Parlement de Bretagne

This is the main entrance hall of the Parlement of Brittany in Rennes, which we toured today with our hosts.

The Parliament was established as an institution in 1554 by King Henri II, as a sovereign court of justice for the province of Brittany. The hall is on the first floor (in European style, above the ground floor). Today's building dates from 1618, with the entrance on the left from an interior staircase (originally an exterior staircase lead to an entrance from the right--it was replaced after a fire in 1720).

The main interior rooms are spectacular, with gilt everywhere and paintings on the ceilings, surrounded by gilt moldings. I had only my point-and-shoot, and it was impossible to do justice to those rooms.

The "Parlement" continues as a major center for the judiciary in France (5th out of 35 jurisdictions--it has never functioned as an independent legislature, despite the name.

Edit: Don't miss the year-earlier rainbow in Paris!