Saint-Germain-en-Laye
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Saint-Germain-en-Laye | ||
---|---|---|
Subprefecture and commune | ||
![]() |
||
|
||
Country | France | |
Region | Île-de-France | |
Department | Yvelines | |
Arrondissement | Saint-Germain-en-Laye | |
Canton | Saint-Germain-en-Laye | |
Intercommunality | CA Saint Germain Boucles Seine | |
Government | ||
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Arnaud Pericard[1] | |
Area1 | 51.94 km2 (20.05 sq mi) | |
Population (Jan. 2018)2 | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 405: invalid escape sequence near '"^'. | |
Demonym(s) | Saint-Germanois Saint-Germinois |
|
INSEE/Postal code | 78551 / 78100 | |
Elevation | 22–107 m (72–351 ft) (avg. 78 m or 256 ft) |
|
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
Saint-Germain-en-Laye (French: [sɛ̃ ʒɛʁmɛ̃ ɑ̃ lɛ] ( listen)) is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, 19.1 km (11.9 mi) from the centre of Paris.
Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois or Saint-Germinois. With its elegant tree-lined streets it is one of the more affluent suburbs of Paris, combining both high-end leisure spots and exclusive residential neighborhoods (see the Golden Triangle of the Yvelines).
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a sub-prefecture of the department. Because it includes the National Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, it covers approximately 48 km2 (19 sq mi), making it the largest commune in the Yvelines. It occupies a large loop of the Seine. Saint-Germain-en-Laye lies at one of the western termini of Line A of the RER.
Contents
History
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Saint-Germain-en-Laye was founded in 1020 when King Robert the Pious (ruled 996–1031) founded a convent on the site of the present Church of Saint-Germain.
In 1688, James II of England exiled himself to the city after being deposed from the throne in what has become known as the Glorious Revolution. He spent the remainder of his days there, and died on 16 September 1701.[2]
Prior to the French Revolution in 1789, it had been a royal town and the Château de Saint-Germain the residence of numerous French monarchs. The old château was constructed in 1348 by King Charles V on the foundations of an old castle (château-fort) dating from 1238 in the time of Saint Louis. Francis I was responsible for its subsequent restoration. In 1862, Napoleon III set up the Musée des Antiquités Nationales in the erstwhile royal château. This museum has exhibits ranging from Paleolithic to Celtic times. The "Dame de Brassempouy" sculpted on a mammoth's ivory tusk around 23,000 years ago is the most famous exhibit in the museum.
Kings Henry IV and Louis XIII left their mark on the town. Louis XIV was born in the château (the city's coat of arms consequently shows a cradle and the date of his birth), and established Saint-Germain-en-Laye as his principal residence from 1661 to 1681. Louis XIV turned over the château to James VII & II of Scotland and England after his exile from Britain after the Glorious Revolution in 1688. James lived in the Château for 13 years, and his daughter Louisa Maria Stuart was born in exile here in 1692. James II is buried in the parish church.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is famous for its 2.4-kilometre (1.5 mi) long stone terrace built by André Le Nôtre from 1669 to 1673. The terrace provides a view over the valley of the Seine and, in the distance, Paris. During the French Revolution, the name was changed along with many other places whose names held connotations of religion or royalty. Temporarily, Saint-Germain-en-Laye became Montagne-du-Bon-Air. During his reign, Napoleon I established his cavalry officers training school in the Château-Vieux.
The Treaty of Saint-Germain was signed in 1919 and was applied on 16 July 1920. The treaty officially registered the breakup of the Habsburg empire, which recognized the independence of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia).[3]
During the occupation from 1940 to 1944, the town was the headquarters of the German Army.[clarification needed]
On 1 January 2019, the former commune Fourqueux was merged into Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[4]
Saint-Germain parish church
![](/w/images/thumb/d/d8/%C3%89glise_Saint-Germain_120401.jpg/360px-%C3%89glise_Saint-Germain_120401.jpg)
The parish church, which is dedicated to Germain of Paris, was originally constructed in the eleventh century, and the present building (the fourth on the site) was built in the 1820s in a Neoclassical style, with six Tuscan columns supporting a pediment on the main façade. The church houses the mausoleum of James II of England and was visited by Queen Victoria in 1855.[5]
The organ, originally installed in 1698, was rebuilt by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in the nineteenth century and refurbished in 1903. The church's organists have included Albert Renaud (1891–1924), Albert Alain (1924–1971) and Marie-Claire Alain (1971–2010).
