Saint George Palace
| Palace of Saint George | |
|---|---|
Palais Saint-Georges | |
 South façade of the palace | |
  | |
| General information | |
| Status | monument historique |
| Location | city of Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany region |
| Country | France |
| Completed | 1670 |
| Owner | commune of Rennes |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Pierre Corbineau |
The Saint George Palace (French: Palais Saint-Georges) is an historic building in the city of Rennes. It was built in 1670 on the site of the abbey of Saint George (Abbaye Saint-Georges de Rennes). Since 1930 the building has been listed as a monument historique of France.
Location
Saint George Palace, at 2 rue Gambetta, is situated east of the city centre in the Thabor-Saint Hélier quarter of Rennes. The front garden and main façade face south and the building lies very near the north bank of the Vilaine river, and is within sight while travelling north along rue Jean Janvier and the bridge over the river. It is served by the Métro station République.
History
In 1032, Duke Alain III of Brittany founded the Benedictine abbey of Saint George on behalf of his sister Adele, a Benedictine nun who became the abbey's first abbess. The abbey thrived for several centuries.[1]
Magdelaine de la Fayette was the 38th abbess, holding this position from 1663 to 1688. In the 1660s she commissioned the architect Pierre Corbineau to design a new building. She oversaw the demolition of the main abbey building, and presided over the construction of the new Palais Saint-Georges in 1670, built by Corbineau and assisted by another architect from Laval, Tugal Caris.[2][1] The first two stones were laid 24 March 1670; one by Charles-François de La Vieuville, Bishop of Rennes, and the other by Magdelaine de la Fayette. The stones bore copper plates engraved with declarations in Latin.[1] The first one read:
In the name of Jesus the Most High, the most illustrious Lord Charles François de la Vieuville, bishop of Rennes, was present at the inception of this house, and blessed it, and greatly desired true peace for all the spouses of Jesus Christ who were about to dwell in it. 24 March 1670.[note 1]
The second stone's copper plate was engraved with:
With God, the greatest and best, favouring it, Lady Madeleine de la Fayette, most famous by ancestry and virtues, took up and initiated with singular zeal these renovations from the foundations to this house, (which was) collapsing from (its) great antiquity. 24 March 1670.[note 2]
The building remained in use as a Benedictine abbey until 1792, when the French Revolution forced the abbess Julie Barreau de Girac, twenty-four nuns, and eleven novices to abandon the abbey. The properties were seized and were used temporarily as barracks serving the revolution.[1]
On 22 March 1930, Palais Saint-Georges was inscribed as a monument historique of France.[3] The building is now owned by the commune of Rennes and houses the fire services for the city and other civil administrative offices.[4]
Notes
- ^ Original Latin text: In nomine Jesu Altissimi, illustrissimus D. Carolus Franciscus de la Vieuville episcopus Rhedonensis, harum ædium inchoationi adfuit, benedixit, J. omnibusque C. eas sponsis habitaturis veram exoptavit pacem. Anno Christi DC M Indict LXX. VIII. IX Kal. Aprilis.
- ^ Original Latin text: Deo optimo maximo favente, Dna Magdalena de la Fayette, natalibus virtutibusque clarissima, has ædes vetustate ruentes in ampliorem formam has fundamentis renovandas singulari zelo Suscepit inchoavitque. Anno Christi DC M ° ° ° Indict LXX. VIII. IX Kal. Aprilis.
References
- ^ a b c d Bigne Villeneuve, Paul de la (1876). Cartulaire de L'Abbaye de Saint-Georges de Rennes (in French & Latin). Rennes: Imprimerie de C. Catel & Cie. ISBN 9781168621849.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Civil Architecture: Palais Saint-Georges, rue Gambetta". Museums and monuments of Rennes. Rennes Métropole Tourist Information Centre. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
- ^ "PA00090671 Ancienne abbaye Saint-Georges des Bénédictins, ou Palais Saint-Georges". Monuments historiques. Ministère de la culture, République Français. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
- ^ "Tourist Circuit: Saint Georges Abbot's residence". Rennes Tourist Map. Rennes Metropolitan District Tourist Information Centre. 2010.
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