- Guyancourt
French commune
nomcommune=Guyancourt
map_size=270px
adjustable_
mapcaption=Location (in red) within Paris inner and outer suburbs
lat_long=coord|48|46|17|N|2|04|26|E|region:FR_type:city_source:enwiki-GNS
région=Île-de-France
département=Yvelines
arrondissement=Versailles
canton=
insee=|cp=
maire=
mandat=|intercomm=Communauté
d'agglomération
de Saint-Quentin-
en-Yvelines
alt moy=|alt mini=
alt maxi=|km²=13.0
sans=
28,600
25,079
date-sans=Jan. 1, 2005 estimate)
(March 8, 1999 census
dens=2,200|date-dens=2005Guyancourt is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of
Paris ,France . It is located 21.2 km. (13.2 miles) from the center of Paris, in the "new town" ofSaint-Quentin-en-Yvelines .Geography
The commune of Guyancourt comprises several districts. The first of them, corresponding to the old village, is known as"le village", the others are named:
* Bouviers (Herdsmen), ancienthamlet of the village
* Les Garennes (the wild rabbits)
* L'Europe (Europe)
* Le Pont du Routoir (the bridge over theretting pit )
* Les Saules (the Willows)
* Le Parc (the Park)
* Les Chênes (the Oaks)
* Villaroy (the recently constructed districts of the city)Although located in the
Paris suburbs (in an Anglo-Saxon conception of suburbs), more than half of the territory of the commune of Guyancourt is covered in natural spaces: forests, wood, parks, gardens and ponds.History
Prehistoric
The site of the city was already inhabited by
Neolithic tribes who left hundreds of vestiges such as arrows, flint scrapers, polished axes... which have been recovered in the districts of Bouviers, Troux and Villaroy.Antiquity
The civilization continued through Roman times, as Mr. Leclère, a farmer, demonstrated in a fortuitous way in 1892 by unearthing an antique ballot box in his field.
The religious life
Work to restore the church
Saint-Victor put the date of thesarcophage s at theMerovingian era (from the 7th century). It is believed that the construction of the first church dates from the 14th century. Several funerary vases and a tomb stone dating from the sixteenth century were updated. The church was renovated in the fifteenth century, then entirely rebuilt in the sixteenth century. The most recent restoration goes back to 1998.Guyancourt and the
Palace of Versailles Guyancourt forms part of the "Grand Parc" of the sun king Soleil (
Louis XIV ), which extended around the castle of Versailles. The essential vocation of the populous communes neighbouring the castle is market-gardening, to provide for the important needs for the Court.French revolution Thanks to the register of grievances sent to the governmental authorities (1789), we know that Guyancourtois, who were mostly modest peasants, lived with difficulty under conditions of famine.
The
Franco-Prussian War of 1870France is partly occupied by the Prussian armies. The enemy spreads terror, the houses are plundered, the inhabitants maltreated. Four hundred of them (an enormous figure for the time) prefer to flee.
The 1900s
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Guyancourt was a large village where one cultivates corn, oats, beets, fodder and potatoes. The trades were numerous, with almost 16 wine merchants for 614 inhabitants.
First World War The war of 1914-1918 cost the lives of thirty-six Guyancourtois.
Second World war The war of 1939-1945 also touched Guyancourt, which was liberated by August 25, 1944.
The end of the twentieth century
Starting from the beginning of the 1950s, the Paris area saw a considerable demographic growth. To structure the development of the suburbs, it was decided to create several
new town s around Paris, one of which beingSaint-Quentin-en-Yvelines . The new city of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines includes today seven communes (eleven in the beginning), one of which is Guyancourt. In 1950 Guyancourt was only one small village. The commune grew since 1970 to reach the figure of 27,000 inhabitants in 2004.Culture
Twinnings
The Village is twinned with:
* [http://www.linlithgow.com/ Linlithgow] In Scotland - The birthpalce of Mary Queen of Scots
*
*touristMonuments and places of interest
Famous People of Guyancourt
* [http://rolandnadaus.monsite.wanadoo.fr Roland Nadaus] : Poet, writer, lampoonist, storyteller, lyric writer, novelist, local councillor and départemental. The author of about thirty works, he also assumed several mandates of mayor, advising general, and President of the urban community (then called the SAN, trade union of new agglomeration).
Economy
Industrial Fabric
Guyancourt accommodates not only many SME and trade, but also several large companies, such as:
* Le TechnocentreRenault (automobile)
* The registered office ofBouygues (construction)
* The national case ofCrédit Agricole
* The registered office ofMcDonald's, France
*Prost Grand Prix (closed now).Higher education and research
* Guyancourt is home to a campus of the [http://www.uvsq.fr/english.html University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin] . The buildings located in the commune relate to the lessons on human rights and the social sciences.
* One also finds there research laboratories of theINRA (National Institute of Agronomic Research)Transportation
Guyancourt is served by no station of the Paris Métro, RER, or suburban rail network. The closest station to Guyancourt is Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines station on Paris RER line C, on the
Transilien La Défense suburban rail line, and on theTransilien Paris – Montparnasse suburban rail line. This station is located in the neighboring commune ofMontigny-le-Bretonneux , 2.7 km.(1.6 miles) from the town center of Guyancourt.External links
* [http://www.ville-guyancourt.fr Ville of Guyancourt, official site]
* [http://www.villaroy.net/ Site of the district of Villaroy]
* [http://www.les-saules.net/ Site of the district of the Willows]
* [http://www.saint-Quentin-in-yvelines.fr new City of Saint-Quentin-in-Yvelines ]
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