Rennes

For other uses, seeRennes (disambiguation).

Rennes Resnn(Gallo) Roazhon(Breton)
Prefectureandcommune
Top to bottom, left to right:Place de laMairie;Marché des Lices;Rennes Metro;Esplanade Charles de Gaulle; Opera of Rennes by night;University of Rennes 2;and skyline of Rennes fromCathedral
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s): Vivre en intelligence (Frenchfor 'Live in harmony')
Location of Rennes
Rennes Rennes
Coordinates:48°06′53″N1°40′46″W
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Ille-et-Vilaine
Arrondissement	Rennes
Canton	Rennes-1,2,3,4,5and6
Intercommunality	Rennes Métropole
Government
• Mayor(2020–2026)	Nathalie Appéré(PS)
Area 1	50.39 km2(19.46 sq mi)
• Urban	327.7 km2(126.5 sq mi)
• Metro	3,804.3 km2(1,468.8 sq mi)
Population (2021)	225,081
• Density	4,500/km2(12,000/sq mi)
•Urban (2018)	359,934
• Urban density	1,100/km2(2,800/sq mi)
•Metro (2018)	747,156
• Metro density	200/km2(510/sq mi)
Demonym	Rennais(e)
Time zone	UTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00(CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	35238/35000, 35200, 35700
Elevation	20–74 m (66–243 ft) (avg. 30 m or 98 ft)
1French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2(0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Rennes(French pronunciation:[ʁɛn];Breton:Roazhon[ˈrwɑːõn];Gallo:Resnn;Latin:Condate Redonum) is a city in the east ofBrittanyin northwesternFranceat the confluence of the riversIlleandVilaine.Rennes is the prefecture of theregion of Brittany,as well as theIlle-et-Vilainedepartment.In 2017, theurban areahad a population of 357,327 inhabitants, and the largermetropolitan areahad 739,974 inhabitants.The inhabitants of Rennes are calledRennais(masculine) orRennaises(feminine) inFrench.

Rennes's history goes back more than 2,000 years to a time when it was a small Gallic village named Condate. Together withVannesandNantes,it was one of the major cities of the ancientDuchy of Brittany.From the early sixteenth century until theFrench Revolution,Rennes was a parliamentary, administrative and garrison city of the historic province ofBrittanyin theKingdom of France,as evidenced by its 17th-centuryParliament's Palace.Rennes played an important role in the Stamped Paper Revolt (Revolt of the papier timbré) in 1675. After the destructive fire of 1720, the medieval wooden center of the city was partially rebuilt in stone. Remaining mostlyruraluntil theSecond World War,Rennes underwent significant development in the twentieth century.

Since the 1950s, Rennes has grown in importance throughrural flightand modern industrial development, partly in the automotive sector. The city developed extensive building plans to accommodate upwards of 200,000 inhabitants. During the 1980s, Rennes became one of the main centres intelecommunicationand high-tech industry. It is now a significantdigitalinnovation centre in France. In 2002, Rennes became the smallest city in the world to have aMetroline.

Labeled a city of art and history, it has preserved an importantmedievalandclassicalheritage within its historic center, with over 90 buildings protected as historic monuments.Home to more than66,000 studentsin 2016, it is also the eighth-largest university campus of France.In 2018,L'Expressnamed Rennes as "the most liveable city in France".

History

Main articles:History of RennesandTimeline of Rennes

Administration

Since 2015, Rennes is divided into 6cantons(populations as of 2019):

• Canton of Rennes-1(40,588 inhabitants)
• Canton of Rennes-2(42,446 inhabitants)
• Canton of Rennes-3(43,683 inhabitants), which includes parts of Rennes but also thecommuneofChantepie
• Canton of Rennes-4(36,348 inhabitants)
• Canton of Rennes-5(46,759 inhabitants), which includes parts of Rennes but also thecommuneofSaint-Jacques-de-la-Lande
• Canton of Rennes-6(46,750 inhabitants), which includes parts of Rennes but also thecommuneofPacé

Rennes quarters

Rennes is divided into 12quarters:

1. Centre
2. Thabor - Saint-Hélier - Alphonse Guérin
3. Bourg L’Évesque - La Touche - Moulin du Comte
4. Saint-Martin
5. Maurepas - Bellangerais
6. Jeanne d’Arc - Longs Champs - Atlante Beaulieu
7. Francisco Ferrer - Landry - Poterie
8. Sud Gare
9. Cleunay - Arsenal - Redon - La Courrouze
10. Villejean - Beauregard
11. Le Blosne
12. Bréquigny

Mayors

Nathalie Appéré, current mayor of Rennes

The current mayor of Rennes isNathalie Appéré.A member of theSocialist Party,she replaced retiringSocialistincumbentDaniel Delaveau,in office from 2008 to 2014.

