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Rennes (; br, Roazhon ;
Gallo Gallo may refer to: *Related to Gaul: ** Gallo-Roman culture **Gallo language, a regional language of France **Gallo-Romance, a branch of Romance languages **Gallo-Italic or Gallo-Italian language, a branch spoken in Northern Italy of the Romance ...
: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
in northwestern
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
at the confluence of the
Ille The Ille (; br, Il) is a small river in Brittany, France, right tributary of the river Vilaine. It is long. It flows into the Vilaine in the city Rennes. The Ille is linked to the river Rance by the Canal d'Ille-et-Rance. By this canal, Ren ...
and the
Vilaine The Vilaine (; br, Gwilen) is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne ''département'' (53), and it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan ''département'' (56). It is 218 km ...
. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the
Ille-et-Vilaine Ille-et-Vilaine (; br, Il-ha-Gwilen) is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named after the two rivers of the Ille and the Vilaine. It had a population of 1,079,498 in 2019.
department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
. In 2017, the
urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
had a population of 357,327 inhabitants, and the larger
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
had 739,974 inhabitants.Comparateur de territoire Unité urbaine 2020 de Rennes (35701), Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Rennes (013)
INSEE
The inhabitants of Rennes are called Rennais/Rennaises in French. Rennes's history goes back more than 2,000 years, at a time when it was a small Gallic village named Condate. Together with
Vannes Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic Era The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who lived ...
and
Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
, it was one of the major cities of the ancient
Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany ( br, Dugelezh Breizh, ; french: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. From the early sixteenth century until the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, Rennes was a parliamentary, administrative and garrison city of the historic province of
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
of the
Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...
as evidenced by its 17th century Parliament's Palace. Rennes played an important role in the Stamped Paper Revolt in 1675. After the destructive fire of 1720, the medieval wooden center of the city was partially rebuilt in stone. Remaining mostly
rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...
until the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Rennes really developed in the twentieth century. Since the 1950s, Rennes has grown in importance through
rural flight Rural flight (or rural exodus) is the migratory pattern of peoples from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective. In industrializing economies like Britain in the eighteenth century or East Asia in the ...
and its modern industrial development, partly automotive. The city developed extensive building plans to accommodate upwards of 200,000 inhabitants. During the 1980s, Rennes became one of the main centres in
telecommunication Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...
and high technology industry. It is now a significant
digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Technology and computing Hardware *Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals **Digital camera, which captures and stores digital i ...
innovation centre in France. In 2002, Rennes became the smallest city in the world to have a
Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
line. Labeled a city of art and history, it has preserved an important
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
and classical heritage within its historic center with over 90 buildings protected as historic monuments. With more than 66,000 students in 2016, it is also the eighth-largest university campus of France. In 2018, ''
L'Express ''L'Express'' () is a French weekly news magazine headquartered in Paris. The weekly stands at the political centre in the French media landscape, and has a lifestyle supplement, ''L'Express Styles'', and a job supplement, ''Réussir''. History ...
'' named Rennes as "the most liveable city in France".


History


Administration

Since 2015, Rennes is divided into 6
cantons A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...
(populations as of 2019): *
Canton of Rennes-1 The canton of Rennes-1 is an administrative division of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, in northwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of ov ...
(40,588 inhabitants) *
Canton of Rennes-2 The canton of Rennes-2 is an administrative division of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, in northwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of o ...
(42,446 inhabitants) *
Canton of Rennes-3 The canton of Rennes-3 is an administrative division of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, in northwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of ov ...
(43,683 inhabitants), which includes parts of Rennes but also the ''commune'' of Chantepie *
Canton of Rennes-4 The canton of Rennes-4 is an administrative division of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, in northwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of ov ...
(36,348 inhabitants) *
Canton of Rennes-5 The canton of Rennes-5 is an administrative division of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, in northwestern France. It was created at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is in Rennes. It consists of the ...
(46,759 inhabitants), which includes parts of Rennes but also the ''commune'' of
Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande (; ; Gallo: ''Saent-Jaq'') is a commune of Rennes Métropole in the Ille-et-Vilaine department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population People from Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande are called ''jacquolandins'' in French ...
*
Canton of Rennes-6 The canton of Rennes-6 is an administrative division of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, in northwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of ov ...
(46,750 inhabitants), which includes parts of Rennes but also the ''commune'' of Pacé Rennes is divided into 12 quarters: # Centre # Thabor - Saint-Hélier - Alphonse Guérin # Bourg L’Évesque - La Touche - Moulin du Comte # Saint-Martin # Maurepas - Bellangerais # Jeanne d’Arc - Longs Champs - Atlante Beaulieu # Francisco Ferrer - Landry - Poterie # Sud Gare # Cleunay - Arsenal - Redon - La Courrouze # Villejean - Beauregard # Le Blosne # Bréquigny


