Rennes

{{main|History of Rennes|Timeline of Rennes}}

Since 2015, Rennes is divided into 6 cantons (populations as of 2019):{{cite web| url = http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000028637230| title = Décret n° 2014-177 du 18 février 2014 portant délimitation des cantons dans le département d'Ille-et-Vilaine}}[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep35.pdf 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

File:Plan quartiers Rennes.svg

Rennes is divided into 12 quarters:{{Cite web |title=Trouver mon quartier |url=https://metropole.rennes.fr/trouver-mon-quartier |access-date=2022-07-18 |website=metropole.rennes.fr |language=fr}}

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 Beaulie
7. La Pommeraie
8. Sud Gare
9. Cleunay - Arsenal - Redon - La Courrouze
10. Villejean - Beauregard
11. Le Blosne
12. Bréquigny

File:Nathalie Appéré - Février 2013 - 05.JPG

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 {{Lang|fr|mairie}} (city hall) is right in the centre of Rennes.

The French Prison Service operates the Centre pénitentiaire de Rennes, the largest women's prison in France."[http://www.island.lk/2005/03/15/world3.html French pedophilia trial casts unsettling light on women sex offenders]." Agence France-Presse at The Island. 14 March 2005. Retrieved 19 March 2011.

File:Rennes de hermitage 2.JPG]]

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).

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.

{{Weather box

| location = Rennes (RNS), elevation: {{convert|36|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1945–present

