HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Chantilly ( , ) is a commune in the Oise department in the Valley of the Nonette in the
Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. The ...
region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
of Northern
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Surrounded by
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
, the town of 10,863 inhabitants (2017) falls within the
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually ...
of
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
. It lies 38.4 km (23.9 miles) north-northeast of the centre of Paris and together with six neighbouring communes forms an
urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...
of 37,254 inhabitants (2018). Intimately tied to the
House of Montmorency The House of Montmorency, pronounced , was one of the oldest and most distinguished noble families in France. Origins The family name Montmorency derived from their castle in the '' pays de France'', recorded in Latin as ''Mons Maurentiacus'', ...
in the 15th to 17th centuries, the Château de Chantilly was home to the
Princes of Condé The Most Serene House of Bourbon-Condé (), named after Condé-en-Brie now in the Aisne ', was a French princely house and a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. The name of the house was derived from the title of Prince of Condé (French: ''p ...
, cousins of the
Kings of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the fir ...
, from the 17th to the 19th centuries. It now houses the Musée Condé. Chantilly is also known for its
horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
track,
Chantilly Racecourse Chantilly Racecourse (In French: "Hippodrome de Chantilly") is a Thoroughbred turf racecourse for flat racing in Chantilly, Oise, France, about north of the centre of the city of Paris. Chantilly Racecourse is located in the country's main ...
, where prestigious races are held for the Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de Diane. Chantilly and the surrounding communities are home to the largest racehorse-training community in France. Chantilly is also home to the Living Museum of the Horse, with stables built by the Princes of Condé. It is considered one of the more important tourist destinations in the Paris area. Chantilly gave its name to Chantilly cream and to Chantilly lace. The city was the base for the England national football team during the Euro 2016 Championship.


Geography

Chantilly lies in the Parisian basin, at the south end of the region of
Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. The ...
and the north end of the Paris metropolitan area. It belongs to the historic region of Valois. Chantilly lies 39 km southwest of
Beauvais Beauvais ( , ; pcd, Bieuvais) is a city and commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise département, in the Hauts-de-France region, north of Paris. The commune of Beauvais had a population of 56,020 , making it the most popul ...
, 79 km south of
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
and 38 km north of Paris. Saint-Maximin lies to the north, Vineuil-Saint-Firmin to the northeast, Avilly-Saint-Léonard to the east, Pontarmé and Orry-la-Ville to the south-east,
Coye-la-Forêt Coye-la-Forêt () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. The communes cooperate in the following inter ...
to the south,
Lamorlaye Lamorlaye () is a commune in the Oise department in the northern region Hauts-de-France. Its inhabitants are referred to as '' Morlacuméen(e)s''. Population See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 commun ...
to the southwest and
Gouvieux Gouvieux () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. Geography The commune is served by the Chantilly-Gouvieux station on the RER D line or the TER trains from the Parisian Gare du Nord station. The town is located in the Chantil ...
to the west. Chantilly is the centre of an urban area that includes the communes of Avilly-Saint-Léonard,
Boran-sur-Oise Boran-sur-Oise (, literally ''Boran on Oise'') is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. Population See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. T ...
,
Coye-la-Forêt Coye-la-Forêt () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. The communes cooperate in the following inter ...
,
Gouvieux Gouvieux () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. Geography The commune is served by the Chantilly-Gouvieux station on the RER D line or the TER trains from the Parisian Gare du Nord station. The town is located in the Chantil ...
,
Lamorlaye Lamorlaye () is a commune in the Oise department in the northern region Hauts-de-France. Its inhabitants are referred to as '' Morlacuméen(e)s''. Population See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 commun ...
and Vineuil-Saint-Firmin. It is the third-largest urban area in the Oise and the seventh-largest in
Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. The ...
. It has no large businesses or heavy industry and 40% of the population works in
Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...
, in other words the Paris area, or its closer suburbs, which are less than an hour away by train.