Population
The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye proper, in its geography at the given years. The population of Fourqueux, absorbed in 2019, is not included.
Historical population | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE (2007-2017)[7][8] |
Transport
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is connected to other communes by the Résalys bus network operated by Transdev. Saint-Germain-en-Laye is served by Saint-Germain-en-Laye station on Paris RER line A.
It was also served by two stations on the Grande Ceinture Ouest branch of the Transilien Paris-Saint-Lazare suburban rail line: Saint-Germain-Bel-Air–Fourqueux and Saint-Germain–Grande Ceinture. The branch was in operation from 12 December 2004 to 28 June 2019.[9]
On 6 July 2022 the Île-de-France tramway Line 13 Express opened, serving the two former Grande Ceinture Ouest station, as well as two additional stations within Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[10][11]
The Achères–Grand-Cormier station is also situated within the Saint-Germain-en-Laye commune. It is served by the Paris RER line A and the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line. The station is located in the middle of the Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, far from the urbanized part of the commune.
Sport
Football
Saint-Germain-en-Laye has a proud footballing history. From 1904 to 1970, it was represented by Stade Saint-Germain, but following a 1970 merger with Paris FC, became Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). PSG is a top-flight football team that is the most successful team in France in terms of trophies.[12]
Sporting facilities
There is one main sporting facility in Saint-Germain-en-Laye: the Stade Municipal Georges Lefèvre. It covers over 12 hectares and contains: – 5 football pitches – 3 stands – 1 athletic track – 22 tennis courts – 1 clubhouse – 1 multibeach terrain [13]
Economy
Capcom Entertainment France, a Capcom subsidiary, has its head office in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[14]
Education
As of 2016[update] the schools in this commune had 20,581 students, with 7,300 of them living in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. There is a high ratio of overall students to town inhabitants. The municipal nursery and primary schools have 3,549 students. 1,026 students attend private schools in the commune.
Schools
As of 2016[update] the municipality operates ten nursery schools and nine primary schools.[15]
522 students attend the Lycée International de Saint Germain-en-Laye nursery and primary divisions.[15] The public school consistently ranks among France's top schools and is considered to be the country's best public international school. It includes 14 different language sections, including one for Japanese students, and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) lists that program in its group of European hoshuko (part-time Japanese educational programmes).[16]
Public schools include:
- Lycée Jeanne-d'Albret
- Lycée technologique Léonard-de-Vinci
- Lycée technologique Jean-Baptiste-Poquelin
- lycée agricole et horticole de Saint-Germain-Chambourcy
- Collège Marcel Roby
Private schools include:
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is also home to the Institut d'études politiques de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The political science grande école was founded in 2013 and, as of 2023, has a student body of over 800.[17]
Libraries
There are two libraries:[18]
- Bibliothèque multimédia
- Bibliothèque George-Sand
In art
-
The Terrace at Saint-Germain, Spring, 1875 by Alfred Sisley. The Walters Art Museum.