• Edmond Hervé(b. 1942),Socialistmayor from 1977 to 2008;
• Henri Fréville(1905–1987), mayorMRPfrom 1953 to 1977;
• Eugène Quessot (1882–1949), interim mayor from 15 July 1947 until 26 October 1947;
• Yves Milon (1897–1987), mayorRPFfrom 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.

Themairie(city hall) is right in the centre of Rennes.

National representation

TheFrench Prison Serviceoperates theCentre pénitentiaire de Rennes,the largestwomen's prisonin France.

Geography

Green Belt between Rennes andL'Hermitage

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: theIlleand theVilaine.

Rennes is located on theEuropean atlantic arc,50 km from theEnglish Channel(nearSaint-Malo,Dinard,andMont Saint-Michel).

Rennes has the distinction of having a significantGreen Beltaround 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 anoceanic climate.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 ofQuimper,which makes rainfall in Rennes comparable to the levels of large 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 ofLausanne.

Climate data for Rennes (RNS), elevation: 36 m (118 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1945–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	16.8 (62.2)	20.9 (69.6)	24.1 (75.4)	28.7 (83.7)	30.8 (87.4)	37.9 (100.2)	40.5 (104.9)	39.5 (103.1)	34.8 (94.6)	30.0 (86.0)	21.4 (70.5)	17.8 (64.0)	40.5 (104.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	9.2 (48.6)	10.2 (50.4)	13.2 (55.8)	16.0 (60.8)	19.3 (66.7)	22.6 (72.7)	24.8 (76.6)	24.7 (76.5)	21.9 (71.4)	17.2 (63.0)	12.5 (54.5)	9.6 (49.3)	16.8 (62.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	6.2 (43.2)	6.6 (43.9)	8.8 (47.8)	11.0 (51.8)	14.3 (57.7)	17.3 (63.1)	19.2 (66.6)	19.3 (66.7)	16.6 (61.9)	13.2 (55.8)	9.2 (48.6)	6.6 (43.9)	12.4 (54.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	3.3 (37.9)	2.9 (37.2)	4.5 (40.1)	6.0 (42.8)	9.3 (48.7)	12.1 (53.8)	13.7 (56.7)	13.8 (56.8)	11.4 (52.5)	9.3 (48.7)	5.9 (42.6)	3.6 (38.5)	8.0 (46.4)
Record low °C (°F)	−14.7 (5.5)	−11.2 (11.8)	−7.3 (18.9)	−3.2 (26.2)	−1.2 (29.8)	2.2 (36.0)	5.5 (41.9)	4.0 (39.2)	1.9 (35.4)	−4.6 (23.7)	−7.5 (18.5)	−12.6 (9.3)	−14.7 (5.5)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	66.6 (2.62)	51.6 (2.03)	48.9 (1.93)	51.2 (2.02)	58.1 (2.29)	50.9 (2.00)	44.0 (1.73)	43.5 (1.71)	56.6 (2.23)	73.1 (2.88)	73.2 (2.88)	73.3 (2.89)	691.0 (27.20)
Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm)	11.5	10.1	8.9	9.9	8.9	7.4	7.1	7.1	7.8	11.0	12.5	12.3	114.6
Average snowy days	1.9	2.9	1.0	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	1.3	7.7
Averagerelative humidity(%)	87	83	79	76	77	75	75	76	80	85	87	87	81
Mean monthlysunshine hours	68.3	92.7	134.1	173.8	202.1	213.3	220.2	207.2	180.7	116.7	83.5	69.0	1,761.5
Source 1:Meteo France(snow days 1981–2010)
Source 2: Infoclimat.fr (relative humidity 1961–1990)

Demographics

In 2018, the inner population of the city was 221,272. The Rennes intercommunal structure connecting Rennes with 42 nearby suburbs (namedRennes Métropole) had 450,593 inhabitants and themetropolitan areahad a population of nearly 750,000.

