Étampes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Commune of Étampes
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| Location | |
| Longitude | 02°09'47" |
| Latitude | 48°26'09" |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Île-de-France |
| Department | Essonne (sous-préfecture) |
| Arrondissement | Étampes |
| Canton | Chief town of 10 cantons |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de communes de l'Étampois |
| Mayor | Franck Marlin (1995-2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Altitude | 66 m–156 m |
| Land area¹ | 40.92 km² |
| Population² (1999 census) |
21,839 |
| - Density (1999) | 534/km² |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 91223/ 91150 |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| ² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel). | |
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Étampes is a commune of the département of Essonne and of the Île-de-France région of France, located in the metropolitan area of Paris. It is located 48.1 km. (29.9 miles) south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sous-préfecture of the Essonne département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Étampes.
Étampes, together with the neighboring communes of Morigny-Champigny and Brières-les-Scellés, form an urban area of 26,604 inhabitants (1999 census). This urban area is a "satellite city" of Paris.
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[edit] History
Étampes (Latin: Stampae) existed at the beginning of the 7th century and in the early Middle Ages belonged to the crown domain. During the Middle Ages it was the scene of several councils, the most notable of which took place in 1130 and resulted in the recognition of Innocent II as the legitimate pope. In 1652, during the war of the Fronde it suffered severely at the hands of the royal troops under Turenne.
[edit] Geography
Étampes lies on the river Chalouette, a tributary of the Juine which waters the eastern outskirts of the town.
[edit] Transport
Étampes is served by two stations on Île-de-France's RER line C: Étampes and Saint-Martin d'Étampes.
[edit] Sights
A fine view of Étampes is obtained from the Tour Guinette, a ruined keep built by Louis VI in the 12th century on an eminence on the other side of the railway. Notre-Dame du Fort, the chief church, dates from the 11th and 12th centuries; irregular in plan, it is remarkable for a fine Romanesque tower and spire, and for the crenellated wall which partly surrounds it. The interior contains ancient paintings and other artistic works. St Basile (12th and 16th centuries), which preserves a Romanesque doorway, and St Martin (12th and 13th centuries), with a leaning tower of the 16th century, are of less importance.
The civil buildings offer little interest, but two houses named after Anne de Pisseleu, mistress of Francis I, and Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henry II, are graceful examples of Renaissance architecture. In the square there is a statue of the naturalist, Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, who was born in Étampes.
[edit] Monuments and tourist attractions
- Tour de Guinette
 La Tour Guinette-the remains of Château d'Étampes |
- Hôtel de Ville
 L'Hôtel de Ville |
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- Hôtel Anne-de-Pisseleu
- Théâtre buily by the architect Gabriel Davioud in 1851-1852, paid for by a public subscription
- Regional leisure park (wave pool)
- Sculptures created by André Deluol : Vénus anadyomène, La Terre, Le Corbeau et le Renard, Jeune fille et oiseau, Un Ange, Deux danseuses nues
[edit] Religious edifices
- Église Notre Dame du Fort
 Église Notre-Dame-du-Fort |
 Église Notre-Dame-du-Fort |
 Église Notre-Dame-du-Fort |
 Église Notre-Dame-du-Fort |
- Église Saint-Basile
 Église Saint-Basile |
 Église Saint-Basile |
 Église Saint-Basile |
- Église Saint-Martin, famous for its leaning tour
 Église Saint-Martin |
 Église Saint-Martin |
 Église Saint-Martin |
 Église Saint-Martin |
- Église Saint-Gilles
 Église Saint-Gilles |
 Église Saint-Gilles |
 Église Saint-Gilles |
 Église Saint-Gilles |
 Église Saint-Gilles |
 Église Saint-Gilles |
 Église Saint-Gilles |
- Chapelle de Gérofosse
- Chapelle de Guinette
[edit] Miscellaneous
[edit] Subprefecture
The subprefecture, a tribunal of first instance, and a communal college are among the public institutions of Étampes.
[edit] English Speaking Expatriates
Banlieue towns of the Île de France tend to depend a lot on Paris for administration purposes and other facilities. The centre of Paris is also a haven for several English speaking nationalities and EU expatriates, however in outlying towns such as this one there isn't the network that caters for these groups.
Generally, via the internet, a look on services such as Yahoo Groups can yield a few useful resources with expat groups such as Live in France, English Speakers in France, Paris Sud or Webvivant. All of these can provide much needed advice and friendship to English speaking residents of the Île de France.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
[edit] External links