| collapsed =

| metric first = Y

| single line = Y

| Jan record high C = 16.8

| Feb record high C = 20.9

| Mar record high C = 24.1

| Apr record high C = 28.7

| May record high C = 30.8

| Jun record high C = 37.9

| Jul record high C = 40.5

| Aug record high C = 39.5

| Sep record high C = 34.8

| Oct record high C = 30.0

| Nov record high C = 21.4

| Dec record high C = 17.8

| year record high C = 40.5

| Jan high C = 9.2

| Feb high C = 10.2

| Mar high C = 13.2

| Apr high C = 16.0

| May high C = 19.3

| Jun high C = 22.6

| Jul high C = 24.8

| Aug high C = 24.7

| Sep high C = 21.9

| Oct high C = 17.2

| Nov high C = 12.5

| Dec high C = 9.6

| year high C = 16.8

| Jan mean C = 6.2

| Feb mean C = 6.6

| Mar mean C = 8.8

| Apr mean C = 11.0

| May mean C = 14.3

| Jun mean C = 17.3

| Jul mean C = 19.2

| Aug mean C = 19.3

| Sep mean C = 16.6

| Oct mean C = 13.2

| Nov mean C = 9.2

| Dec mean C = 6.6

| year mean C = 12.4

| Jan low C = 3.3

| Feb low C = 2.9

| Mar low C = 4.5

| Apr low C = 6.0

| May low C = 9.3

| Jun low C = 12.1

| Jul low C = 13.7

| Aug low C = 13.8

| Sep low C = 11.4

| Oct low C = 9.3

| Nov low C = 5.9

| Dec low C = 3.6

| year low C = 8.0

| Jan record low C = -14.7

| Feb record low C = -11.2

| Mar record low C = -7.3

| Apr record low C = -3.2

| May record low C = -1.2

| Jun record low C = 2.2

| Jul record low C = 5.5

| Aug record low C = 4.0

| Sep record low C = 1.9

| Oct record low C = -4.6

| Nov record low C = -7.5

| Dec record low C = -12.6

| year record low C = -14.7

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 66.6

| Feb precipitation mm = 51.6

| Mar precipitation mm = 48.9

| Apr precipitation mm = 51.2

| May precipitation mm = 58.1

| Jun precipitation mm = 50.9

| Jul precipitation mm = 44.0

| Aug precipitation mm = 43.5

| Sep precipitation mm = 56.6

| Oct precipitation mm = 73.1

| Nov precipitation mm = 73.2

| Dec precipitation mm = 73.3

| year precipitation mm = 691.0

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 11.5

| Feb precipitation days = 10.1

| Mar precipitation days = 8.9

| Apr precipitation days = 9.9

| May precipitation days = 8.9

| Jun precipitation days = 7.4

| Jul precipitation days = 7.1

| Aug precipitation days = 7.1

| Sep precipitation days = 7.8

| Oct precipitation days = 11.0

| Nov precipitation days = 12.5

| Dec precipitation days = 12.3

| year precipitation days = 114.6

| Jan snow days = 1.9

| Feb snow days = 2.9

| Mar snow days = 1.0

| Apr snow days = 0.4

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.0

| Nov snow days = 0.2

| Dec snow days = 1.3

| year snow days =

| Jan humidity = 87

| Feb humidity = 83

| Mar humidity = 79

| Apr humidity = 76

| May humidity = 77

| Jun humidity = 75

| Jul humidity = 75

| Aug humidity = 76

| Sep humidity = 80

| Oct humidity = 85

| Nov humidity = 87

| Dec humidity = 87

| Jan sun = 68.3

| Feb sun = 92.7

| Mar sun = 134.1

| Apr sun = 173.8

| May sun = 202.1

| Jun sun = 213.3

| Jul sun = 220.2

| Aug sun = 207.2

| Sep sun = 180.7

| Oct sun = 116.7

| Nov sun = 83.5

| Dec sun = 69.0

| year sun = 1761.5

| source 1 = Meteo France (snow days 1981–2010)

{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220531125024/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_35281001.pdf

| archive-date = 31 May 2022

| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_35281001.pdf

| title = Rennes-St Jacques (35)

| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records

| publisher = Meteo France

| language = fr

| access-date = 14 July 2022}}

| source 2 = Infoclimat.fr (relative humidity 1961–1990){{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160315115656/https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07130-rennes-st-jacques.html

| archive-date = 15 March 2016

| url = https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07130-rennes-st-jacques.html

| title = Normes et records 1961–1990: Rennes-St Jacques (35) – altitude 36m

| language = fr

| publisher = Infoclimat

| access-date = 14 February 2019}}

| source =

}}

In 2018, the inner population of the city was 221,272. 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.

{{Historical populations

| 1770| 23,143

| 1790| 25,160

| 1793| 30,160

| 1800| 25,904

| 1806| 29,225

| 1821| 29,589

| 1831| 27,340

| 1836| 35,552

| 1841| 37,895

| 1846| 39,218

| 1851| 39,505

| 1856| 45,664

| 1861| 45,483

| 1866| 48,283

| 1872| 52,044

| 1876| 57,177

| 1881| 60,974

| 1886| 66,139

| 1891| 69,232

| 1896| 69,937

| 1901| 74,676

| 1906| 75,640

| 1911| 79,372

| 1921| 82,241

| 1926| 83,418

| 1931| 88,659

| 1936| 98,538

| 1946| 113,781

| 1954| 124,122

| 1962| 151,948

| 1968| 180,943

| 1975| 198,305

| 1982| 194,656

| 1990| 197,536

| 1999| 206,229

| 2007|207922

| 2012|209860

| 2017|216815

| source = EHESS{{Cassini-Ehess|28930|Rennes}} and INSEE[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-35238#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE

| percentages = pagr

| cols = 3

| align = none

| graph-pos = bottom}}

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 (Administrative and judicial centre of Brittany, {{Langx|br|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 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.

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|City Hall

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.

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

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 (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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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).

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, 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).

File:Tour telecom.JPG

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 4,800 people. PSA Peugeot Citroën is the second largest private employer, with 3,000 employees. PSA 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.

Rennes has the second largest concentration of digital and ICT firms in France after Paris (with well-known companies and startups like Atos, 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, and Airbus Cybersecurity). Rennes was one of the first French cities to receive French Tech accreditation, 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 conglomerate Groupe Le Duff (owners of Brioche Dorée, Bruegger's, La Madeleine, Mimi's Cafe, Timothy's World Coffee{{cite web | url=http://www.groupeleduff.com/en/contact/contact/contact.html | title=Page de maintenance - Groupe LE DUFF }}), Ouest-France, the most-read French-language newspaper in the world (with a circulation of 800,000 daily copies), and Samsic Service (cleanliness, industrial safety, job search, etc.).

