Nantes was the former capital of Brittany and, while it is not officially a part of it today, it still retains many connections and characteristics of that northern province. Château des Ducs castle still preserves the form in which it was built by two of the last rulers of independent Brittany, François II and his daughter Duchess Anne, of the fifteenth century. A huge renovation is underway to make the castle into the Museum of the History of Nantes and its Region, projected to open by 2008. The place du Commerce in the heart of a largely pedestrian area that offers a good array of diverse restaurants.