La Place Terre-au-Duc

The Place Terre-au-Duc

The Quimper audio-guided tour leads you to the charming Place Terre-au-Duc, whose name recalls the medieval division of the city between the bishop and the duke.

Between the bishop and the duke

Quimper proudly bears its history in the names of its streets and squares, like the Rue des Boucheries, the Place-au-Beurre or this charming Place Terre-au-Duc. In the Middle Ages, the city, a religious and political centre, was divided between the powers of the bishop and those of the duke. The bishop's fief, called "land of the Church", corresponded to the Quimper intra-muros and the northern part of the ramparts; the duke's domain, named Terre-au-Duc, extended on the other side. Lined with fine half-timbered houses, the square today preserves the memory of this duality, in an old-world atmosphere typically of Quimper.

What there is to see

The Place Terre-au-Duc charms with its half-timbered houses and its medieval atmosphere, a witness of the historic division of Quimper between the bishop and the duke. Lively and picturesque, it invites strolling in the heart of the city. It is a charming stop to grasp the history and the soul of the Breton city.

Practical information

The Place Terre-au-Duc is in the centre of Quimper, on the bank of the Terre-au-Duc. A public square, it can be walked freely at all hours and on the level; its shops follow their own hours.

Where does the name of the Place Terre-au-Duc come from?

From the duke's domain, which extended there in the Middle Ages, as opposed to the bishop's land, inside the ramparts.

How was Quimper divided in the Middle Ages?

Between the bishop's land, intra-muros, and the Terre-au-Duc, the duke's domain located on the other side.