Mayors

The current mayor of Rennes is
Nathalie Appéré Nathalie Appéré (born 8 July 1975) is a French politician who has served as the president of Rennes Métropole since 2020 and the mayor of Rennes since 2014. She is a member of the Socialist Party (France), Socialist Party (PS). Appéré was bo ...
. A member of the
Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...
, she replaced retiring
Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
incumbent
Daniel Delaveau Daniel Delaveau (born 22 December 1952 in Châlette-sur-Loing, Loiret) is a French politician and former Mayor of Rennes. He is a member of the Socialist Party. He was born in a working-class family, and was active in Catholic youth organizati ...
, in office from 2008 to 2014. *
Edmond Hervé Edmond Hervé (born 3 December 1942) is a French politician, a member of the Socialist Party and French senator from 2008 to 2014. He was the mayor of Rennes from 1977 to 2008, succeeding Henri Fréville. Biography Born in La Bouillie, Côte ...
(b. 1942),
Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
mayor from 1977 to 2008; *
Henri Fréville Henri Fréville (4 December 1905, in Norrent-Fontes, Pas-de-Calais – 15 June 1987, in Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine) was a French history professor, resistor, writer and politician. Life He was history professor at the lycée Chateaubriand at Renne ...
(1905–1987), mayor MRP from 1953 to 1977; * Eugène Quessot (1882–1949), interim mayor from 15 July 1947 until 26 October 1947; * Yves Milon (1897–1987), mayor RPF from 1944 to 1953. Among previous well-known mayors are: * Jean Janvier (1859–1923), from 1908 to 1923; * Edgar Le Bastard (1836–1891), from 1880 to 1891; * Toussaint-François Rallier du Baty (1665–1734) from 1695 to 1734. The ' (''city hall'') is right in the centre of Rennes.


National representation

The
French Prison Service French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
operates the '' Centre pénitentiaire de Rennes'', the largest
women's prison This article discusses the incarceration of women in correctional facilities. As of 2013 across the world, 625,000 women and children were being held in penal institutions, and the female prison population was increasing in all continents.
in France.


Geography

The ancient centre of the town is built on a hill, with the north side being more elevated than the south side. It is at the confluence of two rivers: the
Ille The Ille (; br, Il) is a small river in Brittany, France, right tributary of the river Vilaine. It is long. It flows into the Vilaine in the city Rennes. The Ille is linked to the river Rance by the Canal d'Ille-et-Rance. By this canal, Ren ...
and the
Vilaine The Vilaine (; br, Gwilen) is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne ''département'' (53), and it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan ''département'' (56). It is 218 km ...
. Rennes is located on the European atlantic arc, 50 km from the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
(near
Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast. The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the Alli ...
,
Dinard Dinard (; br, Dinarzh, ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Dinard'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France, department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France. Dinard is on the Côte d' ...
and
Mont Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and is ...
). Rennes has the distinction of having a significant
Green Belt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which hav ...
around its ring road. This Green Belt is a protected area between the city proper (rather dense) and the rest of its urban area (rather rural).


Climate

Rennes features an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
. Precipitation in Rennes is considerably less abundant than in the western parts of Brittany, reaching only half of the levels of, e.g., the city of
Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography The ...
, which makes rainfall in Rennes comparable to the levels of larger parts of western Germany. Sunshine hours range between 1,700 and 1,850 annually, which is about the amount of sunshine received by the city of
Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...
.


Population

In 2018, the inner population of the city was of 221,272 inhabitants, the Rennes intercommunal structure connecting Rennes with 42 nearby suburbs (named
Rennes Métropole Rennes Métropole is the ''métropole'', an Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunal structure, centred on the Communes of France, city of Rennes. It is located in the Ille-et-Vilaine departments of France, department, in the Brittany (a ...
) counted 450,593 inhabitants and the
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
counted nearly 750,000 inhabitants. Rennes has the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in France after
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
and before
Montpellier Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
,
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
and
Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
. The inhabitants of Rennes are called ''Rennais'' in French.


Sights

Rennes is classified as a city of art and history.


Historic centre

The historic centre is located on the former plan of the ramparts. There is a difference between the northern city centre and the southern city centre due to the 1720 fire, which destroyed most of the timber-framed houses in the northern part of the city. The rebuilding was done in stone, on a grid plan. The southern part, the poorest at this time, was not rebuilt. Due to the presence of the ''parlement de Bretagne'', many " hôtels particuliers" were built in the northern part, the richest in the 18th century. Most of the
monuments historiques ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...
can be found there. Colourful traditional
half-timbered Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
houses are situated primarily along the roads of Saint-Sauveur, Saint-Georges, de Saint-Malo, Saint-Guillaume, des Dames, du Chapitre, Vasselot, Saint-Michel, de la Psallette and around the plazas of Champ-Jacquet, des Lices, Saint-Anne and Rallier-du-Baty.