File:Les Tombées de la Nuit 2007 - ambiance Café Baraque.jpg

File:Esplanade du Général de Gaulle à Rennes.jpg

File:Inauguration du FRAC Bretagne - Le Fonds régional d’art contemporain Bretagne - 8 Juillet 2012 - 02.jpg

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 festival Les Transmusicales, Les Tombées de la Nuit, Mythos, Stunfest (fighting game competition) and Travelling (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.{{cite web|url=http://www.dmagalerie.com/rennes-1981-08-avr-08-mai-2011|title=RENNES 1981 08/04>29/04 – dmagalerie|date=17 March 2011|access-date=12 April 2016|archive-date=2 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002064942/http://www.dmagalerie.com/rennes-1981-08-avr-08-mai-2011|url-status=dead}}

Les Champs Libres is 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 the Museum of Brittany, Espace des Sciences[https://www.espace-sciences.org/ Espace des Sciences]. and Planetarium.[https://www.musee-bretagne.fr/ Planetarium].

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 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)
• Le MeM/Magic Mirrors, concert hall with dining facilities. (2000 seats)

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 sculptor Pierre Charles Lenoir
• Musée de Bretagne Museum of Brittany at the Champs 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) at Cesson-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 as 40mcube exhibition space or the centre for contemporary art La Criée.

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

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).

File:Flag of Brittany.svg]]

In Brittany, two regional languages are spoken: Breton and Gallo. In Rennes, as part of Upper 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, the Breton language is taught in two Diwan schools,{{cite web|url=http://www.diwan-bro-roazhon.org/presentation-de-l-ecole|title = Présentation de l'école - Skol Diwan Roazhon}} some bilingual public and Catholic schools, in evening courses, and in university.{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.ofis-bzh.org/upload/travail_paragraphe/fichier/216fichier.pdf L'état de la langue bretonne dans l'enseignement en Ille-et-Vilaine (State of the Breton language in education in Ille-et-Vilaine)] from Ofis ar Brezhoneg

The municipality launched a linguistic plan through Ya d'ar brezhoneg 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.{{in lang|fr}} Ofis ar Brezhoneg: [http://www.ofis-bzh.org/fr/services/observatoire/travaux.php?travail_id=83 Enseignement bilingue]

File:GaletteCidre.JPG

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).

File:Rennes - Université Rennes 1 - cloitre faculté d'économie.JPG

File:Campus Villejean - Rennes.jpg

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

The city has two main universities; Université de Rennes, which offers courses in science, technology, medicine, philosophy, law, management, and economics, and 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 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 few École Supérieures in Rennes, such as the École Normale Supérieure de Rennes on the Ker Lann campus just outside Rennes, the Institut d'études politiques de Rennes, and the ESC Rennes School of Business.

There are also branches of the École Supérieure d'Électricité – Supélec and Telecom Bretagne in the east of the city (Cesson-Sévigné), 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 Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, a grande école 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 the neighbouring town of Bruz.

The 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.{{cite web|url=http://ayearinrennes.weebly.com/ |title=Home |publisher=Ayearinrennes.weebly.com |date= |access-date=2022-03-16}}

The École Compleméntaire Japonaise de Rennes (レンヌ補習授業校 Rennu Hoshū Jugyō Kō), a part-time Japanese supplementary school, is based in the Collège Anne de Bretagne in Rennes."[https://web.archive.org/web/20140330190146/http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/clarinet/002/006/001/002/004.htm 欧州の補習授業校一覧（平成25年4月15日現在）]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20140330190146/http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/clarinet/002/006/001/002/004.htm Archive]). Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Retrieved 10 May 2014. "College Anne de Bretagne 15, rue de Martenot, 35000 RENNES"

File:Staderennais-routelorient.JPG

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

• Cesson-Sévigné is home to Cesson-Rennes-Métropole handball, who play in division 1.

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

• Rennes is home to Stade Rennais Rugby, a women's rugby team who play in Championnat de France de rugby à XV féminin, the top national club competition for women's rugby union in France. Rennes is also home to [https://www.rennes-rugby.bzh REC Rugby], a men's team competing in Fédérale 1, the fourth tier of the Men's Rugby Union championship.

