Saint-Gratien (Val-d\'Oise)

Geography

Saint-Gratien is located at the doors of the Vallée of Montmorency and at 20 km of Paris. It belongs to the Communauté of agglomeration of the Valley of Montmorency. Near to sectors with strong establishment of economic activities, it remains a primarily residential city.

The communes bordering are Argenteuil, Sannois, Eaubonne, Sannois, Soisy-sous-Montmorency, Enghien-the-Baths and Épinay-sur-Seine.

Organization

Its center is at the same time arts center and commercial.

Transport

Served by the line C of the RER (Station of Saint-Gratien), Saint-Gratien is at 20 minutes of Paris Porte Shirt. The highway a 15 connects it directly to the Defense and the pole of activity of the New City of Cergy-Pontoise, like with the Aéroport Roissy-Charles-of-Gaulle. The RD 14 quickly joined the Door of Asnières or Clichy.

History

Saint-Gratien owes his name with a young shepherd martyrized at the 5th century and canonized by Dagobert Ier in 628. The monks of Saint-Denis built an oratory with its memory. A relic of Gratien saint is buried under the Maître-autel of the church of the city.

In 1225, Guillaume de Cornillon has most of the territory.

At the 17th century, the Maréchal Nicolas de Catinat inherits his/her mother the territory of Saint-Gratien. Disgrâcié in 1701 following a conspiracy, it is withdrawn in its castle with Saint-Gratien, built in 1610 by his/her grandfather. It receives there Bossuet, Fénelon, Vauban, Madam de Sévigné, Madam de Coulanges, the Duc of Rochefoucauld. It shares its existence between the culture of the fruit trees and the management of its field which extends since Orgemont to banks from the current lake from Enghien. He dies in Saint-Gratien on February 12th 1712 and is buried in the vault of the village. To pay homage to this man, the commune of Saint-Gratien adopted the armorial bearings of the Marshal of Catinat in July 1994.

As of the end of the 18th century, Saint-Gratien becomes the privileged site of holiday of Parisian which builds there second home of which some are still visible.

In 1806, the count de Luçay, Jean-Baptiste Legendre, Imperial Prefect, acquires Saint-Gratien. It made build a castle inaugurated by Napoleon i.
In 1832, the marquis Astolphe de Custine, writer, traveller and diplomat, also made build a castle, which was shaven in 1860 by its heirs; it accepted many artists there: Balzac, Victor Hugo, Chopin, Delacroix, Chateaubriant which was closely related to his/her mother during twenty years, Alfred de Musset, Barbey d' Aurevilly, George Sand and Lamartine; there remains a building of dependences about it, 67, rue Sœur-Angèle.
The Princess Mathilde-Létizia Bonaparte, girl of Jerome Bonaparte, first of all spent her summers to the Catinat castle as a tenant of the Marquis de Custine. Then it bought in 1853 the castle built by the Count de Luçay (now called " Castle of the Mathilde" Princess;). She accepted there many writers and artists of the Second empire: Prosper Mérimée, Théophile Gautier, Jules and Edmond de Goncourt, Gustave Flaubert, Alexandre Dumas. She invests herself much for Saint-Gratien and her inhabitants while taking part financially in the construction of the first school (disappeared today), with the job creation of nurses, the installation of public lighting and the construction of the current church (to replace that of the 13th century which threatened to collapse). She dies in Paris on January 4th, 1904 and is buried according to her will in the church of Saint-Gratien.
Emile of Girardin

At the 20th century, the commune knows the development of the suburban towns Parisian with a rise of its population and the restoration of her downtown area. From 1910 with 1970, the number of inhabitants passes thus from 2.520 to 20.000.

Heraldic

Demography

Administration

Saint-Gratien belongs to the jurisdiction of authority of Montmorency, and great authority as well as trade of Pontoise.

Safety

The rate of criminality of the district of police force of Enghien-the-Baths (including Saint-Gratien) is of 137,75 acts for 1000 inhabitants (crimes and offenses, figures 2005) what makes some highest of the Val-d'Oise, very largely higher than average the main road (83/1000) and secondary road (88,15/1000). The rate of resolution of the businesses by the police services is of the 25,04%, weakest of the department.

Twinning

August 1st

Personalities related to the commune

the marshal of Catinat passed the end of its life there. It is buried in Saint-Gratien.
Felix Pyat, appointed constituent Assembly of 1848 and member of the Council of the Commune of Paris died in Saint-Gratien in 1889.
Alexandre Dumas lived there.
Corot worked there.
Guy Lux lived there.

Tourist monuments and places

the castle of the princess Mathilde

It is built in 1806 per Jean-Baptiste Legendre, Count de Luçay. The Mathilde Princess repurchases it in 1853 and the fact of raising of a stage. The immense park of the castle is amputee of its big lake which is yielded to the new city of Enghien. Mr Terré, then mayor of Saint-Gratien, makes build, for the princess, the basin of the West of compensation for the loss of the Lake Enghien. After the death of the Princess in 1904, the park is parcelled out and becomes the residential district called “the Park”. Badly preserved, the castle strongly is dilapidated and declared unhealthy in 1967. He is rehabilitated by a private individual, in 1985, then sold in apartments.

the castle Catinat

Builds in 1610 by the grandfather of Nicolas de Catinat, it is inhabited by the Marshal of 1637 with 1712, years during which it receives very many personalities there. The castle is repurchased by the Mathilde Princess in 1857, who in fact a house of friends. Today, it accommodates part of the Social services of the Town hall.

the church : Built 1856 with 1859 to replace that of the 13th century which threatened to collapse, thanks to the subsidies granted by the State and to the Mathilde Princess. The Marshal of Catinat and the Mathilde Princess are buried there.

the Town hall

Builds in the fields of the architect Paul Nief, in the style of a middle-class house, it is inaugurated on February 7th 1909. Two low wings are added in 1936.

the room of the Marriages, with its decoration neogothic, has many paintings illustrating the history of Saint-Gratien.

the Cedar of Lebanon

Located place Gambetta, it is imported by Jussieu and is planted on order of Louis XIV towards 1710, in recognition with Nicolas de Catinat, Seigneur of Saint-Gratien, Marshal of France.

Culture

the Arts center of the Forum
the Arts center Camille Claudel
the theater Jean Marsh
the room George Brassens
the cinema " Toiles"
the Media library Theodore Monod
the library of Raguenets

See too

Valley of Montmorency
Common of the Val-d'Oise

External bonds

http://www.ville-saintgratien.fr/ Official site of the city.

References

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