Place de la Mairie, Rennes

Square in Rennes

CC BY-SA 4.0 / Fab5669

The story of the Great Fire of Rennes begins on the night of December 23, 1720, with a drinking party in a carpenter’s workshop on Rue Tristan. A domestic dispute broke out, a lamp was knocked over, and a fire began—one that would quickly spread beyond control. In the cramped, medieval streets of the city, flames leapt from rooftop to rooftop, engulfing everything in their path. Rennes was soon overwhelmed by what witnesses described as a “sea of fire.” It wasn’t until a fortuitous downpour on December 30th that the blaze was finally extinguished.

With much of the city north of the Vilaine River reduced to ashes, a complete reconstruction was necessary. King Louis XV appointed his architect, Jacques Gabriel, to lead the effort. Gabriel’s vision replaced the chaotic medieval layout with a more rational and ordered design—wide squares and straight streets intersecting at right angles. The redevelopment began with two key spaces: Parliament Square and Place de la Mairie (Town Hall Square), setting the tone for the city’s new classical identity.

Place de la Mairie is one of Rennes’ most impressive public squares. Dominating its western side is the Baroque-style Town Hall, a hallmark of the city’s post-fire architecture. The building features symmetrical wings flanking a central alcove with a clock tower crowned by an onion dome. The right wing houses the civil court, while the left is home to the municipal offices. This elegant structure embodies the refined style of Louis XV. Sharing the square is the Rennes Opera House, its rounded façade a graceful counterpoint. To the east lie Rue Saint-Georges with its surviving half-timbered houses, the Saint George Palace and gardens. Further southeast, the square opens onto Place Saint-Germain and its church, while the Saint-Germain footbridge spans the Vilaine, connecting the area to the Emile Zola Quay.

The Place de la Mairie, Rennes appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Rennes!

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