Topography

Chantilly straddles the junction of the
Paris Basin The Paris Basin is one of the major geological regions of France. It developed since the Triassic over remnant uplands of the Variscan orogeny (Hercynian orogeny). The sedimentary basin, no longer a single drainage basin, is a large sag in th ...
and the western County of Valois, of which the Nonette River is a boundary. The site of the town was originally a clearing or meadowland, sometimes called a lawn or ''pelouse'', which is mostly occupied today by the racecourse. The remaining open space between the town and the racecourse is always referred to as the "little lawn". The highest point in the area, 112 meters, is at Bois Lorris, in
Lamorlaye Lamorlaye () is a commune in the Oise department in the northern region Hauts-de-France. Its inhabitants are referred to as '' Morlacuméen(e)s''. Population See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 commun ...
. The lowest elevation is 35m, at the Canardière on the banks of the Nonette in Gouvieux. The commune sits on a
Lutetian The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage or age in the Eocene. It spans the time between . The Lutetian is preceded by the Ypresian and is followed by the Bartonian. Together with the Bartonian it is sometimes referred to as the ...
sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...
plateau covered by
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
. Sand created by wind and erosion covers this chalky plateau. Although the sand is less than a meter thick it is very useful for training horses in the forest. This stone has also been used for building in parts of the region, and still is today in the adjoining commune of Saint-Maximin. It was also used for building in Chantilly itself during the 18th century, when a quarry on the current site of the racecourse produced stone for the court officials' housing and the stables. In the following century the quarry was used to grow mushrooms, then as an
air raid shelter Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but man ...
during World War II. It now belongs to the Chantilly Estate and is periodically open to the public. Another geological feature is
alluvial Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. ...
accumulations in the river valleys, which have allowed, in the case of the Nonette, the development of community gardens in the locality known as the Canardière.


Hydrology and water supply

The town is bounded at its southern edge by the Thève, a 33 km-long tributary of the Oise River. At this point that valley contains the Commelles ponds, created in the 13th century by the monks of
Chaalis Abbey Chaalis Abbey (french: Abbaye de Chaalis) was a French Cistercian abbey north of Paris, at Fontaine-Chaalis, near Ermenonville, now in Oise. History It was founded in 1136 by Louis VI of France. There had previously been a Benedictine monastery ...
to stock fish. The river Nonette runs through the town itself. This 44 km-long river is also part of the
watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...
of the Oise and is channeled into canals throughout the municipality. In fact, the creation of the château gardens by
André Le Nôtre André Le Nôtre (; 12 March 1613 – 15 September 1700), originally rendered as André Le Nostre, was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was the landscape architect who designed the gard ...
required the complete transformation of the waterway starting in 1663. The riverbed was moved a hundred meters north to create the 2.5 km-long Grand Canal that runs in front of the château. The old riverbed became the 800m-long Canal Saint-Jean, named after a 16th-century chapel demolished when the gardens were created. The Canardière, beneath the actual viaduct, was channeled and cleaned up at this time also. The Canal de la Machine, perpendicular to the other two and nearly 300 meters long, brought water to the Pavilon du Manse, which fed it to the garden ponds and waterfalls in the western gardens, since disappeared, sending it to a reservoir once located on the lawn. Part of this reservoir still exists near the racecourse, but it no longer contains water. Some of this hydrologic work was used to feed factories in the valley. The gardens that remain were watered by a completely different system based on an aqueduct coming from the area around Senlis. In the 18th century a mineral water source was discovered in the valley and a garden pavilion was built between 1725 and 1728 to allow the public to come drink from it. This was a separate source from the source of ferruginous water, called Chantilly water, discovered at La Chausée in Gouvieux, and bottled and carbonated there from 1882 into the 20th century. Also in the 18th century, a supply of drinking water was created by diverting water from the reservoir. In 1823, the last prince of Condé had eighteen fountains installed for the use of residents. In 1895 these were replaced with a supply from a water treatment plant in the neighboring village of Lamorlaye. This brought in water from Chantilly, Lamorlaye and
Boran-sur-Oise Boran-sur-Oise (, literally ''Boran on Oise'') is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. Population See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. T ...
then distributed the treated water through two water towers on the Mont de Pô in Gouvieux. This water supply has been managed by the private company Lyonnaise des eaux since 1928. In 1999 the average price of a cubic meter of water was 3.25 euros. The sewer system was installed in 1878 meanwhile, but initially limited to the area around rue d'Aumale, the Condé Hospice and the rue de Paris, now known as the avenue du Maréchal Joffre. It was extended to the entire town in 1910 through a state subsidy financed by a tax on racetrack bets. A
sewage treatment plant Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding en ...
was built in 1969 at La Canardière, then moved to Gouvieux in 2006. This 22 km network is administered by a regional agency, the syndicat intercommunal pour le traitement des eaux de la vallée de la Nonette (SICTEUV), which covers Apremont, Avilly-Saint-Léonard, Chantilly, Gouvieux et Vineuil-Saint-Firmin.