Hospital
Notable people
Saint-Germain-en-Laye was the birthplace of:
Nobility
- Henry II (1519–1559), King of France
- Marie of France (1344–1404), Duchess of Bar
- Jeanne d'Albret (1528–1572), Queen Regnant of Navarre
- Charles IX (1550–1574), King of France
- Louis de Buade de Frontenac (1622–1698), French courtier and Governor of New France
- Louis XIV (1638–1715), King of France
- Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, (1640–1701), younger brother of Louis XIV
- Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart (1692–1712), daughter of James II of England, known to Jacobites as the Princess Royal
- Charles O'Gara (1699–1777), a courtier and official of the Holy Roman Empire of Jacobite Irish descent
Musicians
- Albert Renaud (1855–1924), organist
- Claude Debussy (1862–1918), composer
- Albert Alain (1880–1971), composer and organist
- Jehan Alain (1911–1940), composer
- Marie-Claire Alain (1926–2013), organist and organ teacher
- Benoît Delbecq (born 1966), jazz pianist and composer
Sports
- Mohamed Haddadou (born 1974), footballer
- Amélie Mauresmo (born 1979), tennis player
- Bruno Besson (born 1979), racing driver
- Ismael Gace (born 1986), footballer
- Christopher Oualembo (born 1987), footballer
- Jonathan Eysseric (born 1990), tennis player
- Frédéric Vieillot (born 1990), footballer
- Caroline Garcia (born 1991), tennis player
- Rashad Muhammed (born 1993), footballer
- Gabriel Aubry (born 1998), racing driver
Scientists
- Jean Albert Gaudry (1827–1908), geologist and palaeontologist
- Salomon Reinach (1858–1932), archaeologist
- Sylvie Vauclair (born 1946), astrophysicist
Other
- John Patrick O'Gara (born 1692), soldier in the Spanish Army of Jacobite Irish descent
- Charles Gautier de Vinfrais (1704–1797), hunter and encyclopédiste
- Louis-Michel Letort de Lorville (1773–1815), French general of the Napoleonic Wars
- Jaque Catelain (1897–1965), actor
- Jacques Fesch (1930–1957), Christian mystic
- Jean-Jacques Lafaye (born 1958), writer, essayist
- Albert Dupontel (born 1964), actor
- Emmanuelle Polack (born 1965), art historian
- Virginie Greiner (born 1969), comic book scriptwriter
- Christian de Boisredon (born 1974), social entrepreneur
- Mélanie Thierry (born 1981), French actress
- Marion Maréchal-Le Pen (born 1989), French politician
The town is also associated with:
- James II of England, king who lived there in exile and is buried there
- Charles-Hippolyte de Paravey, French engineer who died in the city
- Gérard de Nerval (1808–1855), poet, who lived there during part of his childhood and adolescence
- Gabriel de Mortillet (1821-1898) French archeologist and anthropologist, mayor of the town from 1882 to1888
- Pierre de Porcaro (1904–1945), priest and prisoner-of-war during the Second World War
Twin towns - sister cities
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is twinned with:[19]
Aschaffenburg, Germany, since 1975
Schwelm, Germany
Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland, since 1984
Winchester, Massachusetts, United States, since 1990
Konstancin-Jeziorna, Poland, since 1992
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica "Treaty of Saint-Germain", retrieved from Britannica.com.
- ↑ Arrêté préfectoral 19 December 2018 Script error: No such module "In lang".
- ↑ French Monuments, Discover the church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
- ↑ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Saint-Germain-en-Laye, EHESS. Script error: No such module "In lang".
- ↑ Populations légales 2012, INSEE
- ↑ Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017, INSEE
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Contact." Capcom. Retrieved 12 August 2011. "France: Capcom Entertainment France 30 bis, rue du Viel Abreuvoir FR.78100 Saint Germain En Laye"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Children > Presentation." Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ↑ "欧州の補習授業校一覧(平成25年4月15日現在)" (Archive). Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Home." Saint-Germain-en-Laye Libraries. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Saint-Germain-en-Laye
- Saint-Germain-en-Laye Script error: No such module "In lang".
- Saint-Germain-en-Laye Script error: No such module "In lang".
- Saint-Germain-en-Laye at Curlie
- [http://www.mablehome.com/fortification/france/allemandes/st-germain-en-laye/saint-germain-en-laye-01.htm German bunkers in Saint-Germain-en-Laye
- Use dmy dates from January 2018
- Articles with invalid date parameter in template
- Pages with broken file links
- Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2009
- Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016
- Interlanguage link template link number
- Articles with Curlie links
- 1020 establishments in Europe
- 1020s establishments in France
- Populated places established in the 11th century
- Cities in Île-de-France
- Communes of Yvelines
- Communes nouvelles of Yvelines
- Subprefectures in France