The Parlement de Bretagne and city hall area

The '' Parlement de Bretagne'' (Administrative and judicial centre of Brittany, ) is the most famous 17th century building in Rennes. It was rebuilt after a terrible fire in 1994 that may have been caused by a flare fired by a protester during a demonstration. It houses the Rennes
Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...
. The plaza around is built on the
classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the works of the Roman architect V ...
. On the west, the Place de la Mairie (City Hall Plaza, Plasenn Ti Kêr): * City Hall * Opera On the east, at the end of the ''Rue Saint-Georges'' with traditional
half-timbered Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
houses: * 1920s Saint George Municipal Pool, with mosaics *
Saint George Palace The Saint George Palace (French: ''Palais Saint-Georges'') is an historic building in the city of Rennes. Formerly an abbey residence, it was built in 1670 to replace a much older abbey building that stood on the same site. The Benedictine Abb ...
, and its garden On the south-east: * Saint-Germain square ** Saint-Germain Church ** Saint-Germain footbridge, 20th century wood and metal construction to link the plaza with Émile Zola Quay, across the
Vilaine The Vilaine (; br, Gwilen) is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne ''département'' (53), and it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan ''département'' (56). It is 218 km ...
River. File:Rennes église Saint-Germain.jpg, Saint Germain's church File:Rennes Opéra.JPG, Opera of Rennes File:Palais Saint-Georges, Rennes.jpg, Saint Georges Palace File:Mairie de Rennes.jpg,
Rennes City Hall Rennes City Hall (french: Mairie de Rennes, Hôtel de ville de Rennes) is the seat of the city council in the French city of Rennes. It has been classed by the French government as a ''monument historique'' since 1962. History The baroque building ...


The Place des Lices and cathedral area

The Place des Lices is lined by hôtels particuliers with the place Railler-du-Baty, is the location of the weekly big market, the marché des Lices. Near the
Rennes Cathedral Rennes Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Rennes) is a Roman Catholic church architecture, church located in the town of Rennes, France. It has been a monument historique since 1906. The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Peter, is the sea ...
(cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Rennes) is the Rue du Chapitre: * Hôtel de Blossac * There are 16th century polychrome wooden busts on the façade of 20, Rue du Chapitre. On this era are the former St. Yves chapel, now the tourism office and a museum about the historical development of Rennes and the Basilica Saint-Sauveur. File:Marche des Lices mise en place 03.JPG, Place des Lices with the roof top of Les Halles Martenot seen in on the left, and the hôtels particuliers on the right. File:Bretagne Ille Rennes1 tango7174.jpg, Rue du Chapitre File:Hôtel de Blossac - Portail sur la rue du Chapitre - DSC 0811.JPG, Gate of the Hôtel de Blossac File:Rennes - Saint-Sauveur façade.jpg, Basilique Saint-Sauveur


Remains of the ramparts

Built from the 3rd to the 12th centuries, the ramparts were largely destroyed between the beginning of the 16th century and the 1860s. File:Rennes-mordelaise1.jpg, Portes mordelaises. The street crossing this gate comes from the Place des Lices and ends at the cathedral File:Rennes remparts.jpg, Tour Duchesne File:Rennes RallierduBaty.jpg, Place Railler-du-Baty File:Rennes remparts.svg, Map of the remaining ramparts in Rennes


Place Saint-Anne area

Place Saint-Anne (Plasenn Santez-Anna) * Saint-Aubin Church, built in the beginning of the 20th century * Location of a former 14th century hospital * Jacobite
convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
, the convention centre South-western, ''La Rue Saint-Michel'' nicknamed ''Rue de La Soif'' (''Road of Thirst'') because there are bars all along this street. South-eastern, the Champ-Jacquet square, with Renaissance buildings and a statue of mayor Jean Leperdit ripping up a
conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
list. File:Place Saint Anne Rennes.JPG, Place Saint-Anne File:Rennes - Couvent des Jacobins 20171216-14.jpg, Convention centre File:Rue St Michel Rennes.JPG, Saint-Michel street File:Place Champ Jacquet.JPG, Medieval houses at Champ-Jacquet


East: Thabor park area

Area of Saint-Melaine square ;Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine basilica, * Tower and transept from the 11th century Benedictine
abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conce ...
of Saint-Melaine * 14th century
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
arcades * 17th century colonnade * Bell tower topped with a gilded Virgin Mary (19th century) * 17th century cloister Jardin botanique du Thabor (formal French garden, orangerie, rose garden, aviary) a
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
on 10 hectares of land, built between 1860 and 1867. 17th century promenade "la Motte à Madame", and a monumental stairway overlooking the Rue de Paris entrance to the Thabor. File:Notre dame en saint-melaine DSC 4481.jpg, Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine basilica, viewed from the parc du Thabor Portail du thabor.JPG, Main gate of the parc du Thabor File:Thabor entree rue paris.JPG, Rue de Paris Thabor entrance


South city centre

The south city centre is a mix of old buildings and 19th and 20th centuries constructions. File:Rennes Grande maison des Carmes escalier.JPG, Maison des Carmes File:Lycee Rennes DSC08932.JPG, Lycée Zola File:Rennes - Église Toussaints façade.jpg, Toussaints church File:Palais du Commerce (Poste) Rennes.JPG, Palais du commerce