History


Before the city

No traces of habitation from the
prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The us ...
or
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...
eras have ever been found in Chantilly. A
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
-era grave site was however found on the banks of the Nonette, and Gallo-Roman roads have been discovered in
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
.
Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gaul ...
tombs from the seventh century were found in the 17th and 19th centuries not far from the Faisanderie. Around 1223 Guy IV of Senlis agreed with the prior of Saint-Leu-d'Esserent that first referred to ''Terra cantiliaci''. He was the royal
grand bouteiller The Grand Butler of France (french: Grand bouteiller de France) was one of the great offices of state in France, existing between the Middle Ages and the Revolution of 1789. Originally responsible for the maintenance of the Royal vineyards, and pro ...
, a hereditary position in charge of the king's vineyards, and became the first lord of Chantilly, which at the time was little more than a rock in the middle of a swampy area. A strong house was mentioned in the area in a 1227 document. In 1282 an act of the Parliament of Paris mentions
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
. A 1358 document mentions the destruction of the château in the Grande Jacquerie. It was rebuilt by
Pierre d'Orgemont Pierre (I) d’Orgemont (c. 1315, Lagny-sur-Marne - 23 June 1389, hôtel des Tournelles, Paris) was a French politician of the Hundred Years' War era. Life He seems to have been the son of Jean d’Orgemont, a middle-class man from Lagny who ...
and completed in 1394. During the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...
Anglo-Burgundian forces laid siege to the château and Jacqueline de Paynel, widow of Pierre II d'Orgemont, who died at the
battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 ( Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numeric ...
, as well as of Jean de Fayel, was forced to surrender it. In return, the lives of those in the château were spared, but the surrounding villages were laid to waste. The city began as just a few hamlets scattered outside the château. At the beginning of the 16th century, there were four: * Les Grandes Fontaines, near the foot of the current rue des Fontaines, * Les Petites Fontaines, also called Normandie, the foot of the current quai de la Canardière and rue de la Machine, * Les Aigles, near today's racetrack, which owes its name to the labourers who lived there in the late
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. It disappeared completely during the
French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholics and Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estimates, between two and four mil ...
. * Quinquempoix, the largest and closest to the château. In this period, Quinquempoix began to see an extension of the château's functions. It was home to a chapel devoted to Saint Germain mentioned as early as 1219, which disappeared in the 17th century with the extension of the château's gardens. Several houses were built in Quinquempoix to accommodate the prince's court officials. Also, the hôtel de Beauvais, built in 1539, lodged the master of the hunt of constable (connétable)
Anne de Montmorency Anne, Duke of Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter (15 March 1493, Chantilly, Oise12 November 1567, Paris) was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France and served five kings. Early lif ...
. The hôtel de Quinquempoix, built around 1553, housed the constable's equerry. In 1515, Anne's father, Guillaume de Montmorency, had obtained a papal bull that gave him the right to have mass said and all the sacraments performed in the chapel of the château, which was one of the first steps toward autonomy from the surrounding parishes.