File:Bus et métro station Poterie (5618280569).jpg

File:Station LE vélo STAR Charles de Gaulle 2.jpg

File:AeroportdeRennes.jpg

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

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 (VAL) is {{convert|9.4|km|mi|abbr=on}} in length and has 15 stations, including one designed by architect Norman Foster (La Poterie station). A second light metro line known as Line B was opened on 20 September 2022, after 8 years of construction.{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.rennes.maville.com/Le-projet-de-nouvelle-ligne-du-metro-sur-les-rails/re/actudet/actu_loc-379291---_actu.html Rennes.maville.com Le projet de nouvelle ligne du métro sur les rails] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529210609/http://www.rennes.maville.com/Le-projet-de-nouvelle-ligne-du-metro-sur-les-rails/re/actudet/actu_loc-379291---_actu.html |date=29 May 2008 }}{{cite news |last=Elliot |first=Calum |date= |title= Siemens Mobility delivers Line B of the Rennes metro |url=https://www.intelligentcio.com/eu/2022/09/20/siemens-mobility-delivers-line-b-of-the-rennes-metro/ |work=Intelligent CIO |access-date=September 20, 2022}}

Rennes provides another mode of local transport: a bike sharing system with 900 bicycles (named {{ill|STAR, le vélo|fr}}). Rennes created the first system of modern French bike sharing in 1998.

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-Malo can be reached in 45 minutes, Nantes in 1 hour, Brest in 2 hours and 30 minutes, Paris in 4 hours, Bordeaux in 5 hours, and Brussels in 6 hours and 30 minutes.

Rennes has a major French railway station, the Gare de Rennes, opened in 1857. Since 2 July 2017, it is now one hour and twenty-seven minutes by TGV high-speed train from Paris (after the extension of the High Speed Rail Line{{cite web|url=http://www.france-info.com/france-regions-2008-07-29-rennes-a-1h30-de-paris-en-2014-166590-9-13.html |title=Rennes à 1h30 de Paris en 2014 – France – Toute l'actualité en France |publisher=France Info |access-date=6 April 2011}}). Train services are available to other major 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, Nantes, Redon, Vitré, Saint-Brieuc, Vannes, Laval, Brest and many other regional cities. It is served by Gares station on the VAL Rennes Metro.

Rennes is served by Rennes Brittany Airport (Saint-Jacques), located {{convert|7|km|mi}} from the centre to the south-west in the commune Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande.

It notably operates regular or seasonal flights to Paris-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-Gatwick and daily flights to London Southend Airport with Flybe.

File:Simon Bruté.jpg, 1891]]

File:DUBEL, Yvonne SIP. 1352. Photo Reutlinger.jpg]]

File:Rene Pleven.jpg, 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.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Boulanger, George Ernest Jean Marie |volume=4 |last= Chisholm |first= Hugh |author-link= Hugh Chisholm|pages=318-319 |short=1}}
• Jean-Claude Bourlès (born 1937), writer and traveler
• Simon William Gabriel Bruté de Rémur (1779–1839), a French missionary in the US.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Bruté, Simon William Gabriel |volume = 4 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=695 |short=1}}
• Thomas Conecte (died 1434), a Carmelite friar and preacher.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Conecte, Thomas |volume = 6 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=897 |short=1}}
• 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
• Joseph Marie Élisabeth Durocher (1817–1860), geologist.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Durocher, Joseph Marie Elisabeth |volume = 8 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=711 |short=1}}
• Alexandre-Vincent Pineux Duval (1767–1842), dramatist, sailor, architect, actor and theatre manager.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Duval, Alexandre Vincent Pineux |volume = 8 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=737 |short=1}}
• Viviane Elder (1904–1960), racing driver, aviator and actress
• Julien Louis Geoffroy (1743–1814), a literary critic.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Geoffroy, Julien Louis |volume = 11 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=618 |short=1}}
• René Guillou (1903–1958), composer and organist
• Auguste Hilarion, comte de Kératry (1769–1859), poet, novelist, literary critic, historian and politician.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Kératry, Auguste Hilarion, Comte de |volume = 15 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=753 |short=1}}
• 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-called Brittany Affair.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= La Chalotais, Louis René de Caradeuc de |volume = 16 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=49 |short=1}}
• Matthieu Lahaye (born 1984), racing driver
• Jean Denis, comte Lanjuinais (1753–1827), politician, lawyer, jurist, journalist and historian.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Lanjuinais, Jean Denis, Comte |volume = 16 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=182 |short=1}}
• 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 the French Revolution.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Le Chapelier, Isaac René Guy |volume = 16 |last= |first= |author-link= |pages=353-354 |short=1}}
• 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 President of the Council of Ministers
• Joseph-Marie Quérard (1797–1865), bibliographer.{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Quérard, Joseph Marie |volume = 22 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=742 |short=1}}
• Pierre Robiquet (1780–1840), chemist member of the Académie des Sciences, discoverer of codein, asparagin and alizarin, among others
• Valentina Tronel (born 2009), singer, winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020 and former member of Kids United Nouvelle Génération
• Charles Vanel (1892–1989), actor
• Marie-Victoire de Lambilly (1767–1813), lawyer, French nobility

