Rennes (Gallo: Resnn, Breton: Roazhon) is a city of northwestern France, in the east of Brittany. Rennes is the capital of the Bretagne région, as well as the préfecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine département.
Population of the city (commune) of Rennes at the 1999 census was 206,229 inhabitants (209,100 inhabitants as of February 2004 estimates). Population of the whole metropolitan area (French: aire urbaine) at the 1999 census was 521,188 inhabitants, ranking twelfth in France. Inhabitants of Rennes are called Rennais.
AdministrationThe current mayor of Rennes is Edmond Hervé, incumbent since 1977, when he replaced Henri Fréville. His 'mairie' (mayor's office) is right in the centre of Rennes. Rennes is divided into 11 cantons:
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 meeting point of two rivers: the Ille and the Vilaine.
SightsRennes is classified as a city of art and history.
Historic CenterIn the Roman era, Condate became Condate Riedonum, capital of civitas riedonum
The oldest known rennais is Titus Flavius Postuminus, known to us from his steles found in Rennes in 1968. As indicated by his name, he would have been born under the Flavian dynasty, under the reign of Titus, i.e. between 79 and 81 AD. One of the steles tell us, in Latin, that he took charge over all the public affairs in the Civitas Riedonum. He was twice duumvir and flamine for life for Mars Mullo.
During the Roman era, the strategic position of the town contributed to its importance. To the west the principal Roman route, via Osismii stretched from Condate to Vorgium (modern Carhaix).
In the year 275, the threat of barbarians led to the erection of a robust brick wall around Rennes. Rennes became known as the 'red town'.
Once threatened by the danger of bagaudes at the end of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Armorican peninsula, including Brittany and therefore Rennes, made up the last of the stronghold of the western Roman Empire. The invincible Armorican Romans held their ground against Clovis I, who occupied most of Alamans, then the Visigoths. Melaine, the bishop of Rennes, played an important role in the peace treaty between the Franks and the Armoricans in the year 497. He famously declared 'Il faut faire la paix entre chrétiens' ('Peace must be made between Christians').
Middle AgesStarting in the fifth century, Bretons occupied the western part of the Armorican penensula, which started to be called little Britain, and then Brittany, while the Franks took the rest of Armorica. To contain the expansion and avoid Breton incursions, the Carolingians instituted a Breton march, composed of the counties of Rennes, Nantes, and Vannes.
These marches were entirely absorbed by the Breton Kingdom in the ninth century, and Rennes became Breton in 851. Rennes would later become the capital of Ducal Brittany.
During the Breton War of Succession, in 1356 and 1357, the city was sieged by the Duke of Lancaster, brother of the English king, but Bertrand du Guesclin slipped into the city and took over the resistance, which would ultimately be victorious. After nearly a year, Lancaster renounced the English siege in 1357.
In 1491, it was the French army of Charles VIII, led by his general, La Trémoïlle, that unsuccessfully attacked Rennes. Brittany having already capitulated elsewhere, Rennes alone still resisted. The defenders of Rennes were determined to resist to the death, but the Duchess Anne of Brittany chose instead to negotiate. By her marriage to Charles VIII, she made Brittany a part of France. Anne jealously guarded Brittany's autonomy, but the duchy was eventually fully merged with the French crown by her daughter Claude of France.
Modern eraIn 1857 the Rennes train station was built, which gradually led to the southward sprawl of the town. In 1899 Alfred Dreyfus' trial in Rennes caused a national commotion. During World War 2 Rennes suffered a heavy bombing from three German airplanes which caused 1,000 deaths because of an ammunition train alongside French and English troop trains and a refugee train as well on the marshalling yard. The next day, May 18, 1940, German troops entered the city which underwent heavy bombings in 1943 (March and May) and 1944 (June) which caused 1,000 deaths and Patton's army freed the capital of Brittany on August 4, just after German troops had blown up the bridges before leaving, thus adding further damage. About 50,000 German prisoners had to be kept in 4 camps in a city of 100,000 inhabitants at the time. From 1954 onwards the city developed large building plans to accommodate a planned 520,000 inhabitants, making it the third fastest-growing city in France after Toulouse and Montpellier (1999 census).
EconomyLocal industries include car manufacturing and telecommunications. Citroën, currently the largest employer of the population of Rennes, opened a manufacturing plant at Rennes La Janais in 1961. Thomson employs over 1,000.
Rennes is also one of first Technopoles in France that were established in an effort to stimulate the economies of regions other than Paris during the Aménagement du territoire.
CultureRennes invests heavily in arts and culture and a number of its festivals (such as the music festival Les Transmusicales, les Tombées de la Nuit and Travelling (a cinematic festival)) are well known throughout France. Rennes was one of the first towns in France to have its own television channel 'TV Rennes', created in 1987. In Rennes is the only Institut Franco-Américain in France. Rennes is home to Stade Rennais FC, who play at Route de Lorient stadium, 31,000 seats in the French Division One. There are 4 museums in Rennes : musée des beaux arts (museum of fine arts), musée de Bretagne (museum of Brittany) at the Champs Libres, together with le 'espace of sciences' and a planetarium), Museum of farming and Rennes countryside at la Bintinais, south of Rennes, museum of transmissions at Cesson.
Miscellaneous Colleges, universities and research facilitiesThe Rennes agglomeration has a large student population (around 60,000).
The city has two main universities:
In addition:
Rennes has well developed national road, rail and air links and is two hours by TGV from Paris. Local transport is based primarily on an extensive bus network (38 different lines) and a metro line that was inaugurated in March 2002 and cost €500 millions to build. The driverless Rennes Metro is 9.4 km in length and has 15 stations, including one designed by architect Norman Foster. Rennes is one of the smallest cities in the world to have a metro.
See also: Gare de Rennes
Rennes is also served by an airport, Rennes-St. Jacques Airport, located 4.5 miles from the center to the south-west in the commune Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande.
Twinned townsThese twinned towns are inscribed on the bridge over the central canal of Rennes:
