Rennes () ; ; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany region and Ille-et-Vilaine department. In 2023, the city had a population of 230,890 inhabitants, while the larger metropolitan area is the 10th most populated in France with a population of 789,516.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 (masculine) and Rennaises (feminine) in French.
Rennes's history goes back more than 2,000 years to a time when it was a small Gallican village named "Condate." Together with Vannes and Nantes, it was one of the major cities of the ancient Duchy of Brittany. From the early sixteenth century until the French Revolution, Rennes was a parliamentary, administrative and garrison city of the historic province of Brittany in the Kingdom of France, as evidenced by its 17th-century Parliament'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 mostly rural until the Second World War, Rennes underwent significant development in the twentieth century.
Since the 1950s, Rennes has grown in importance through rural flight and 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 in telecommunications and high-tech industry. It is now a significant digital innovation centre in France. From 2002 to 2008, Rennes was the smallest city in the world to have a metro.
Labeled a city of art and history, it has preserved an important medieval and classical heritage within its historic center, with over 90 buildings protected as historic monuments. Home to more than 70,000 students in 2026, it is also the eighth-largest university campus of France. In 2018, named Rennes as the most liveable city in France.
History
Administration Since 2015, Rennes is divided into 6 cantons (populations as of 2019):Populations légales 2019: 35 Ille-et-Vilaine, INSEE 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 the commune of Chantepie Canton of Rennes-4 (36,348 inhabitants) Canton of Rennes-5 (46,759 inhabitants), which includes parts of Rennes but also the commune of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande Canton of Rennes-6 (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 - Atalante Beaulieu La Pommeraie Sud Gare Cleunay - Arsenal - Redon - La Courrouze Villejean - Beauregard Le Blosne Bréquigny
Mayors
The current mayor of Rennes is Nathalie Appéré. A member of the Socialist Party, she replaced retiring Socialist incumbent Daniel Delaveau, in office from 2008 to 2014.
Edmond Hervé (b. 1942), Socialist mayor from 1977 to 2008; Henri Fréville (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 operates the Centre pénitentiaire de Rennes, the largest women's prison in France."French pedophilia trial casts unsettling light on women sex offenders." Agence France-Presse at The Island. 14 March 2005. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
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 and the Vilaine.
Rennes is located on the European atlantic arc, 50 km from the English Channel (near Saint-Malo, Dinard, and Mont Saint-Michel).
Rennes has the distinction of having a significant Green Belt 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. 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, 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 of Lausanne.
Demographics In 2023, the inner population of the city was 230,890. The Rennes intercommunal structure connecting Rennes with 42 nearby suburbs (named Rennes Métropole) had 450,593 inhabitants and the metropolitan area had a population of nearly 750,000.
Rennes has the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in France after Toulouse and ahead of Montpellier, Bordeaux and Nantes.
Sights
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 the parlement de Bretagne, many "hôtels particuliers" were built in the northern part, the richer half of Rennes in the 18th century. Most of the city's monuments historiques can be found there.
Colourful traditional half-timbered 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. The surrounding plaza is built in the classical style.
In the west, the Place de la Mairie (City Hall Plaza, Plasenn Ti Kêr): City Hall Opera
In the east, at the end of the Rue Saint-Georges with traditional half-timbered houses: 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 the Vilaine River.
The Place des Lices and cathedral area
The Place des Lices is lined by hôtels particuliers. Along with the Place Rallier-du-Baty, it is the location of the weekly big market, the marché des Lices.
Near the Rennes 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.
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.
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, the convention centre
In the south-west of the area, La Rue Saint-Michel nicknamed Rue 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 a conscription list.
East: Thabor park area Area of Saint-Melaine square
Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine basilica, Tower and transept from the 11th century Benedictine abbey of Saint-Melaine 14th century Gothic 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 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.
South city centre The south city centre is a mix of old buildings and 19th and 20th century constructions.
South of the Vilaine The Fine Arts Museum is situated on Quai Émile Zola, by the Vilaine River.
Les Champs Libres is a building on Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, and was designed by the architect Christian de Portzamparc. It houses the Brittany 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 of Ouest-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 the locks of the Canal 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
Parc du Thabor contains a compact but significant botanical garden, the Jardin botanique du Thabor. The University of Rennes, with a campus in the city's eastern section, also contains a botanical garden and collections (the Jardin botanique de l'Université de Rennes).
Economy
The local economy is based on car manufacturing, telecommunications, the digital sector and agrifood.
The telecommunications firm Orange (ex-France Telecom) is the largest private employer in the metropolitan area of Rennes with a workforce of 5000 people. Stellantis is the second largest private employer, with 2,000 employees. Stellantis (ex-PSA Peugeot-Citröen) opened a manufacturing plant at La Janais in Chartres-de-Bretagne in 1961. Technicolor, one of the biggest TV and cinema broadcasting firms in the world, employs over 500 people.