Rennes hasthe second fastest-growing metropolitan area in FranceafterToulouseand ahead ofMontpellier,BordeauxandNantes.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1770 23,143 — 1790 25,160 +0.42% 1793 30,160 +6.23% 1800 25,904 −2.15% 1806 29,225 +2.03% 1821 29,589 +0.08% 1831 27,340 −0.79% 1836 35,552 +5.39% 1841 37,895 +1.28% 1846 39,218 +0.69% 1851 39,505 +0.15% 1856 45,664 +2.94% 1861 45,483 −0.08%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1866 48,283 +1.20% 1872 52,044 +1.26% 1876 57,177 +2.38% 1881 60,974 +1.29% 1886 66,139 +1.64% 1891 69,232 +0.92% 1896 69,937 +0.20% 1901 74,676 +1.32% 1906 75,640 +0.26% 1911 79,372 +0.97% 1921 82,241 +0.36% 1926 83,418 +0.28% 1931 88,659 +1.23%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1936 98,538 +2.14% 1946 113,781 +1.45% 1954 124,122 +1.09% 1962 151,948 +2.56% 1968 180,943 +2.95% 1975 198,305 +1.32% 1982 194,656 −0.26% 1990 197,536 +0.18% 1999 206,229 +0.48% 2007 207,922 +0.10% 2012 209,860 +0.19% 2017 216,815 +0.65%
Source: EHESSand INSEE

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 poorer southern part was not rebuilt.

Due to the presence of theparlement de Bretagne,many "hôtels particuliers"were built in the northern part, the richer half of Rennes in the 18th century. Most of the city'smonuments historiquescan be found there.

Colourful traditionalhalf-timberedhouses 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

TheParlement de Bretagne(Administrative and judicial centre of Brittany,Breton:Breujoù Breizh) 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 RennesCourt of Appeal.The surrounding plaza is built in theclassicalstyle.

In the west, the Place de la Mairie (City Hall Plaza, Plasenn Ti Kêr):

• City Hall
• Opera

In the east, at the end of theRue Saint-Georgeswith traditionalhalf-timberedhouses:

• 1920s Saint George Municipal Pool, with mosaics
• Saint George Palace,and its garden

In the south-east:

• Saint-Germain square
  • Saint-Germain Church
  • Saint-Germain footbridge, 20th century wood and metal construction that links the plaza with Émile Zola Quay, across theVilaineRiver.

• 
  Saint Germain's church
• 
  Opera of Rennes
• 
  Saint Georges Palace
• 
  Rennes City Hall

The Place des Lices and cathedral area

The Place des Lices is lined byhôtels particuliers.Along with the Place Rallier-du-Baty, it is the location of the weekly big market, the marché des Lices.

Near theRennes Cathedral(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.

Also in this area are the former St. Yves chapel, which is now the tourist office and a local historical museum, and the Basilica Saint-Sauveur.

• 
  Place des Lices with the roof top of Les Halles Martenot seen in on the left, and the hôtels particuliers on the right
• 
  Rue du Chapitre
• 
  Gate of theHôtel de Blossac
• 
  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.

• 
  Portes mordelaises. The street crossing this gate comes from the Place des Lices and ends at the cathedral.
• 
  Tour Duchesne
• 
  Place Railler-du-Baty
• 
  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
• Jacobiteconvent,the convention centre

In the south-west of the area,La Rue Saint-MichelnicknamedRue de La Soif(Road of Thirst), is known for its many bars. Meanwhile, in the south-east, the Place du Champ-Jacquet features Renaissance buildings and a statue of mayor Jean Leperdit ripping up aconscriptionlist.

• 
  Place Saint-Anne
• 
  Convention centre
• 
  Saint-Michel street
• 
  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 Benedictineabbeyof Saint-Melaine
• 14th centuryGothicarcades
• 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) abotanical gardenon 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.

• 
  Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine basilica, viewed from the parc du Thabor
• 
  Main gate of the parc du Thabor
• 
  Rue de Paris Thabor entrance

South city centre

The south city centre is a mix of old buildings and 19th and 20th century constructions.

• 
  Maison des Carmes
• 
  Lycée Zola
• 
  Toussaints church
• 
  Palais du commerce

South of the Vilaine

The Fine Arts Museum is situated on Quai Émile Zola, by theVilaineRiver.