South of the Vilaine

The Fine Arts Museum is situated on Quai Émile Zola, by the
Vilaine The Vilaine (; br, Gwilen) is a river in Brittany, in the west of France. The river's source is in the Mayenne ''département'' (53), and it flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at Pénestin in the Morbihan ''département'' (56). It is 218 km ...
River. Les Champs Libres is a building on Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, and was designed by the architect
Christian de Portzamparc Christian de Portzamparc (; born 5 May 1944) is a French architect and urbanist. He graduated from the École Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris in 1970 and has since been noted for his bold designs and artistic touch; his projects reflect a ...
. It houses the
Brittany Museum The Brittany Museum () is a social history museum located in the Champs Libres cultural centre of Rennes, France. Originally structured as an archeology and ethnology museum, it is now a museum regional history and society – focusing on the ...
(Musée de Bretagne), the regional library Bibliothèque de Rennes Métropole with six floors, and the Espace des Sciences science centre with a planetarium. At Place Honoré Commeurec is Les Halles Centrales, a covered market from 1922, with one part converted into contemporary art gallery. The Mercure Hotel is located in a restored building on Rue du Pré-Botté, which was the prior location of Ouest-Éclair, and then of
Ouest-France ''Ouest-France'' ( ; French for "West-France") is a daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on both local and national news. The paper is produced in 47 different editions covering events in different French départments within the régio ...
, a premier daily regional newspaper. There are large mills at Rue Duhamel, constructed on each side of the south branch of the Vilaine in 1895 and 1902.


Other sights

To the northwest of Rennes, near Rue de Saint-Malo are the
lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...
s of the
Canal d'Ille-et-Rance The Canal d'Ille-et-Rance (, literally ''Canal of Ille and Rance''; br, Kanol an Il hag ar Renk) is a long canal in northwestern France connecting Dinan to the Vilaine at Rennes, thus forming part of the English Channel/Atlantic Ocean link which ...
of 1843. There are two halls of the printer, Oberthür, built by Marthenot between 1870 and 1895 on Rue de Paris in the eastern part of the city. Oberthür Park is the second biggest garden in the city. The 17th century manor of Haute-Chalais, a granite château, is situated to the south of the city in Blosne Quarter (Bréquigny).


Parks and gardens

File:Gayeulles2013 Etang02.JPG, Gayeulles parc File:Rennes Square de la Motte.JPG, Square of Motte. File:Mail François Mitterrand - Rennes.JPG, Mail Mitterrand File:Thabor Dahlias.JPG, Thabor parc File:Lac du parc Oberthür.jpg, Oberthur parc File:Palais Saint-Georges, Rennes.jpg, Saint-Georges garden. Parc du Thabor contains a compact but significant
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
, the Jardin botanique du Thabor. The
University of Rennes 1 The University of Rennes 1 is a public university located in the city of Rennes, France. It is under the Academy of Rennes. It specializes in science, technology, law, economics, management and philosophy. There are currently about students en ...
, with a campus in the city's eastern section, also contains a
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
and collections (the Jardin botanique de l'Université de Rennes).


