Gif-sur-Yvette

French commune
nomcommune=Gif-sur-Yvette
The old town center of Gif-sur-Yvette
map_size=270px
adjustable_

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mapcaption=Location (in red) within Paris inner and outer suburbs
lat_long=coord|48|42|08|N|2|8|4|E|region:FR_type:city_source:enwiki-GNS
région=Île-de-France
département=Essonne
arrondissement=Palaiseau
canton=Gif-sur-Yvette (chief town)
insee=91272
cp=91190
maire=Michel Bournat
mandat=2008-2014
intercomm=CA du Plateau de Saclay
km²=11.60
alt moy=61 m
alt mini=57 m
alt maxi=172 m
sans=
21,700
21,364
date-sans=Jan. 1, 2005 estimate)
(March 8, 1999 census
dens=1,871
date-dens=2005|

Gif-sur-Yvette is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 22.9 km. (14.2 miles) from the center of Paris.

Geography

The town is crossed by and named after the Yvette river.The total area is 11.60 km² and 4.07 km² is green spaces and woods.

Place names

The town of Gif-sur-Yvette is composed of sections:

* in the valley: The Rougemonts, The Mérantaise, The Mairie, The Féverie, Coupières, Damiette, Courcelle, l'Abbaye, les Coudraies;
* on the Moulon Plateau: The Moulon (uninhabited, aside from a research and educational institute);
* on the Hurepoix Plateau: The Hacquinière, Belleville (created before the war) and Chevry (created in the 1970s, and equipped with infrustructure).

Also, the commune's territory includes many forests such as the Hacquinière Wood and the d'Aigrefoin Wood.

Commune's neighbors

The neighboring communes of Gif-sur-Yvette are : Villiers-le-Bâcle, Saint-Aubin, Saclay, Orsay, Bures-sur-Yvette, Gometz-le-Châtel, Gometz-la-Ville, Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse.

History

The human presence on the Moulon Plateau originates in Neolithic times. Agriculture was developed, notably during the Roman era.

Between the 12th and the 18th century, an important Benedictine abbey was built in Gif.

In the 19th century, Gif remained very agricultural (in particular, operating mills).

In 1867, Gif was linked to the path of the Sceaux train (which later became the south branch of the RER
B).

After the First World War, the Gif commune experienced an important demographic change. The town took the name "Gif-sur-Yvette" in 1930.

Just after the Second World War, Gif-sur-Yvette acquired an international scientific reputation, with the construction of the CNRS and of the CEA.

The town was extended in 1975, with the creation of the Chevry section, from areas ceded by the Gometz-la-Ville and Gometz-le-Châtel communes.

Government

Population

Inhabitants of Gif-sur-Yvette are known as "Giffois".

Economy

Gif-sur-Yvette is situated in the "Science Valley" of the Yvette River. Numerous research organizations exist in this area, such as the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), the CEA (Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique), Supélec (École Supérieure d'Électricité), the LGEP (Laboratoire de Génie Électrique de Paris, associated with Supélec) and the Institute of Plant Biotechnology. Also, Gif is home to the Centre National d'Études and of the National Police Academy.

The CGT operates, since 1950, a "permanent central college" of Gif-sur-Yvette, the Benoît Frachon Center, situated along the Yvette River.

Transport

Gif-sur-Yvette is served by two stations on Paris RER line B: Gif-sur-Yvette and Courcelle-sur-Yvette.Like all the train stations on this line, one train goes towards/past Paris (Charles de Gaules Airport or Mitry) and the other goes towards the other end of the line : St-Remy les Chevreuses.The trains arrive generally at 15 minutes interval.

Famous inhabitants

* Juliette Adam (1836-1936), founder of the Nouvelle Revue (1879) and operator of a famous literary club during the Third Republic.
* The Duke and Duchess of Windsor - whose country home "Le Moulin de la Tuilerie", a sprawling dwelling created from an old mill and a number of barns (Very rare in France at the time - one lived in a Chateau, "not" converted farm buildings!) was on the outskirts of town. The couple bought the buildings in 1952 and were part time residents for around 20 years.
* The artist Fernand Léger died on August 17, 1955 in the house where, in 1972, negotiations were held between Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho which led to the end of the Vietnam War.
* The actor Richard Bohringer lives in the town. His daughter, actress Romane Bohringer pursued her university studies here.
* The actress and super-model Noémie Lenoir is from Gif-sur-Yvette, in the l'Abbaye section.

Religious legacy

The Saint-Rémi Church was constructed in the 12th Century and remained until the 15th Century, a structure of Roman and Gothic architecture. It was registered in 1938.

Some ruins remain of an Benedictine
abbey which was build in the 12 Century, but which became a national property in 1789. It was officially registered in 1963.

External links

* [http://www.mairie-gif.fr/ Gif-sur-Yvette city council's official website]