th century.

The façade is beautifully decorated with ornaments underlining the city’s prestige. Indoors, you’ll see a monumental marble staircase, topped by a magnificent stained-glass window depicting the marriage of Anne of Brittany and King Charles VIII of France. The marriage was a historic event for the duchy, which, like Anne, found itself married to France. It marked the end of Brittany’s independence, as it pledged allegiance to the French crown, although it retained many privileges, including having its own duchess as queen.  Did you know there is a link between this marriage and the fact that Bretons love salted butter!

In the old days, every lump of butter in the country contained salt, to ensure that it would last. When the king increased the famous gabelle tax on salt, people began to salt their butter less and less but not the priviledged Bretons.  Indeed, they didn’t have to suffer from this increase, so they were able to keep their butter as it was. Now you understand why you’ll be eating salted butter for breakfast on your Breton holidays.