Economy

Local economy include car manufacturing, telecommunications, digital sector and agrofood. The ITC firm Orange (ex-France Telecom) is the largest private employer with 4,800 people.
PSA Peugeot Citroën The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
, is the second largest private employer in the metropolitan area of Rennes, with 3,000 people. PSA opened a manufacturing plant at La Janais in Chartres-de-Bretagne in 1961. Technicolor, one of the biggest firms in TV and cinema broadcasting in the world employs over 500 people. Rennes has the second largest concentration of digital and ITC firms in France after Paris (with well-known companies and
startups A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship refers to all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses t ...
like
Atos Atos is a European multinational information technology (IT) service and consulting company headquartered in Bezons, France and offices worldwide. It specialises in hi-tech transactional services, unified communications, cloud, big data and ...
,
Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
, Neosoft,
Orange S.A. Orange S.A. (), formerly France Télécom S.A. (stylized as france telecom) is a French multinational telecommunications corporation. It has 266 million customers worldwide and employs 89,000 people in France, and 59,000 elsewhere. In 2015, ...
,
Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded him ...
,
Ericsson (lit. "Telephone Stock Company of LM Ericsson"), commonly known as Ericsson, is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm. The company sells infrastructure, software, and services in informat ...
, Harmonic France,
STmicroelectronics STMicroelectronics N.V. commonly referred as ST or STMicro is a Dutch multinational corporation and technology company of French-Italian origin headquartered in Plan-les-Ouates near Geneva, Switzerland and listed on the French stock market. ST ...
, Technicolor R&D,
Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...
, Regionsjob,
Capgemini Capgemini SE is a multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company, headquartered in Paris, France. History Capgemini was founded by Serge Kampf in 1967 as an enterprise management and data processing company. The compa ...
,
OVH OVH, legally OVH Groupe SAS, is a French cloud computing company which offers VPS, dedicated servers and other web services. As of 2016 OVH owned the world's largest data center in surface area. As of 2019, it was the largest hosting provide ...
,
Dassault Systèmes Dassault Systèmes SE () (abbreviated 3DS) is a French software corporation which develops software for 3D product design, simulation, manufacturing and other 3D related products. Founded in 1981, it is headquartered in Vélizy-Villacoublay, Fr ...
, Delta Dore,
Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western can ...
, Artefacto,
Enensys Technologies ENENSYS Technologies (or ENENSYS Group) designs and manufactures innovative software and professional equipment for the digital media distribution chain. ENENSYS addresses all types of broadcast networks, including Mobile (4G/5G), Broadband (IPT ...
, Exfo, Mitsubishi Electric R&D Europe, Digitaleo, Kelbillet, Klaxoon,
Sopra Group Sopra Steria is a Paris-based consulting, digital services, and software development company. Sopra Steria has a new consulting wing under the “Next” brand. It employs 3,400 consultants across Europe, including 1,900 in the group’s native ...
, Niji, and
Airbus Cybersecurity Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: '' ...
). Rennes was one of the first French cities to receive the French Tech label in November 2014. Moreover, Rennes hosts the 3rd public research potential in digital and ITC sectors in France, after Paris and Grenoble, with 3,000 people working in 10 laboratories, like well-known IRISA, IETR, IRMAR, DGA-MI (cyberdefense), and SATIE. It is also the third innovation potential in agrofood French industry with many firms in this field (
Lactalis Lactalis is a French multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. The company's former name was Besnier SA. Lactalis is the largest dairy products group in the world, and is the se ...
, Triballat Sojasun, Coralis, Panavi,
Bridor Bridor is a bakery product manufacturing company founded by Louis Le Duff in 1988 and a subsidiary of Groupe Le Duff. The company is based in Brittany near Rennes. It operates in France under the brand Bridor de France and in the UK as Bridor ...
, Groupe Avril, Loïc Raison, Groupe Roullier, Sanders, etc.), an agro campus (Agrocampus Ouest) and a big international and professional expo, the Space (every year in September). Other large firms located in Rennes include the restaurant conglomerate
Groupe Le Duff Groupe Le Duff is a French restaurant conglomerate, with holdings in Europe and the Americas, consisting of over 1,310 restaurants and bakeries. It includes Bridor, La Madeleine, Kamps, Mimi's Cafe, Pizza Del Arte, and Brioche Dorée. The compan ...
(owners of Brioche Dorée,
Bruegger's Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc. is a restaurant operator and subsidiary of the Luxembourg-based company JAB Holding Company. It and its wholly owned subsidiary Threecaf Brands Canada, Inc., are franchisers and operators of Bruegger's bakery-cafés ...
, La Madeleine,
Mimi's Cafe Mimi's Bistro + Bakery (formerly Mimi's Café) is an American restaurant chain with 46 locations in 12 states. Originally headquartered in Tustin, California, its headquarters moved to Dallas, Texas in 2014 after 36 years in California. It serve ...
,
Timothy's World Coffee Timothy's World Coffee (a.k.a. Timothy's) is a large Canadian coffee roasting company and chain of coffeeshops. Origin and background Timothy's was founded in 1975 as a retailer of premium roasted coffee beans by Timothy Snelgrove and his wife T ...
), the first French newspaper
Ouest France ''Ouest-France'' ( ; French for "West-France") is a daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on both local and national news. The paper is produced in 47 different editions covering events in different French départments within the région ...
(800,000 daily copies) and Samsic
Service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a pu ...
(cleanliness, industrial safety, job search, etc.).


Culture

Rennes is known to be one of the most festive cities of France. It invests heavily in arts and culture and a number of its festivals (such as the music festival ''Les
Transmusicales Les Rencontres Trans Musicales (generally referred to as ''Les Transmusicales de Rennes'') is a music festival that lasts for 3 or 4 days. It is held annually in December. The festival takes place in Rennes, Brittany, France. Since the festival's b ...
'', ''Les Tombées de la Nuit'', ''Mythos'', Stunfest (
fighting game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
competition) and ''Travelling (a cinematic festival)'') are well known throughout France. During the 80s, Rennes was often cited as the French town of rock and new wave music.


