Hidden for a long time, the Portes Mordelaises have just been restored in Rennes.
The development of this historical heritage will continue until 2024 with the development of a promenade at the foot of the ramparts.
An inauguration day is organized on Saturday for the end of the first phase of the work.
They have been invisible to locals and tourists for too long, enclosed in the historic center and hidden by a whole heap of buildings.
The Portes Mordelaises and its ramparts are however emblematic of the history of the city and remind us that Rennes, or rather Condate, was in the past a fortified city.
It is under this imposing gate, dating from the 15th century, that the dukes and duchesses also made their solemn entry into the city before their coronation in the nearby Saint-Pierre cathedral.
Since this glorious time, the site has lost its luster over the centuries and this medieval gem is today largely unknown to the general public.
To "reveal this historical heritage", the city has long sought the right formula before voting in March 2015 on a development project.
After a land acquisition phase to recover the back of rue Nantaise, work finally started in 2018.
A footbridge instead of the drawbridge
Slowed down by the pandemic, the site was delayed and proved to be more complex than expected.
“After examining each of the stones on the Portes Mordelaises, we had to change two-thirds of them,” confirms Ugo Le Borgne, who is coordinating the work for the city of Rennes.
A steel footbridge was also installed in place of the old drawbridge, while the remains of the ancient wall and the artillery boulevard were restored.
At the foot of the ramparts, a garden has also been laid out with bleachers which will occasionally host events.
As for the interior of the towers, which were occupied by successive tenants until the 1970s, their future is not yet decided.
“We will have to think about their future use but that will require large investments, we will leave that to the next municipal team”, smiles Marc Hervé, first deputy in charge of town planning.
A walk along the ramparts
With the Portes Mordelaises restored, the work, costing a total of five million euros, is however far from being finished.
In the coming months, work will be concentrated along the ramparts at the back of rue Nantaise.
A promenade, accessible by a footbridge which will be built on the forecourt of the Portes Mordelaises, will thus be laid out in order to make the junction between the places Sainte-Anne and des Lices and the mall Mitterrand.
In this new space open to the public, restaurants on rue Nantaise will be able to deploy their terraces.
This "soft and landscaped path" will take pedestrians to the foot of the Duchesne tower, which will also be restored.
During 2024, the square Hyacinthe-Lorette, little frequented and a little neglected, will finally be reworked in bleachers and in a wetland, which will allow people from Rennes to take it easy at the foot of the ramparts.
reindeer
In danger ten years ago, the old center of Rennes is slowly being healed
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The city center is green with 18 trees planted in Place de la Mairie in Rennes
Rennes in medieval times
To celebrate the end of the first phase of the works, an inauguration day of the Portes Mordelaises and the garden of the ramparts is planned for Saturday.
Medieval activities will be offered throughout the day as well as guided tours on the archaeological excavations and on the project and the history of the site.
At the end of the day, the two towers of the Portes Mordelaises will be illuminated before an “electronic, medieval and folkloric musical performance”.
Story
Works
Town planning
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