Le Mesnil-le-Roi
Encyclopedia
Le Mesnil-le-Roi is a commune
in the Yvelines
department in the Île-de-France
region
in north-central France
. It is about 8 km (5 mi) from Saint-Germain-en-Laye
.
The name "Mesnil" comes from meaning "little estate". The name "Le Mesnil-le-Roi" could be said "The King's small estate" (Francis I
). On the other hand, the name of Mesnil-le-Roi in the time of the French Revolution
was , "Mesnil garrison".
The inhabitants are called (singular) and (plural).
and the left bank of the River Seine
. It is bordered by Maisons-Laffitte
to the north, Pecq to the south and Saint-Germain-en-Laye
to the west. To the east, the Seine separates it from Montesson
. The communal land includes an equal part of an island in the Seine, the Île de la Borde.
Outside the town, conjoining with Maisons-Laffitte, tge commune includes a second major estate, Carrières-sous-Bois.
The commune is crossed in its southern part by the A14 autoroute
, partly underground. This autoroute
crosses the Seine on a viaduct
of reinforced concrete
, forming two parallel bridges.
, adopted in 1952, derives from the La Salle family, the ancient landowners of Carrières-sous-Bois, and it was given to them by Francis I.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Yvelines
Yvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
department in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in north-central France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is about 8 km (5 mi) from Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...
.
The name "Mesnil" comes from meaning "little estate". The name "Le Mesnil-le-Roi" could be said "The King's small estate" (Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
). On the other hand, the name of Mesnil-le-Roi in the time of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
was , "Mesnil garrison".
The inhabitants are called (singular) and (plural).
Geography
Mesnil-le-Roi is situated between the Forest of Saint-Germain-en-LayeForest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye or Forêt de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is a dominial forest of 35 km² in area which lies in a meander of the River Seine, France. Situated 20 km West of Paris, between Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Maisons-Laffitte, Achères and Poissy, It is situated entirely...
and the left bank of the River Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
. It is bordered by Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris from the center....
to the north, Pecq to the south and Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...
to the west. To the east, the Seine separates it from Montesson
Montesson
Montesson is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris.-External links:* http://www.fotw.net/flags/fr-78-ms.html...
. The communal land includes an equal part of an island in the Seine, the Île de la Borde.
Outside the town, conjoining with Maisons-Laffitte, tge commune includes a second major estate, Carrières-sous-Bois.
The commune is crossed in its southern part by the A14 autoroute
A14 autoroute
The autoroute A14 is an autoroute in the western suburbs of Paris, France.The motorway starts at La Défense in Hauts-de-Seine and ends at Orgeval in Yvelines. The A14 was built to relieve the congested A13 between Paris and Normandy. The A14, opened in 1996, is operated by the Société des...
, partly underground. This autoroute
Autoroutes of France
The Autoroute system in France consists largely of toll roads, except around large cities and in parts of the north. It is a network of worth of motorways. Autoroute destinations are shown in blue, while destinations reached through a combination of autoroutes are shown with an added autoroute logo...
crosses the Seine on a viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
of reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
, forming two parallel bridges.
Heraldry
This coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, adopted in 1952, derives from the La Salle family, the ancient landowners of Carrières-sous-Bois, and it was given to them by Francis I.
Administration
| Election date | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Missing results before 2001 are no longer known. | ||
| March 2008 | Marc Demeure | |
| March 2001 | Marc Demeure | |
| May 1995 | Marc Demeure | |
| March 1971 | Henri-Georges Dupret-Ecuyer | |
Demography
Culture
The town participates in a ("Towns and Villages in Bloom" competition) and in 2007 won two flowers .Monuments
- Church of St Vincent: Church in the Flamboyant Gothic styleGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, consecrated on 2 August 1587 - Château du Val, 17th Century, situated on the edge of the Forest of Saint-Germain-en-LayeForest of Saint-Germain-en-LayeThe Forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye or Forêt de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is a dominial forest of 35 km² in area which lies in a meander of the River Seine, France. Situated 20 km West of Paris, between Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Maisons-Laffitte, Achères and Poissy, It is situated entirely...
, built by the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart. - The Orangery of the Château du Mesnil, situated in a protected zone of POS ND-EBC (Non-cultivable woodland)) which has been converted to 43 private houses
- Old abandoned mineshafts (Château du Mesnil, now demolished), situated on the edge of the Orangery on the Rue de Général Leclerc
- Artificial caves (abandoned), ancient glaciers (abandoned) and ruins of canals (now abandoned) in the communal woodlands (Château du Mesnil, now demolished).
Famous people
- Émile LittréÉmile LittréÉmile Maximilien Paul Littré was a French lexicographer and philosopher, best known for his Dictionnaire de la langue française, commonly called "The Littré".-Biography:Émile Littré was born in Paris...
, bought a house in Mesnil-le-Roi in 1847 and stayed there until his death in 1881 - Augustin Henry-Lepaute, watchmaker
- Jacques FathJacques FathJacques Fath was a French fashion designer who was considered one of the three dominant influences on postwar haute couture, the others being Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain.-Career:The son of André Fath, an Alsatian-Flemish insurance agent, Fath came from a creative family...
, tailor, born in Mesnil-le-Roi in 1912 - Serge GainsbourgSerge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
, until then Lucien Ginsburg, married Élisabeth Levitsky at Mesnil-le-Roi Town Hall on 3 November 1951. He worked at this time at the Maison Champsfleur (actually an old people's home) as an assistant to young Israeli children whose parents were victims of the Holocaust. - Jeanne Bourin, novelist and media personality
- Louis PauwelsLouis PauwelsLouis Pauwels was a French journalist and writer.- Biography :Louis Pauwels was a teacher at Athis-Mons from 1939 to 1945 , Louis Pauwels wrote in many monthly literary French magazines as early as 1946 until the...
, journalist - Jules Rein, Politician, mayor of Mesnil-le-Roi, originator of the canton of Maisons-Laffitte – Le Mesnil-le-Roi – Houilles.