Concert halls

Rennes is well equipped with musical facilities: * The ''MusikHall'', for large shows (near the airport). (7,000 seats) * ''Le Liberté'', dedicated to major cultural events and touring shows. (5,300 seats) * ''La Cité'', dedicated to contemporary music & local artists. (1,150 seats) * ''L'Étage'' (Le Liberté), dedicated to contemporary music & local artists. (900 seats) * Rennes's Opera House (650 seats) and National Theatre of Brittany, TNB in French (Vilar room, 950 seats) for the Brittany orchestra. * The ''Ubu'', an associative concert hall. (500 seats) * ''L'Antipode MJC'', also an art centre. (500 seats)


Museums and exhibition places

There are also five museums in Rennes: * Musée des Beaux Arts (
Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes The Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes ( ''Musée des beaux-arts de Rennes'') is a municipal museum of fine arts in the French city of Rennes, the capital of Brittany. Its collections range from ancient Egypt antiquities to the Modern art period and ...
). This art museum holds many works by the sculptor
Pierre Charles Lenoir Pierre Lenoir (23 May 1879, in Paris – 9 September 1953, in Paris) was a French sculptor. Biography Pierre Lenoir was a French sculptor and medallist and was one of the Breton sculptors born in the 1880s who studied together at the École r ...
*
Musée de Bretagne The Brittany Museum () is a social history museum located in the Champs Libres cultural centre of Rennes, France. Originally structured as an archeology and ethnology museum, it is now a museum regional history and society – focusing on the ...
(Museum of Brittany) at the Champs Libres, together with the 'espace of sciences' and a planetarium. * Museum of Farming and Rennes Countryside at Bintinais, south of Rennes. * Musée des Transmissions (Museum of Broadcasting) at
Cesson-Sévigné Cesson-Sévigné () is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is a suburb directly to the east of Rennes, bordered on its west side by the University of Rennes and the Technopole Atalante. It is primar ...
, east of Rennes centre. * FRAC Bretagne Fond Régional d'Art contemporain (Regional Fund for Contemporary Art). In addition to this list, there are art facilities such as ''40mcube'' exhibition space or the centre for contemporary art ''La Criée''. There are also miscellaneous cultural places: the dance dedicated place the ''Triange'', two "Art et Essai" – art house cinemas – cinemas called ''l'Arvor'' and ''Cine TNB''. Surrounding cities house many other cultural venues.


Media

Rennes was one of the first towns in France to have its own local television channel 'TV Rennes', created in 1987. Rennes has also local radio stations (Hit West, Radio Campus, Canal B, Radio Caroline, Radio Rennes, Radio Laser) and local newspapers or magazines (Ouest-France, Le Mensuel de Rennes, Place Publique, 20 Minutes Rennes).


Local culture


Local languages

In Brittany, two regional languages are spoken:
Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...
and
Gallo Gallo may refer to: *Related to Gaul: ** Gallo-Roman culture **Gallo language, a regional language of France **Gallo-Romance, a branch of Romance languages **Gallo-Italic or Gallo-Italian language, a branch spoken in Northern Italy of the Romance ...
. In and around Rennes, Gallo was traditionally spoken as a local language, but Breton has always been spoken by regional migrants coming from the western part of the region. Nowadays, the
Breton language Breton (, ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic language still widely in use on the European mainland, albeit as a member of t ...
is taught in two Diwan schools, some bilingual public and Catholic schools, in evening courses, and in university. The municipality launched a linguistic plan through
Ya d'ar brezhoneg (french: Oui au breton, en, Yes to Breton) is a campaign started in the 21st century by the ( en, Office of the Breton language) to promote and stimulate the use of the Breton language in daily life in Brittany, northwestern France. Breton is a ...
on 24 January 2008. In 2008, 2.87% of primary school children were enrolled in bilingual primary schools, and the number of pupils enrolled in these schools is steadily growing.


Local food

Specialties from Rennes include: * Breton galette *
Galette-saucisse A ''galette-saucisse'' ( br, Kaletez gant silzig) is a type of French street food item consisting of a hot sausage, traditionally grilled, wrapped in a type of crepe called '' galette de sarrasin'' or Breton galette. The French region known as Upp ...
*
Crêpe A crêpe or crepe ( or , , Quebec French: ) is a very thin type of pancake. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: ''sweet crêpes'' () or ''savoury galettes'' (). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, ...
*
Cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...
Many other Breton specialties (seafood, milk, vegetables, cheese, meat) are seen at the Marché des Lices, a weekly market held every Saturday morning (one of the most important markets in France).