New parish to modern times

In 1673,
Louis II de Bourbon Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...
, the Prince of Condé known as the "Grand Condé", built a new road called rue Gouvieux, which is now the rue du Connétable. The land ceded by the château on both sides of this road formed the nucleus of the new town, as guesthouses, workshops for the artisans of the château, and lodgings for servants sprang up. This embryonic town was divided between the parish of Gouvieux in the diocese of Beauvais and the parish of Saint-Léonard in the diocese of Senlis. Louis expressed a wish in his will for a parish church near the château. Henri Jules de Bourbon-Condé fulfilled his father's wish in 1692 by building the church of Notre-Dame and creating a new parish under the Bishop of Senlis, superseding all existing parishes. Chantilly was thus established as autonomous. His grandson,
Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon (Louis Henri Joseph; 18 August 1692 – 27 January 1740), was a French nobleman and politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 1723 to 1726. As a member of the reigning House of Bourbon, he was a '' p ...
, can be called the founder of the city, since he drew up the first city plans. He brought planning to the town design and renamed the rue Gouvieux the Grande Rue. After he built the Great Stables in 1721, he created a development in 1727 and sold lots for housing to court officials, holders of hereditary positions at the court of the Condés. The architectural standards for this housing were drawn by Jean Aubert, architect of the Great Stables. This housing was built between 1730 and 1733. In 1723, the Hospice de la Charité was built at the end of the Grande Rue. In the second half of the 18th century the princes furthered economic activity.
Lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
had been produced in the town since the 17th century but now reached its apogee.
Porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises main ...
manufacture began in 1726 and was established in the rue de la Machine in 1730. Industrial buildings were built in 1780 at the end of the Grand Canal, to take advantage of the power provided by the waterfall.


The beginnings of the commune

During the French Revolution, Chantilly became a commune whose which boundaries matched those of the parish. The first
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
was the administrator of the estate, André-Joseph Antheaume de Surval. The other city council members were recruited from among the château officials. The Condés were among the first to flee abroad, just days after the fall of the Bastille, on 17 July 1789. The estate was sequestered on 13 June 1792 following the law on
émigré An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social self-exile. The word is the past participle of the French ''émigrer'', "to emigrate". French Huguenots Many French Huguenots fled France followin ...
s and subsequently subdivided and sold. The first section was sold between 1793 and 1795 – the old kitchen garden, the water garden and the last land available along today's rue du Connétable and around the petite pelouse, as well as the town houses that belonged to the Prince. Much of the land in this first section never came back to the estate. The rest of the land was divided into lots in 1798 and sold over time. When the
Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First French Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public Capital punishment, executions took pl ...
began, the mayor was run out, on 15 August 1793; he was replaced by a
Jacobin , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = P ...
. The château was transformed into a prison from 1793 to 1794, designated for suspects from the Department of Oise. Sold as a national asset in 1799, the chateau was transformed into a stone quarry by a pair of entrepreneurs. Only the "little château" was preserved. The Great Stables were requisitioned by the army and used in turn by the , the 1er dragons or 1st Dragoons from 1803 to 1806 then the 1er régiment de chevau-légers lanciers polonais, or 1st Light Artillery Polish Lancers, from 1808 to 1814. A number of industrialists took advantage of the sale of Condé assets to further develop their business activities. In 1792, the porcelain manufacturing enterprise turned its hand to ceramics under the hand of its new English owner, Christophe Potter. A copper laminating factory was established in the industrial buildings on the canal in 1801, and opened a mill in 1807. It employed as many as 600 people and brought prosperity back to the commune. Using the new English techniques, it diversified in cloth, particularly in calico manufacture and laundering. It began to decline in 1814 then lost its monopoly and failed in 1822. In 1815, prince Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé came back to the area for good. He retrieved part of his family's former estate and bought back the rest. His son, , had fountains installed in 1823 as well as many of the street lamps in 1827.


Thomas Muir connection

The Scottish political reformer Thomas Muir had been banished to
Botany Bay Botany Bay ( Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...
for 14 years for the crime of
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, esta ...
in 1793. He managed to escape having only spent 13 months there. An adventurous journey followed that eventually brought Muir as a citizen of France to Paris. Muir became in time the principal intermediary between the
French Directory The Directory (also called Directorate, ) was the governing five-member committee in the French First Republic from 2 November 1795 until 9 November 1799, when it was overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte in the Coup of 18 Brumaire and replaced b ...
and the various republican refugees in Paris. He was aware that his movements were under scrutiny by British Prime Minister William Pitt's agents. In his last known communication with the Directory, in October 1798, he requested permission to leave Paris for somewhere less conspicuous, where his crucial negotiations with the Scottish emissaries could be conducted in safety. Sometime in the middle of November 1798, Muir moved incognito to Chantilly. On 26 January 1799, he died there, suddenly and alone, with only a small child for company. So tight had his security been that not even local officials knew of his presence or identity. No identifying documents or papers were found on his person and his name was discovered only when the postman remembered delivering newspapers to him addressed to 'Citoyen Thomas Muir'. Several days later, when the news of Muir's death reached Paris, a brief obituary notice was inserted in Le Moniteur Universel saying that he had died from a recurrence of his old wounds.


