The Brittany Parliament Building
L'État, c'est moi (The State is me)! Although originally declared by Louis XIV in 1655 in front of the Paris Parliament in a show of absolute authority of the monarchy (though some historians contest this fact), this time it was proclaimed inside the Grand'Chambre of the Brittany Parliament building by my tour guide! The tour guide was explaining the role of the Grand'Chambre (Great Room), a large decorated room at the heart of the parliament building where trials took place during the Ancien Régime. The Ancien Régime refers to a period of French history dating from 1589 to 1789 during which France was ruled under an absolute monarchy and buildings such as the Château de Versailles (Palace of Versaille) in Versailles, France were constructed. The Grand'Chambre, as it turns out, played an important part in French jurisprudence (legal system) during that time period.
Construction of the parliament building began in 1618, but due to a series of problems with funding, an outbreak of the Plague, the Franco-Spanish War and The Fronde, construction was finally completed in 1654.
