The town’s evolution
Founded over 2,000 years ago, at the inland edge of the Gulf of Morbihan, the growth of Vannes was based on its harbour, which was very busy until the 19th century.
The ancient town
Its first name was Darioritum
Founded at the end of the 1st century BC, the Gallo-Roman town was built on the Boismoreau hill, overlooking the nearby ria. Darioritum was organised around a huge “forum”, which was the administrative and political capital of the Veneti territory. Down below the town, a port facilitated the city's trading activities. At the end of the 3rd century AD, the construction of a castrum (fortified site) on the neighbouring Mené hill was deemed necessary.
Then it was called Venetis at the start of the 5th century.
This name, originating from the Veneti, a tribe of Gauls vanquished by Caesar in 56 BC, was restored at the fall of the Roman Empire. It was spelt Vennes for a long period, pronounced “jwened” and spelt “Gwened” in Breton.
The medieval town
Vannes became a Cathedral city as early as the 5th century. The town grew around two poles of development: the castrum (and the cathedral) on the Méné hill, and the Boismoreau hill, the original site of the Gallo-Roman town. Though the latter was abandoned in the Early Middle Ages and the castrum, which was the base of the medieval town, was preferred.
During the 7th and 8th centuries, the opening of building sites bears witness to urban renewal: the rebuilding of the Cathedral, the building of the Cohue (a market hall), maintenance work on the battlements, etc. A well-ordered street network had now developed around these important buildings.
At the end of the Middle Ages Vannes had become one of the foremost towns in Brittany. Duke Jean 4th (1365-1399) decided to build the “Château de l’Hermine” in Vannes and to extend the area protected by the town walls from five to ten hectares. The town grew towards the port area, which was extremely busy at that epoch.
The contemporary town
During the 17th century several convents were established on the immediate outskirts of the town. Between 1675 and 1689, the exile of Brittany’s parliament, obliged to leave Rennes and come to Vannes, triggered the construction of new buildings, particularly in the southern part of the town within the walls. A drinking water network and the creation of tree-lined walks and promenades added to the beauty of the town.
During the 18th century, the main problem remained the silting-up of the port, which forced the town to build a flushing sluice and build new quays. Work on the cutting through the Kérino hillock, which was intended to straighten the channel on the Vannes River, was started just before the Revolution, but was only completed in the following century.
The town in the 19th and 20th centuries
During the second half of the 19th century two factors led to the urbanisation of the suburbs: the arrival of the railway in 1862 then, after 1870, the installation of two artillery regiments that stimulated renewed growth of the town. Light industries and housing estates spread around the station, followed by the western quarters, which became residential areas. New roads were built, avoiding the old battlements, which suffered very little damage. A lot of energy was spent on the construction of public buildings such as the “Prefecture” (county administrative offices) and the town hall.
The town grew sharply after the Second World War. During the 1960s and 1970s, the creation of the Kercado and Ménimur ZUPs (priority development areas) and the construction of the northern ring-road, profoundly changed the built-up area, which nowadays extends beyond the town council’s boundaries. However, Vannes was able to preserve its ancient core thanks to the conservation and enhancement plan approved in 1982.