Les Champs Libresis a building on Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, and was designed by the architectChristian de Portzamparc.It houses theBrittany Museum(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 is the former office of Ouest-Éclair, and then ofOuest-France,France's leading 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 thelocksof theCanal d'Ille-et-Rance,opened in 1843.

Two locations for Oberthür Printing Works were 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

• 
  Gayeulles parc
• 
  Square of Motte
• 
  Mail Mitterrand
• 
  Thabor parc
• 
  Oberthur parc
• 
  Saint-Georges garden

Parc du Thabor contains a compact but significantbotanical garden,theJardin botanique du Thabor.TheUniversity of Rennes 1,with a campus in the city's eastern section, also contains abotanical gardenand collections (theJardin botanique de l'Université de Rennes).

Economy

Technopole Atalante

The local economy is based on car manufacturing, telecommunications, the digital sector and agrifood.

The telecommunications firmOrange(ex-France Telecom) is the largest private employer in the metropolitan area of Rennes with a workforce of 4,800 people.PSA Peugeot Citroënis the second largest private employer, with 3,000 employees. PSA opened a manufacturing plant at La Janais inChartres-de-Bretagnein 1961.Technicolor,one of the biggest TV and cinema broadcasting firms in the world, employs over 500 people.

Rennes has the second largest concentration of digital and ICT firms in France after Paris (with well-known companies andstartupslikeAtos,Google,Neosoft, Orange S.A.,Thales,Ericsson,Harmonic France,STmicroelectronics,Technicolor R&D,Ubisoft,Regionsjob,Capgemini,OVH,Dassault Systèmes,Delta Dore,Canon,Artefacto, Enensys Technologies, Exfo,Mitsubishi Electric R&D Europe,Digitaleo,Kelbillet,Klaxoon,Sopra Group,Niji, andAirbus Cybersecurity). Rennes was one of the first French cities to receiveFrench Techaccreditation, in November 2014. Moreover, Rennes has the third highest public research potential in the digital and ICT sectors in France, after Paris and Grenoble, with 3,000 people working in 10 laboratories, including the well-known IRISA, IETR, IRMAR, DGA-MI (cyberdefense), and SATIE. It also has the third highest innovation potential in the French agrifood industry, with many firms in this field (Lactalis,Triballat Sojasun, Coralis, Panavi,Bridor,Groupe Avril, Loïc Raison, Groupe Roullier, Sanders, etc.), an agro campus (Agrocampus Ouest) and a large international and professional expo, SPACE (held every September).

Other large firms located in Rennes include the restaurant conglomerateGroupe Le Duff(owners ofBrioche Dorée,Bruegger's,La Madeleine,Mimi's Cafe,Timothy's World Coffee), Ouest-France, the most-read French-language newspaper in the world (with a circulation of 800,000 daily copies), and SamsicService(cleanliness, industrial safety, job search, etc.).

Culture

A festival by night at Thabor Park

Cultural plaza with cinema, Brittany museum, library, science space, planetarium, youth house, shopping centres or concert and exhibition halls

Brittany FRAC (Regional Fund for Contemporary Art)

Rennes is known as one of the most festive cities in France. It invests heavily in arts and culture and a number of its festivals such as the music festivalLesTransmusicales,Les Tombées de la Nuit,Mythos,Stunfest (fighting gamecompetition) andTravelling(a film festival) are well known throughout the country. During the 1980s, Rennes was often cited as a hub of rock and new wave music in France.

Les Champs Libresis the largest cultural institution in Brittany. They welcome more than a million visitors each year. Organized in a six-story pyramid with views over the city, the library offers 120,000 documents for loan, and there we can find as well theMuseum of Brittany,Espace des Sciencesand Planetarium.

Concert halls

Rennes is well-equipped with musical facilities:

• TheMusikHall,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 Opera House (650 seats) and National Theatre of Brittany, TNB in French (Vilar room, 950 seats) for the Brittany orchestra.
• TheUbu,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). This art museum holds many works by the sculptorPierre Charles Lenoir
• Musée de BretagneMuseum of Brittanyat theChamps Libres,together with the 'espace de sciences' and a planetarium.
• Museum of Farming and Rennes Countryside at Bintinais, south of Rennes.
• Musée des Transmissions (Museum of Broadcasting) atCesson-Sévigné,east of Rennes city centre.
• FRAC Bretagne Fond Régional d'Art contemporain (Regional Fund for Contemporary Art).

