Timber-framed house

The covered market street and the Saint-Salomon street you are now entering are two typical streets in the heart of the medieval town. Here you’ll find fine examples of timber-framed houses built over five centuries! The oldest of these were built in the 15th century, and were inhabited until the 19th century! The ground floor was generally made of stone, which was then raised with a wooden frame filled in with whatever was available.

This is why pieces of wood were placed at an angle to consolidate the structure. These were called fern strands. Now, if you’d like to be able to differenciate  houses dating from the Middle Ages from those of the Renaissance, you should know that if there are corbels, they date from before the 17th century.

These buildings that contributed to spreading fire were subsequently banned. At 13 Saint-Salomon Street, you’ll see one of the town’s oldest buildings. It features three superimposed corbels and beautiful columns decorated with animals from the medieval bestiary. It is known as the lion house. Although the colourful facades contribute greatly to the charm of the old town of Vannes, they are quite recent! In the past, the walls were coated with a greyish product, a kind of varnish that dulls rather than shines, but above all slows down fire. Given the choice between coloured and charred, I’d have to say that the choice is pretty clear-cut.

With that historical anecdote, let’s continue our tour.