Rennes historical agricultural labor markets

In the 20th century, the city of Rennes hosted a significant annual agricultural labor market known as the ‘Louée’, ‘Louerie’, or ‘gagerie’. Held every June 29 on the Saint-Pierre holiday, the event transformed the Champ-de-Mars and Boulevard de la Liberté into a hub for seasonal employment.

During this tradition, domestic workers and farm laborers from surrounding rural areas traveled to the capital of Brittany by bicycle or tramway to negotiate contracts with farmers. Men, referred to as ‘Perrins’, and women, known as ‘Perrines’, sought positions for the upcoming harvest season, which typically spanned July through September. Historical records from 1938 indicate that workers often wore symbolic items, such as wheat stalks or flowers, while negotiating wages that ranged between 1,200 and 1,800 francs depending on their skills.