Le Parlement de Bretagne

The drama of the night 4th/5th February 1994

The night of Friday 4th February 1994 will always be remembered as a tragedy for the city of Rennes and for Brittany. The regional Parliament, a symbol of the Breton identity, was all but destroyed before their eyes. The fire began in the attic spaces, after a flare fired during a demonstration lodged itself there. The fire caught hold and quickly spread through the centuries-old timbers of the roof. The roof was soon alight, and fanned by a breeze, took hold of of the entire building. the Parlement was soon an immense cauldron of fire as these photos show. Both stories of this historic building were alight, fueled by the wooden decorations and files.

A nave with an open ceiling

To the south, the antechambre, with an open ceiling embossed wth medallions and ornate windows, is severely smoke-damaged. Only one door is left, opening out into the well of the destroyed Jacques Gabriel stairway, hanging from useless hinges.

The antechamber

Saving what was left

While the firemen fought against the flames, a rescue attempt to save anything that was left from the flames was begun and lasted throughout the night. Firemen, staff from the historical monuments and cultural affairs departments, and others worked by hand to carry objets d'art, tapestries and decorations in a race against the flames. The objects were taken to other museums for restoration.

Pierre Gicquel, art restorer at the Louvre, re-gilding an objet d'art. He has to work quickly to restore the damage as it is a constant struggle against rot and fungal infestations.

An association for the restoration of the Parliament
In two years the association has successfully raised 27,2 million francs : 10 million from the Conseil Regional; 5 million from the departement Ille et Vilaine; 5 million from the City of Rennes ; 1,4 million from other groups; 600 000 francs from the European Commission; who also helped with the artwork restoration ; and 1,2 million provided by around 2000 donors. With this money, the great majority of the canvases, decorated sculptures etc, have been resotored. The ARP (Association de Restauration du Parlement) has taken charge of a works prgramme to restore the building itself.

Copyright © 1997 Adam Edwards
This page was translated from the French original by Adam Edwards.