Place de la Mairie (Town Hall Square), Rennes

Place de la Mairie (Town Hall Square), Rennes (must see)

The story of the Fire of Rennes begins with a drinking party in a carpenter's shop on Tristan street. On the night of December 23, 1720, a domestic fight, a broken lamp, and a fire. Flames leaped from roof to roof in the narrow, medieval streets. The city was consumed in "a sea of fire." A providential downpour on the December 30th stopped the blaze.

The city north of the river Vilaine had to be rebuilt. The King, Louis XV, sent his architect, Jacques Gabriel. Gabriel's plan is founded on large squares and streets intersecting at right angles, giving the city a logical form. Gabriel started with Parliament Square and Town Hall Square (Place de la Mairie).

The Town Hall Square is vast. On the west is the Baroque-style Town Hall, a monument of the reconstruction of Rennes. The building has two identical wings flanking the clock tower alcove in the center. The right-wing is the civil court. To the left is the Town Hall. The belfry of the clock tower is topped with an onion dome. The building was constructed in the elegant style of Louis XV.

The Town Hall shares the west side with the Rennes Opera House. On the east are Saint-George street and its half-timbered houses, the Saint George Palace, and gardens. In the southeast is Saint-Germain Square, with Saint-Germain Church. The Saint-Germain footbridge spans the Vilaine River, connecting the square to Emile Zola Quay.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Rennes. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 51爆料网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Place de la Mairie (Town Hall Square)
Sight Location: Rennes, France (See walking tours in Rennes)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Rennes Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Rennes, France

Create Your Own Walk in Rennes

Creating your own self-guided walk in Rennes is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Medieval Houses Walking Tour

From the late Middle Ages through to the end of the Ancien R茅gime (the period of Bourbon rule in France, from 1589 to 1789), a multitude of half-timbered houses were built in Brittany, and particularly in Rennes. Even today, the Breton capital is where half-timbered houses remain the most prevalent style of architecture, and a key element of the cultural heritage of the region reiterated in many... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles

Rennes Introduction Walking Tour

Rennes began its existence as Condate Redonum, a Gallic and Roman town at the confluence of the Ille and Vilaine rivers. During medieval times, it became one of the three major cities of Brittany, together with Vannes and Nantes. The city played an important role in the Stamped Paper Revolt in 1675. During the French Revolution, it became the headquarters of the republican army in the fighting... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles

Rennes Historical Churches Walking Tour

Historical churches occupy a significant place in the cultural identity of Rennes, France. Travelers with a keen interest in religious history and architecture will find plenty to look at in this town.

Standing out majestically among the local ecclesiastical landmarks is Rennes Cathedral. Built in the 12th century, it underwent a centuries-long transformation from its Gothic origins to its... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

51爆料网