In addition, there are art facilities such as40mcubeexhibition space or the centre for contemporary artLa Criée.

There are also miscellaneous cultural venues, including the dance-dedicatedTriangeand two "Art et Essai" (arthouse) cinemas,l'ArvorandCine TNB.Surrounding cities house many other cultural sites.

Media

Rennes was one of the first cities 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 and magazines (Ouest-France, Le Mensuel de Rennes, Place Publique, 20 Minutes Rennes).

Local culture

Local languages

Flag of Brittany

In Brittany, two regional languages are spoken:BretonandGallo.Rennes, as part ofUpper Brittany,Gallo was predominantly spoken as the local language, although Breton has always been spoken by migrants from the west of the region (Lower Brittany).

Nowadays, theBreton languageis taught in twoDiwanschools,some bilingual public and Catholic schools, in evening courses, and in university.

The municipality launched a linguistic plan throughYa d'ar brezhonegon 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

Cider and galette with eggs, ham and cheese

Specialties from Rennes include:

• Breton galette
• Galette-saucisse
• Crêpe
• Cider

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 largest markets in France).

Education

Rennes 1 University

Campus of Villejean

The Rennes agglomeration has a large student population (around 63,000).

The city has two main universities;Université de Rennes 1,which offers courses in science, technology, medicine, philosophy, law, management, and economics, andUniversité 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 the 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 fewÉcole Supérieuresin Rennes, such as theÉcole Normale Supérieure de Renneson the Ker Lann campus just outside Rennes, theInstitut d'études politiques de Rennes,and theESC Rennes School of Business.

There are also branches of theÉcole Supérieure d'Électricité–SupélecandTelecom Bretagnein the east of the city (Cesson-Sévigné), a campus of theÉcole pour l'informatique et les nouvelles technologies,a campus of theÉcole pour l'informatique et les techniques avancées,and theInstitut National des Sciences Appliquées,agrande écolewhich is next to theÉcole 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. TheDélégation Générale pour l'Armement(defence procurement agency) operates the CELAR research centre, dedicated to electronics and computing, in the neighbouring town of Bruz.

TheCatholic 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.

TheÉcole Compleméntaire Japonaise de Rennes(レンヌ học bổ túc thụ nghiệp giáoRennu Hoshū Jugyō Kō), apart-time Japanese supplementary school,is based in theCollège Anne de Bretagnein Rennes.

Sport

Flares of theRoazhon Celtic Kopat the Roazhon Park

Football club

• Rennes is home toStade Rennais F.C.,who play inLigue 1at theRoazhon Parkstadium.

Handball

• Cesson-Sévignéis home to Cesson-Rennes-Métropole handball, who play indivision 1.

Road bicycle

• Rennes is home toFortuneo-Vital Concept(UCI Team Code: BSE), a professional cycling team.

Rugby

• Rennes is home to Stade Rennais Rugby, a women's rugby team who play inChampionnat de France de rugby à XV féminin,the top national club competition for women's rugby union in France. Rennes is also home toREC Rugby,a men's team competing inFédérale 1,the fourth tier of the Men's Rugby Union championship.

Transport

An elevated light metro section

VéloStar

Rennes Airport

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 alight metroline that was inaugurated in March 2002 and cost €500 million to build. The driverlessRennes Metro(VAL) is 9.4 km (5.8 mi) in length and has 15 stations, including one designed by architectNorman Foster(La Poterie station). A second light metro line known as Line B was opened on 20 September 2022, after 8 years of construction.

Cycling

Rennes provides another mode of local transport: a bike sharing system with 900 bicycles (namedSTAR, le vélo). Rennes created the first system of modern French bike sharing in 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, has 2 lanes each way (sometimes 3 lanes) and is toll-free. Many other expressways are connected to the Rennes ring road for local and regional service. By road,Saint-Malocan be reached in 45 minutes,Nantesin 1 hour,Brestin 2 hours and 30 minutes,Parisin 4 hours,Bordeauxin 5 hours, andBrusselsin 6 hours and 30 minutes.