Education

The Rennes agglomeration has a large student population (around 63,000). The city has two main universities; ''University of Rennes 1, Université de Rennes 1'', which offers courses in science, technology, medicine, philosophy, law, management, and economics, and ''University of Rennes 2 - Upper Brittany, Université Rennes 2'', which has courses in the arts, literature, languages, communication, human and social sciences, and sport. The official website of Université Rennes 2 identifies that facility as "the largest research and higher learning institution in Arts, Literature, Languages, Social Sciences and Humanities in the West of France." There are a few ''Education in France#École Supérieure, École Supérieures'' in Rennes, like the ''École Normale Supérieure de Rennes'' on the Ker Lann campus, just outside Rennes, the ''Institut d'études politiques de Rennes'' or the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Rennes, ESC Rennes School of Business. There is also branches of ''École Supérieure d'Électricité'' – Supélec and École nationale supérieure des télécommunications de Bretagne, Telecom Bretagne in the east of the city (
Cesson-Sévigné Cesson-Sévigné () is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is a suburb directly to the east of Rennes, bordered on its west side by the University of Rennes and the Technopole Atalante. It is primar ...
), a campus of the ''École pour l'informatique et les nouvelles technologies'', a campus of the ''École pour l'informatique et les techniques avancées'', and the ''grande école'' ''INSA Rennes, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées'', which is next to the ''École nationale supérieure de chimie de Rennes''. The computer science and applied mathematics research institute, IRISA, is located on the campus of the Université des Sciences, near Cesson-Sévigné. The ''Délégation Générale pour l'Armement'' (defence procurement agency) operates the CELAR research centre, dedicated to electronics and computing, in Bruz, a neighbouring town. Catholic University of Rennes (''Institut Catholique de Rennes'') is a Catholic university founded in 1989. The city is also home to an American study abroad program for high school students, School Year Abroad, in which students are immersed in French culture through five classes in the language and a nine-month home stay. The ''École Compleméntaire Japonaise de Rennes'' (レンヌ補習授業校 ''Rennu Hoshū Jugyō Kō''), a Hoshuko, part-time Japanese supplementary school, is held in the ''Collège Anne de Bretagne'' in Rennes.欧州の補習授業校一覧(平成25年4月15日現在)


. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Retrieved 10 May 2014. "College Anne de Bretagne 15, rue de Martenot, 35000 RENNES"


Sport


Football club

* Rennes is home to Stade Rennais F.C., who plays in Ligue 1 at the Roazhon Park stadium.


Handball

*
Cesson-Sévigné Cesson-Sévigné () is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is a suburb directly to the east of Rennes, bordered on its west side by the University of Rennes and the Technopole Atalante. It is primar ...
is home to Cesson-Rennes-Métropole handball, who plays in LNH Division 1, division 1.


Road bicycle

* Rennes is home to Fortuneo-Vital Concept (UCI Team Code: BSE), a professional cycling team.


Rugby

* Rennes is home to Stade Rennais Rugby, a women's rugby team who plays in French women's Premier Division (rugby union), Championnat de France de rugby à XV féminin, which is the top national competition for women's rugby union football clubs in France. Rennes is also home t
REC Rugby
a men's team competing in Fédérale 1, the fourth tier of the Men's Rugby Union championship.


Transport

Rennes has well-developed national road, rail and air links.


Public transport

Local transport is based primarily on an extensive bus network (65 lines) and a light metro line that was inaugurated in March 2002 and cost €500 million to build. The driverless Rennes Metro (Véhicule Automatique Léger, VAL) is in length and has 15 stations, including one designed by architect Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, Norman Foster (La Poterie station). A second light metro line known as Line B was opened on September 20, 2022 after 8 years of construction.


Cycling

Rennes provides other modes of local transport: a bike sharing system with 900 bicycles (named :fr:LE vélo STAR, vélo STAR). Rennes created the first system of modern French bike sharing (1998).


Roads

The city is an important hub of Brittany's motorway network and is surrounded by a ring road: the Rocade (national road 136). The construction of the bypass was started in 1968 and completed in 1999. It is 31 km (18.5 mi) long, it has 2 lanes each way (sometimes 3 lanes) and toll free. Many other expressways are connected to the Rennes ring road for local and regional service. By road,
Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast. The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the Alli ...
can be reached in 45 minutes,
Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
in 1 hour, Brest, France, Brest in 2 hours and 30 minutes, Paris in 4 hours,
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
in 5 hours and Brussels in 6 hours and 30 minutes.


Railway

Rennes has a major French railway station, the Gare de Rennes, opened in 1857. Since 2 July 2017, it is now one hour twenty-seven minutes by TGV high-speed train from Paris (after the extension of the High-speed rail, High Speed Rail Line). Train service is available to other big cities in France such as Lyon, Marseille, Lille and Strasbourg. Rennes is also an important railway station for regional transport in Brittany. The TER Bretagne provides links to
Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast. The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the Alli ...
,
Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
, Redon, Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine, Vitré, Saint-Brieuc,
Vannes Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic Era The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who lived ...
, Laval, Mayenne, Laval, Brest, France, Brest and many other regional cities. It is served by Gares station on the VAL Rennes Metro.


Airport

Rennes is served by Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport, Rennes Brittany Airport (Saint-Jacques), located from the centre to the south-west in the commune
Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande (; ; Gallo: ''Saent-Jaq'') is a commune of Rennes Métropole in the Ille-et-Vilaine department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population People from Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande are called ''jacquolandins'' in French ...
. It notably operates regular or seasonal flights to Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport, Lyon, Marseille Provence Airport, Marseille, Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, Nice, Toulouse–Blagnac Airport, Toulouse, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca Airport, Palma de Mallorca, Rome-Fiumicino Airport, Rome-Fiumicino, Southampton Airport, Southampton, Dublin Airport, Dublin, Exeter Airport, Exeter, Manchester Airport, Manchester, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Amsterdam Schiphol, Barajas Airport, Madrid Barajas, Birmingham Airport, Birmingham, London City Airport, London-City, London Gatwick Airport, London-Gatwick and daily flights to London Southend Airport with Flybe.


