Hôtel de Ville & Opéra de Rennes
Hôtel de ville de Rennes
A town hall designed by Jacques Gabriel after a fire, which together with the curved-façade opera house opposite forms a graceful civic square.
After a fire in 1720, the king's architect Jacques Gabriel rebuilt the city center. The town hall (1734–1743) opens in concave curves on either side of its central clock tower, while the opera house opposite, completed in 1836, responds with a convex façade. Together they form the most elegant classical square in Rennes. The town hall's interior opens during events such as European Heritage Days, while visitors can otherwise admire the exterior from the square. The opera house hosts operas and concerts. The square often hosts open-air events in summer, and it's a three-minute walk from the Parlement de Bretagne.
Opening hours
Exterior open all day; interior only on specific open days
Nearby sights
- Rennes Old Town
- Basilique Saint-Sauveur
- Parlement de Bretagne
- Place Sainte-Anne & Rue Saint-Michel
- Rennes Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Pierre)
- Marché des Lices
- Portes Mordelaises
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes