Rennes

Rennes is the capital of the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany. It's one of the largest cities in Brittany, with a population of 206,229 inhabitants (1999). The name "Rennes," is a derivation from the Celtic tribe of the Redones, who established their capital there. During the Roman supremacy it had been an important city of the province of Armorica. The city is located at the junction of the rivers Ille and Vilaine.[1]

Rennes is quite a historical city. It was the capital of the Breton county of Rennes in the 10th century and even managed to become the capital of whole Brittany in 1196[2].

In 1720, a fire nearly destroyed the whole city. It was rebuilt then, with a focus on the canalized river Vilaine. They also changed the streets to become wider, compared to the old ones. Some buildings survived the fire, like the Palais de Justice, which inhabited the Parliament of Brittany in the mid- 17th century. The city of Rennes suffered again during the Second World War, when it got partly destroyed by bombs.

There are quite a few sights in Rennes, like the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Rennes (completed in 1844), the Palais de Justice, which was mentioned before, or the town hall, which was constructed in the typical Louis XV design. Additionally, there is The Jardin du Thabor, with its botanical garden, and museum, specialized on paintings of the 16th to 20th centuries.

It's also worth mentioning, that Rennes has an archbishopric, and that there are two formidable universities, called Rennes I and Rennes II.[3]

Façade of the palace of Parliament of Brittany

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Rennes_-_Parlement_de_Bretagne.jpg

[1] "Rennes." Encyclopædia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/place/Rennes

[2] "Rennes." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2015. Encyclopedia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Rennes.aspx#1

[3] "Rennes." Encyclopædia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/place/Rennes