Mardi 14 novembre - Classes at Collège St Michel and Parlement de Bretagne

Classes at Collège St Michel and Parlement de Bretagne by Moira Baggot

Today was a very special and informative day. In the morning, we had the chance to spend time at Collège St Michel. We shadowed classes and got to experience the daily routines of French classrooms. After a delicious lunch by Chef Olivier, we took the public bus to Rennes. Once in Rennes, we visited the Parliament of Bretagne, and it was beautiful. It used to be the center of Rennes’ government and currently is used as a courthouse.

We met our designated guide, Marjorie, right outside the Parliament. Although she spoke quickly, she was very nice and knew a ton of information about the Parliament. She first told us that the Parliament was a monument but that court would be in session, so we had to be very quiet.

When we entered the building, we headed for the second floor where we saw the Court of Justice’s waiting room. The door at its entrance was a very important artifact. On the door, there were symbols of Justice and Force. Justice was represented as a woman with a sword and a balance scale. Force was represented as a woman with a club. The room itself was a big wide room with a lot of windows, which flooded the room with light. At the end of the room, there was a table of pictures and artifacts from the 1994 fire, which, Marjorie explained, began during a fishermen’s protest.

While at the Parliament, we learned about its history, and we had to remember three important dates. The first one, 1532, was when Bretagne and France combined to become one country. The second was 1720 when a great fire burned down everything around the Parliament building but not the Parliament because it was made of stone. The third was 1994 when another fire burned down part of the Parliament’s roof.

While we were walking around, we saw a bunch of lawyers in their black and white gowns, which was an interesting contrast to the clothing of American lawyers. We also saw representations of Truth, which was an apple, and Law, which was a ruler. The Parliament building was a beautiful, historic, special place, and we learned so much about it.

I’m so glad we had the opportunity to come to France and learn about so many interesting things, including the history and government of Rennes. Happy Birthday, Madame Veitch!