Château-Gaillard

The Château-Gaillard is a French hôtel particulier and archaeological museum located in Vannes, in the Morbihan department of Brittany, France. Built in the late Middle Ages, this former administrative building has served as the seat of the Parlement de Bretagne and, since 2000, houses the Musée d'Histoire et d'Archéologie of Vannes. Owned by the Société polymathique du Morbihan, it holds particular significance as a rare surviving example of late medieval civic architecture in Brittany and as a federally protected historic monument since 1913.

The museum presents permanent collections of archaeology. The French national heritage database Palissy records 74 classified movable monuments at the museum. The collections encompass artifacts and documents related to the region's history, with particular strength in archaeological materials from the Morbihan department. The museum's holdings include various inscribed stones such as lec'hs and a milestone, as well as the significant Pierre de Justice, a Breton memorial from the Lande de Justice de Crach, which was inscribed as a historic monument on January 25, 1937.

The Pierre de Justice, or Breton memorial of the Lande de Justice de Crach, stands as a particularly significant holding. This inscribed stone monument was formerly displayed in the courtyard overlooking the rue Noé and received historic monument status on January 25, 1937. The museum also preserves various other stones found within the department, including lec'hs and a milestone. The seventeenth-century cabinet des Pères du désert, commissioned by Pierre de Sérent, comprises 66 wood panels depicting all countries and eras after engravings reproducing the work of painter Maarten de Vos. The building itself retains Renaissance paintings and woodwork, as well as a coffered ceiling.

The former Hôtel du Parlement de Bretaine consists of two main buildings with mullioned windows, served by a spiral staircase located in a polygonal stone tower. A second, narrower spiral staircase at the rear provides access to the various levels. The interior features Renaissance paintings and woodwork, a coffered ceiling, and a roof supported by a timber roof truss constructed in the form of a ship's hull. The courtyard, which formerly displayed the Pierre de Justice and other stones, opens onto the rue Noé. The structure exemplifies late medieval Breton civic architecture, combining administrative function with the residential character of an hôtel particulier.

The Château-Gaillard is located in Vannes, in the Morbihan department of Brittany, France. The building is owned by the Société polymathique du Morbihan, which has leased it to the municipal government of Vannes since 2000 to operate the Musée d'Histoire et d'Archéologie. The museum's collections are open to the public, serving both conservation and public presentation functions for the society's holdings. The building's classification as a historic monument since January 3, 1913, ensures its federal protection under French cultural heritage law.