The Breton Departmental Museum

The Breton departmental museum

The Quimper audio-guided tour presents you with the Breton departmental museum, set in the former palace of the bishops of Cornouaille, a stone's throw from the cathedral.

The former bishops' palace

Become the Breton departmental museum since 1846, the building was, in the time when Quimper was enclosed by ramparts, the residence of the bishops of Cornouaille, then of Quimper, until the middle of the last century. Constantly enlarged and restored, it is composed of two wings: the one facing the visitor dates from 1647, the other, parallel to the Odet, from 1776. But the centrepiece is the Rohan tower, built in 1507 by bishop Claude de Rohan, which impresses with its Renaissance-style verticality. Inside, a spiral staircase ends on a magnificent ceiling sculpted in the shape of a palm tree, considered one of the most precious decorative elements of the palace.

What there is to see

The Breton departmental museum charms with its historic setting, the former bishops' palace, and with its collections devoted to the art, history and traditions of Brittany. The Rohan tower and its staircase with a palm-sculpted ceiling are its jewels. It is an essential stop to understand the Breton heritage, in the heart of Old Quimper.

Practical information

The Breton departmental museum is next to the Saint-Corentin cathedral, in Old Quimper. It can be visited according to hours to be checked on site; access to the collections is generally subject to a charge.

What was the building of the Breton departmental museum?

The former palace of the bishops of Cornouaille, then of Quimper, become a museum in 1846.

What is the centrepiece of the palace?

The Rohan tower, built in 1507, with its spiral staircase topped by a ceiling sculpted in the shape of a palm tree.