Massy (the Essonne)

Population

The town of Massy developed in very little time. Large borough of 6 000 inhabitants in the Years 1950, it exceeded 37 000 inhabitants in 1968. Since this date, its population, after having slightly exceeded the 42 000, was stabilized.

Transport

Massy is an important rail junction of the southern suburbs of Paris. Two stations are on its territory (Massy-Glass and Massy-Palaiseau), served each one by the two lines of the RER which cross the commune (lines B and C). Important maintenance workshops of oars the RER are installed there. Lastly, since 1991, the Gare of Massy-TGV makes it possible to connect the city to the national rail network; it is located in the vicinity immediate of the station Massy-Palaiseau .

Armorial bearings

Blasonnement of Massy is: Sand to the léopardé gold lion armed and lampassé of mouths, to the chief of azure charged with three flowers of gold lily.

External ornaments: the ecu stamped of the mural gold crown with three built crenelated sand towers and supported by two branches of oak also of gold englantées of money, crossed and bound points some in saltire .

History

The etymological origin of Massy is still very dubious. This name could result from the name of an owner of a Villa of the Gallo-Roman time, site original of the village. Being called Matius or Matheus the name of its property then village would have undergone the deformations related on time and the language to become Massy. Located near the road between Paris and Chartres, the villa was undoubtedly built on a height (the Mont Gaudon) and formed the starting point of a human establishment. The basement Argile ux explains the formation of a clearing within the forest and the many stretches of water of the surroundings.

With the the Middle Ages and until the end of the Old Mode, the properties seigneuriales divide the territory of the current commune with a majority part for the ecclesiastical institutions and in particular the Abbaye of Saint-Germain-of-Meadows. At the 10th century, the line of the lords of Massy is established, their title of nobility will become a baronnie (today family of the Grimaldi-Monaco).

Before 1900, the history of the city is similar to that of the rural boroughs of the Ile-de-France. After the Revolution, the common one remains rural. The population follows an evolution identical to that of the remainder of the area. It undergoes the same wars, epidemics and rebellions. The massicois exert mainly agricultural trades (garden, vine growers), even if a local arts and crafts is always present. The factory of tiles, abandoned after the Second world war, was the oldest industry of the commune.

It is with the beginning of the 20th century that the face of Massy changes: of rural village, it changes downtown subjected more and more to the attraction of Paris. This borough of 1 400 inhabitants became today a town of almost 40.000 inhabitants. At the end of the 19th century, the development of the railroad supports the installation of industries. The first allotments are born at the beginning of the century. The urbanization of city develops towards the districts of the Gravels and Unpleasant, where it is necessary to establish a school since 1927. It is the time of the “house of suburbs”.

During the Second world war, the Marshalling yard of Massy-Palaiseau represented a strategic rail junction. The bombardments of these infrastructures made 88 victims and of the property damages in all the city. Post-war period, the rebuilding of the war damagees and the development of the Paris and its suburbs will metamorphose the geography of the commune. The housing shortage makes rage: the movement “beaver” establishes some residences in the East of the city. The establishment of the Housing scheme on 145 hectares of the communes of Massy-Antony makes double the population. The construction of the ZUP of Unpleasant, 10 years afterwards, was to rebalance the urbanization of the city. This abrupt urban development also modifies the social structure: renovation of the population, arrival of population of foreign origin, etc years 1960 and 1970 see raising the questions related to the rapid urban development: problem of housing and Shantytown S, lack of public equipment, requalification of certain industrial sites, delinquency, etc to meet the needs for this new population, of many infrastructures were created: sporting schools, hospital, centers, swimming pool, arts center, cribs, green areas. The establishment of the station TGV in 1991 is an asset for the economic development of the city. Today, certain equipment has a radiation which exceeds the communal and departmental circle, in particular the opera-theater. (Author: Municipal files of Massy)

Notes:

the oldest tilery of Île-de-France was created there in 1640. The factory was destroyed in 1944.
the last lords of Massy were Grimaldi of Monaco.
the railroad (Line of Seals) was prolonged of Borough-the-Queen to Orsay in 1846.

Administration

Massy is divided into two cantons:

the Canton of Massy-Is account 18.316 inhabitants;
the Canton of Massy-West account 19.396 inhabitants.

Economy

The city has an antenna of the Chamber of commerce and industry of the Essonne.

Famous characters

Nicolas Appert, inventor of the process of canning, created there in 1802 a workshop employing fifty people in order to produce there the preserves which made it famous. The factory was destroyed in 1815, following the Prussian invasion. Nicolas Appert returns in Massy in 1835 to die there on June 1st, 1841.
Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges, celebrates historian, lived in Massy of 1883 on 1889, date of its death.
Jacques Rene Tenon was surgeon in Salpêtrière. It owes its notoriety with the combat which it carried out for the development of hygiene in the hospitals: it thus imposed the installation of individual beds and the insulation of the contagious patients. Its property accommodates today the Orphans Apprentices of Auteuil.
the princess Antoinette of Monaco was created baroness of Massy by her younger brother Rainier III of Monaco in 1951.
Leon Poliakov, historian of the anti-semitism and the racism of world reputation lived in Massy of the years 1950 with its death in 1997.
Alain Chabat, celebrates actor, realizer and producer of cinema.
Jack-Henri Soumere producing of spectacles founder of the Opera of Massy
Arthur, TV host and of radio, producer and actor French.
Dawari HORSFALL Associate manager (association HUMANITARIA).

Important places and monuments

Castle of Vilgénis: built in 1823 in a park of 55 ha. In the park, a pond in form of bicornuate of Napoleon was dug by the young brother of the emperor, Jerome Bonaparte.
Massy has a opera-theater which plays a big role in the cultural life essonnienne.
Massy also has a cinema of art and test of three rooms projecting films in original version. Price of the place: 6,80 € or season ticket of 5 euros per annum for a place with 4,60 euros.
Regional center of climbing.

Lesson

ENSIA, 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of agricultural and food industries.
Cedars, Christian School of French language, member of association fle.fr

Important annual events

International festival of the Circus of Massy
National Living room of the Sporting Book
National Championship of Rugby
Festival of music " Early products of Massy"
Humane World cup of Urban Dances

Twinning

( February of the mayor Vincent Delahaye for Massy of the mayor Roberto Allevi, Ascoli Piceno,

External bonds

Official site Massy
Tourist bureau Massy
national Living room of the sporting book of Massy
Opera of Massy
Official site of the International festival of the Circus of Massy
Festival " Early products of Massy" on the site of the Arts center Paul Baillart

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