Notable people

* Soazig Aaron (born 1949), writer * Bertrand d'Argentré (1519–1590), jurist and historian, seneschal of Rennes in 1547 than head of the présidial court * Emmanuel-Marie Blain de Saint-Aubin (1833–1883), educator, songwriter, story-teller, and translator * Georges Ernest Boulanger (1837–1891), general and politician, born in Rennes * Jean-Claude Bourlès (born 1937), writer and traveler * Nicolas Courjal (born 1973), operatic bass * Maxime Daniel (born 1991), professional cyclist * Madeleine Desroseaux (1873–1939), poet and novelist * Yvonne Dubel (1881–1958), soprano opera singer * Félix Dujardin (1801–1860), professor and dean of the University of Rennes, famous parasitologist * René Guillou (1903–1958), composer and organist * Paul Jausions (1835–1870), musicologist specialising in Gregorian chant * Hélène Jégado (1803–1852), executed serial poisoner * Matthieu Lahaye (born 1984), racing driver * Pierre-Emmanuel Le Goff (born 1979), film director, producer and distributor * Jacques Legrand (Mongolist), Jacques Legrand (born 1946), linguist and anthropologist, specialising in Mongolian literature, language and history * Malika Ménard (born 1987), Miss France 2010 * Sylvaine Neveu (born 1968), chemist and scientific director of the Solvay group * Louis Pérouas (1923–2011), priest and historian * François-Henri Pinault (born 1962), chairman and CEO of Kering. * René Pleven (1901–1993), twice Prime Minister of France, President of the Council of Ministers * Pierre Robiquet (1780–1840), chemist member of the Académie des Sciences, discoverer of codein, asparagin and alizarin among others * Valentina (singer), Valentina Tronel (born 2009), singer, France in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020, winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020 and former member of Kids United, Kids United Nouvelle Génération * Charles Vanel (1892–1989), actor


International relations


Twin towns – sister cities

Rennes is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with: * Exeter, England, UK ''(since 1956)'' * Rochester, New York, USA ''(since 1958)'' * Erlangen, Germany ''(since 1964)'' * Brno, Czech Republic ''(since 1965)'' * Sendai, Miyagi, Sendai, Japan ''(since 1967)'' * Leuven, Belgium ''(since 1980)'' * Sétif, Algeria ''(since 1982)'' * Cork (city), Cork, Ireland ''(since 1982)'' * Almaty, Kazakhstan ''(since 1991)'' * Bandiagara Cercle, Mali ''(since 1995)'' * Poznań, Poland ''(since 1998)'' * Sibiu, Romania ''(since 1999)'' * Jinan, China ''(since 2002)''


Other forms of cooperation

Friendly towns within France * Saint-Gilles-du-Mené, France ''(since 1978)'' * Rennes-les-Bains, France ''(since 1985)'' Pacts of cooperation * Huế, Vietnam ''(since 1992)'' Sponsorship * Vouziers, France Rennes also has the only Institut Franco-Américain in France.


Broadcasting facilities

* Transmitter Rennes-Thourie


Cityscape

File:Opera-rennes-nuit.jpg, Opera of Rennes File:Palais Saint-Georges, Rennes, Aug 2010.jpg,
Saint George Palace The Saint George Palace (French: ''Palais Saint-Georges'') is an historic building in the city of Rennes. Formerly an abbey residence, it was built in 1670 to replace a much older abbey building that stood on the same site. The Benedictine Abb ...
File:Tour des Horizons.JPG, Horizons tower (100 metres/328 ft) File:Historic downtown of Rennes, France.jpg, New style city centre File:EgliseSaintMelaineXIRennesFrance.jpg, ''Notre-Dame en Saint-Mélaine'' church
File:Ouest France Rennes.jpg,
Ouest-France ''Ouest-France'' ( ; French for "West-France") is a daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on both local and national news. The paper is produced in 47 different editions covering events in different French départments within the régio ...
building File:Rennes Place Rallier du Baty.JPG, Place Rallier du Baty File:Baigneuse, place de Bretagne.jpg, Place de Bretagne File:Rennes 28placedesLices-03.jpg, Windows of the ''Hôtel Racape de La Feuillée'' at Place des Lices File:Marche des Lices etals.JPG, ''Marché des Lices'', a market on weekly basis for local producers at Place des Lices


See also

*Communes of the Ille-et-Vilaine department *List of works of the two Folgoët ateliers


References


External links


Official site

City council website

Parlement of Brittany
{{Authority control Rennes, Communes of Ille-et-Vilaine Cities in Brittany Cities in France Prefectures in France Gallia Lugdunensis