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in France}}

File:Jumelages de Rennes.jpg

Rennes is twinned with:{{cite web|title=Rennes et ses villes jumelées|url=https://www.mir-rennes.fr/index.php/jumelages/les-villes-jumelees|website=mir-rennes.fr|publisher=Maison Internationale de Rennes (Internet Archive)|language=fr|access-date=15 November 2023|archive-date=27 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127151054/https://www.mir-rennes.fr/index.php/jumelages/les-villes-jumelees|url-status=dead}}

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}

• {{flagicon|ENG}} Exeter, England, UK (since 1956)
• {{flagicon|USA}} Rochester, New York, US (since 1958)
• {{flagicon|GER}} Erlangen, Germany (since 1964)
• {{flagicon|CZE}} Brno, Czech Republic (since 1965)
• {{flagicon|JPN}} Sendai, Japan (since 1967)
• {{flagicon|BEL}} Leuven, Belgium (since 1980)
• {{flagicon|ALG}} Sétif, Algeria (since 1982)
• {{flagicon|IRL}} Cork, Ireland (since 1982)
• {{flagicon|KAZ}} Almaty, Kazakhstan (since 1991)
• {{flagicon|MLI}} Bandiagara Cercle, Mali (since 1995)
• {{flagicon|POL}} Poznań, Poland (since 1998)
• {{flagicon|ROU}} Sibiu, Romania (since 1999)
• {{flagicon|CHN}} Jinan, China (since 2002)
• {{flagicon|ESP}} Santiago de Compostela, Spain (since 2010){{cite web |title=Compostela se hermana con la ciudad francesa de Rennes, adonde lleva la muestra "Santiago Une"|date=19 June 2010 |url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/deza/2010/06/19/compostela-hermana-ciudad-francesa-rennes-adonde-lleva-muestra-santiago-une/0003_8559924.htm|publisher=La Voz de Galicia|language=es|access-date=2023-11-15}}

{{div col end}}

Friendly towns within France

• {{flagicon|FRA}} Saint-Gilles-du-Mené, France (since 1978)
• {{flagicon|FRA}} Rennes-les-Bains, France (since 1985)

Pacts of cooperation

• {{flagicon|VIE}} Huế, Vietnam (since 1992)

Sponsorship

• {{flagicon|FRA}} Vouziers, France

Rennes also has the only Institut Franco-Américain in France.

• Transmitter Rennes-Thourie

File:Opera-rennes-nuit.jpg|Opera of Rennes

File:Palais Saint-Georges, Rennes, Aug 2010.jpg|Saint George Palace

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 building

File:Rennes Place Rallier du Baty.JPG|Place Rallier du Baty

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

• Communes of the Ille-et-Vilaine department
• List of works of the two Folgoët ateliers
• Attack of 7 August 1932 in Rennes

{{reflist}}

{{wiktionary|Rennes}}

• [http://www.rennes.fr Official site]
• [http://www.ville-rennes.fr/ City council website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630055442/http://www.ville-rennes.fr/ |date=30 June 2007 }}
• [http://www.parlement-bretagne.com/ Parlement of Brittany]

{{Sister bar|auto=y}}

{{Cities in France}}

{{Prefectures of departments of France}}

{{Prefectures of regions of France}}

{{Ille-et-Vilaine communes}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Communes of Ille-et-Vilaine

Category:Cities in Brittany

Category:Cities in France

Category:Prefectures in France

Category:Gallia Lugdunensis