Rennes

Rennes Resnn (Gallo) Roazhon (Breton)
Prefecture and commune
Top to bottom, left to right: Place de la Mairie; Marché des Lices; Rennes Metro; Esplanade Charles de Gaulle; Opera of Rennes by night; University of Rennes 2; and skyline of Rennes from Cathedral
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Vivre en intelligence (French for 'Live in harmony')
Location of Rennes
Rennes Show map of France Rennes Show map of Brittany
Coordinates: 48°06′53″N 1°40′46″W / 48.1147°N 1.6794°W / 48.1147; -1.6794
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Ille-et-Vilaine
Arrondissement	Rennes
Canton	Rennes-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
Intercommunality	Rennes Métropole
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Nathalie Appéré[1] (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)[2]	225,081
• Density	4,500/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
• Urban  (2018[3])	359,934
• Urban density	1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
• Metro  (2018[3])	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)
1 French 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 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 2017, its urban area had a population of 357,327 inhabitants, while the larger metropolitan area had a population of 739,974.^[3] 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 Gallic 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. In 2002, Rennes became the smallest city in the world to have a Metro line.

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.^[4] Home to more than 66,000 students in 2016, it is also the eighth-largest university campus of France.^[5] In 2018, L'Express named Rennes as "the most liveable city in France".^[6]