Mériel

Mériel is a commune of the Val-d'Oise located in the valley of the Oise and at orée of the Forêt of Isle-Adam, to approximately 32 km in the north of Paris.

Its inhabitants are Mériellois (be).

Geography

The commune is bordering on Isle-Adam, Villiers-Adam, Méry-on-Oise, Auvers-sur-Oise and Butry-on-Oise.

It is served by a Gare ('' Mériel '') of the line Paris - '' Persan-Beaumont '' by Ermont.

Heraldic

History

The name Mériel means small Méry .

The site of the commune is occupied since the Celtic period, as testify some to the archaeological discoveries of the XXe century.

The Notre-Dame abbey of the Valley is founded in the vicinity in 1125 by monks cistercians. The hamlet of Mériel is formed, and the kings and prelates, attracted by the abbey, stop there.

The hamlet, seigniory at the 15th century of Orgemont and the Villiers of Isle-Adam is attached to Villiers-Adam until in 1713. It remains under the influence of the lords of the manor of Stors until the 20th century. In 1791, Mériel counted 360 inhabitants.

Inhabitants of the village take part in 1804 in the arrest of accomplices of Cadoudal, which is worth to them a letter of congratulations of Bonaparte, then First Consul.

The place known as the Field Pear tree saw to clash French soldiers and Prussians in 1870, without damage for the commune.

In 1943-1944, the German army establishes in the old careers of the assembly workshops of the V1 rockets, involving a bombardment combined on the commune.

The commune, vacation resort in edge of river close to Paris, attracts at the twentieth century of many celebrities.

Personalities related to the commune

Jean Moncorgé, known as Jean Gabin passed his childhood and its adolescence to Mériel. Born in Paris on May 19th 1904, it lived in Mériel in a house of main street, along the railroad. He will dream to become locomotive engineer, dream exhaucé… in 1938 while turning the role of a mechanic in the human Animal of Jean Renoir.
the family of Montebello, owner of the field of Stors. A stone cross street Madeleine-and-Louise de Montebello points out the death of Louis de Montebello, struck by the lightning in 1912.
the architect Louis-Charles Boileau, at the origin of the plans of the mill of Stors and the old school of the city.
the actress Cécile Sorel lived in Mériel.
the dramatic author Robert de Flers made a stay with Mériel.
the historian Fernand Braudel was classmate of Jean Moncorgé in Mériel from his seven to ten years.
Andre Leducq, racing cyclist, lived several years there.
Fellena Masse old Coconut-girl of Cocoricocoboy of TF1 lives in Mériel. She is currently professor of dance.

Administration

The common one belongs to the jurisdiction of authority, of great authority as well as trade of Pontoise.

Twinning

Mériel is twinned since the year 2000 with Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales.

Demography

In 2005, the annual inquiry of census of INSEE in the commune of Mériel makes to state of a population of 4.402 inhabitants , that is to say an increase of 8,9% compared to 1999.

Monuments and places of visit

the Musée Jean-Gabin (1, place Jean Gabin) was created by the municipality in 1993 following a gift of the Moncorgé-Gabin family. Many personal memories of the actor (correspondence, films…) there are presented as in a scenario animated on the topic: “The film of its life, life of its films”. The museum is open saturdays and Sundays from March 15th to November 15th of 14:00 to 18:00, entry 4€. It is arranged in the old working house inhabited by the actor during his childhood then by its beautiful-fère Jean Poésy, champion of boxing.

the Notre-Dame abbey of the Valley is the oldest abbey cistercian of the Val-d'Oise. She was mainly destroyed in 1845. Remain only the building of the monks of the end of the 12th century and the northern gallery of the cloister, with arcades in semicircular arch, remade in 1725 as well as remainders of the church. The building of the monks, best preserved of the unit, includes/understands a frontage furnished with buttresses and bay opening semicircular arch. The ground floor, follow one another the sacristy, the chapter house, the visiting room and room of the monks. On the 1st floor, the dormitory of the 13th century is one of most beautiful of the order cistercian, arched warheads and divided into spans by 8 columns. the church Saint-Eloi is built on the site of an old sanctuary of which does not remain that a door in the bottom of the nave. The original building was probably set up at the 13th century, but until in 1713 was only one additional vault of the church of Villiers-Adam. Four tombs of the Notre-Dame abbey of the Valley were transferred to spring 1792 under the flagstones from the chorus of which the burial of Charles Villiers of Isle-Adam (death in 1535), bishop of Beauvais and commendataire of the abbey of the Valley. The tombstones were discovered in 1981. The church contains a Chaire to be preached out of wood of the XVe century (coming from the abbey of the Valley) and three Stalles of the XVIe century. One can see a Christ there on the cross of 1911 of Madeleine Poésy, sister of Jean Gabin.

the mill of Stors , or mill Perrot, integral part of the field of Stors, was built by the monks of the abbey of the Valley starting from 1525. Under the Second Empire, the building was transformed into gentilhommière by the architect Louis-Charles Boileau. It is surrounded by a beautiful landscaped garden and is located on the classified site of the marshes of Stors (Vallée of Chauvry), born from the absence of maintenance of the ponds created by the monks. Property, like the castle of the same name, the Lannes de Montebello, the mill sees passing Georges Duhamel and Wladimir d' Ormesson. The family of this last hiding place there Gestapo in 1943-1944. The principal mill is decorated of a small mill of the beginning of last century, which accommodated the guests.

the school Montebello , closed in 1902, became a dwelling. It is the work of Louis-Charles Boileau (1871-1872). Its construction was decided by Cheuvreux, lords of the manor of Stors before Montebello.

The bridge of railroad connects the stations of Mériel and Valmondois. It replaces the vat of Stors at the end of the XIXe century.

See too

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