We spent yesterday exploring Vannes but only inside the walls of the old town. Today we walked around the outside, looking at the ramparts and gardens. Vannes was founded as Venetorum by the Romans in the 1st Century, but by the 3rd century the Roman Empire was vulnerable enough that the settlement required protective walls. The ramparts were built and modifies over the next 1500 years. Their current form dates from about 1630.
The Château de l’Hermine is built into the walls of the ramparts. It was originally a small fortified castle built in 1380 and then was replaced with a new building more like a mansion in the 18th century. It has a long history. King Francis I stayed in the original fortress in the months leading up to Brittany’s unification with France in 1532.
Les Vieux Lavoirs (the old wash-houses) where people would come to wash their clothes. This dates from the beginning in the 19th century and was in use until about 1950.
Outside the walls you find more lovely examples of half-timbered houses. A couple of these were just outside the Porte Prison. See https://paris1972-versailles2003.com/2021/09/23/the-porte-prison-of-vannes/amp/ if you want to find out more information about Vannes and the Porte Prison.
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