Railway

Rennes has a major French railway station, theGare de Rennes,opened in 1857. Since 2 July 2017, it is now one hour and twenty-seven minutes byTGVhigh-speed train from Paris (after the extension of theHigh Speed Rail Line). Train services are available to other major cities in France such asLyon,Marseille,Lille,andStrasbourg.

Rennes is also an important railway station for regional transport in Brittany. TheTER Bretagneprovides links toSaint-Malo,Nantes,Redon,Vitré,Saint-Brieuc,Vannes,Laval,Brestand many other regional cities. It is served by Gares station on the VALRennes Metro.

Airport

Rennes is served byRennes Brittany Airport (Saint-Jacques),located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the centre to the south-west in the communeSaint-Jacques-de-la-Lande.

It notably operates regular or seasonal flights toParis-Charles de Gaulle,Lyon,Marseille,Nice,Toulouse,Barcelona,Palma de Mallorca,Rome-Fiumicino,Southampton,Dublin,Exeter,Manchester,Amsterdam Schiphol,Madrid Barajas,Birmingham,London-City,London-Gatwickand daily flights toLondon Southend Airportwith Flybe.

Notable people

Simon Bruté,1891

Yvonne Dubel

Rene Pleven,1951

• Soazig Aaron(born 1949), writer
• Bertrand d'Argentré(1519–1590), jurist and historian, seneschal of Rennes in 1547, and later head of the presidial 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
• Simon William Gabriel Bruté de Rémur(1779–1839), a French missionary in the US.
• Thomas Conecte(died 1434), a Carmelite friar and preacher.
• 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 theUniversity of Rennes,famousparasitologist
• Joseph Marie Élisabeth Durocher(1817-1860), geologist.
• Alexandre-Vincent Pineux Duval(1767-1842), dramatist, sailor, architect, actor and theatre manager.
• Viviane Elder(1904–1960), racing driver, aviator and actress
• Julien Louis Geoffroy(1743-1814), a literary critic.
• René Guillou(1903–1958), composer and organist
• Auguste Hilarion, comte de Kératry(1769–1859), poet, novelist, literary critic, historian and politician.
• Paul Jausions(1835–1870), musicologist specialising in Gregorian chant
• Hélène Jégado(1803–1852), executed serial poisoner
• Louis-René de Caradeuc de La Chalotais(1701–1785), jurist, role in the so-calledBrittany Affair.
• Matthieu Lahaye(born 1984), racing driver
• Jean Denis, comte Lanjuinais(1753–1827), politician, lawyer, jurist, journalist and historian.
• Pierre-Emmanuel Le Goff(born 1979), film director, producer and distributor
• Isaac René Guy le Chapelier(1754–1794), jurist and politician during the time of theFrench Revolution.
• 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 ofKering
• René Pleven(1901–1993), twicePresident of the Council of Ministers
• Joseph-Marie Quérard(1797–1865), bibliographer.
• Pierre Robiquet(1780–1840), chemist member of the Académie des Sciences, discoverer ofcodein,asparaginandalizarin,among others
• Valentina Tronel(born 2009), singer,winnerof theJunior Eurovision Song Contest 2020and former member ofKids United Nouvelle Génération
• Charles Vanel(1892–1989), actor
• Marie-Victoire de Lambilly(1767–1813), lawyer, French nobility

International relations

See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Twin towns – sister cities

Twinned towns inscribed on the bridge over the central canal (2007)

Rennes istwinnedwith:

• Exeter,England, UK(since 1956)
• Rochester, New York,US(since 1958)
• Erlangen,Germany(since 1964)
• Brno,Czech Republic(since 1965)
• Sendai,Japan(since 1967)
• Leuven,Belgium(since 1980)
• Sétif,Algeria(since 1982)
• 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)
• Santiago de Compostela,Spain(since 2010)

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

• 
  Opera of Rennes
• 
  Saint George Palace
• 
  Horizons tower (100 metres/328 ft)
• 
  New style city centre
• 
  Notre-Dame en Saint-Mélainechurch
• 
  Ouest-Francebuilding
• 
  Place Rallier du Baty
• 
  Windows of theHôtel Racape de La Feuilléeat Place des Lices
• 
  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
• Attack of 7 August 1932 in Rennes

External links

• Official site
• City council websiteArchived30 June 2007 at theWayback Machine
• Parlement of Brittany