Fougeres Attractions

Fougères (pop. 22,819), 50km/30mi northeast of Rennes, has long been noted as a center of shoe manufacturing, and has an interesting Musée de la Chaussure (Shoe Museum). Nowadays, however, it is mainly an agricultural town, with the largest cattle market in Europe. To the south is the church of St-Sulpice (15th-18th century), with a beautiful interior. The Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. In an old half-timbered house (16th century) adjoining the Town Hall is the Musée Emmanuel de la Villéon, an Impressionist painter (1858- 1944) born in Fougères.