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  …a
city anchored in modernity
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In March 1999 (date of the last census),
Vitré counted 15,324 inhabitants. The population
has increased with respect to the previous census. In
the nine years following 1990, the city totalled 834 extra
inhabitants. A third of the population is under 20 years.
There were 867,800 inhabitants in Ille-et-Vilaine in 1999,
namely 69,000 more than in 1990. Ille-et-Vilaine is the
French département where demographic expansion
was the seventh greatest
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Vitré is an educational centre that
has a large number of schools, from nursery schools
to higher education (notably with several highly
rated BTS vocational qualifications), not forgetting
its training centres.
It is also a renowned centre of cultural activities:
arts library (the only one in the département),
approved municipal music conservatory, creations
of residential artists, Madame de Sévigné
multimedia library, etc. The World cultures association,
an information, documentation and diffusion service
located in Paris until recently, decided to move
to Vitré. |
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Sports : Although some disciplines such as
horse riding, judo, golf, roller-skating, and badminton
are increasingly attracting new members, football and
basketball have the largest number of enthusiasts. Sport
at Vitré comprises 38 associations, 4,900 sports
members (2,800 competition sportspeople, 2,100 leisure
sportspeople) and around 1,500 schoolchildren. Individuals
must be added to this number. Large numbers of enthusiasts
of hiking, jogging or cycling enjoy the surrounding wooded
countryside. The city is an active partner of sports activities
by supporting sports clubs. It provides grants for the
construction and maintenance of facilities, including
the development of sport at school, as well as organising
major events such as hosting the Tour de France.
• Economy: Situated in a rich
agricultural basin (mainly dairy), the Vitré area
has developed and diversified its industrial activity
over the last twenty-five years. Vitré-based companies
experienced new growth, such as Noël shoes, S.V.A.
(Société Vitréenne d'Abattage), French
and European bovine abattoir, the dairy products of the
Besnier company, and Texier (fine leather goods). In parallel,
external companies such as S.P. Atlantic now Cooper Standard
Automotive France (rubber components for the automobile
industry); MMO Rupin (furniture for public establishments);
Coudémaille (knitwear); Kolmar now BCM cosmétiques
(manufacture of cosmetics) or Oberthur Smart Cards (magnetic
cards) set up in the area (also consult "Entrepreneur
area"). This economic development is not unrelated
to the geographic situation of Vitré and its surrounding
area: a crossing point to Brittany, Normandy and Anjou.
Indeed, the autoroute de l'Ouest passes by only a few
kilometres from here. Moreover, economic centres were
organised, notably Panavi (bread and cakes), Allflex Europe
(production of animal identification plates), Trans-Ouest
now Vos (road transport company) and Mobiltron (telephony).
So the Vitré area now combines a high rate of activity
and one of the lowest unemployment rates in France (around
5%), which is noticeably lower than the national average.
Self-employed activities are also well represented with
14 self-employed entrepreneurs for 1,000 inhabitants;
this is higher than the national average. The construction
industry alone represents 44% of this sector. The area
of Vitré has the highest level of self-employed
entrepreneur buyouts in Ille-et-Vilaine.
• Daily life: As for commercial
activity, Vitré has an attractive city centre with
three hypermarkets on the bypass (Leclerc, Hyper U and
Intermarché) and a supermarket north of the city
(Écomarché). In order to provide high quality
services for its population, the city council opted for
a free bus service. This is a first for France. Vitré
is resolutely open to the world and is twinned with eight
cities, three of which lie outside of Europe. Many shows,
festivals, salons and events are organised each year.
Their success goes far beyond the borders of the Vitré
area. As for exploiting the heritage and particularly
the historic centre of the city, it attracts tourists
from all walks of life each year. |
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Despite
the inevitable periods of war, the city experienced
several centuries of prosperity from the 14th to the
17th century. Large canvasses were exported to the entire
world by traders united in a 'brotherhood of overseas
merchants'. This flourishing trade was responsible for
the beautiful porch and timber-frame houses, restored
with care on the rue de la Baudrairie, rue d'Embas,
rue Poterie, and rue Notre-Dame. Not to be missed is
also the hôtel du Bol d'Or in stone with its asymmetrical
silhouette. This building inspired many artists, including
Victor Hugo and Balzac. The old walled city, which has
retained its medieval structure is a jewel of 15th and
17th century architecture, perfectly illustrated by
the Notre-Dame church with its flamboyant gothic style.
The old Benedictine convent that adjoins it is being
restored to house the World cultures association. The
neo-Gothic railway station was built in 1857. A few
years later, Mellet, a child of the parish, erected
the neo-Romanesque Saint-Martin church. Arthur de la
Borderie created the castle museum 1876. The city council
moved into the other half of the castle in 1913. In
the Rachapt faubourg, the Saint-Nicolas chapel is now
a sacred art museum specialising in French religious
silverwork.
In
addition to its historic city centre, Vitré offers
its inhabitants and visitors attractive parks and gardens.
The jardin du Parc, the jardin du château des
Rochers and the Pré des Lavandières with
their different styles are spaces that lend themselves
to strolls, each of them with its own special atmosphere.