A 19th-century vacation and leisure destination

Chantilly was also in the 19th century a playground for aristocrats and artists, as well as home to an English community with ties to horse racing. The first horse races were run in 1834 on the lawn area known as the pelouse, and the 1840s saw an influx of bettors of all social classes, especially from Paris. The success of the horse races was primarily due to the opening of the train station in 1859. Later, a public station allowed the arrival of up to 20,000 bettors and visitors on race days. A track and permanent seating were gradually added to form the racecourse in use today. Attendance records began to be kept just before World War I; 40,000 people attended the prix du Jockey Club in 1912. During the Franco-Prussian War, Chantilly was occupied by the
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
n army for almost a year. The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, head of the 18th Army Corps, occupied the chateau along with his general staff. His troops requisitioned the Great Stables, the racecourse stables, which had been evacuated, and some privately owned residences as well. A racing economy grew up around the racecourse, with many stables devoted to training thoroughbred horses. Urban development grew up around these racing activities with new neighbourhoods such as the Bois Saint-Denis exclusively devoted to the activity. There were two trainers and seventeen hands in the 1846 and thirty trainers and 309 nands in 1896. Many in the racing community were British—76% of the jockeys, lads and trainers in 1911—and the British were such a presence in the area that an Anglican chapel was built around 1870. At the same time, Chantilly was becoming a vacation destination with many aristocrats, members of the ''haute bourgeoisie'' and artists moving to the area and building villas and chateaux in the surrounding communes, such as the
Rothschild family The Rothschild family ( , ) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish family originally from Frankfurt that rose to prominence with Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), a court factor to the German Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel in the Free City of Fr ...
in Gouvieux, for example. Luxury hotels were also built, such as the Hôtel du Grand Condé in 1908.
Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale Henri Eugène Philippe Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale (16 January 1822 – 7 May 1897) was a leader of the Orleanists, a political faction in 19th-century France associated with constitutional monarchy. He was born in Paris, the fifth son of ...
, last lord of the town, encouraged the development of the racecourse and of the town as well as the arrival of the English. Between 1876 and 1882, the Duke had the château rebuilt and used it to house one of the most beautiful art collections of the time. By receiving high society in his palace, such as Empress Elizabeth of Austria, known as Sissi, and the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovitch of Russia, he contributed to the growth of the town. When the château was opened to the public in 1898 after it was willed to the
Institute of France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...
, it drew even more tourists to the town—more than 100,000 in the first six months. Naturally such a profusion of wealth also provoked some greed. On the morning of 25 March 1912, the Bonnot Gang robbed the Société Générale de Chantilly and killed two employees before they fled. This was soon before they broke up and Jules Bonnot died in a shootout with police. The groups was notorious for using an automobile to get away and for the coverage provoked by a Jules Bonnot's appearance, brandishing a
Browning Browning may refer to: Arts and entertainment * The Browning, an American electronicore band * ''Browning'', a set of variations by the composer William Byrd Places * Browning, Georgia, USA * Browning, Illinois, USA * Browning, Missouri, ...
automatic, at the office of '' Le Petit Journal'' to complain about its coverage of their activities.


Chantilly in World War I

The
German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
entered Chantilly on 3 September 1914 but did not stay, leaving the next day. The château was occupied but there was no real destruction, unlike the neighboring towns of Creil and Senlis, Oise, where there were fires and considerable destruction. French soldiers did not come back until 9 September. After the
First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne was a battle of the First World War fought from 5 to 12 September 1914. It was fought in a collection of skirmishes around the Marne River Valley. It resulted in an Entente victory against the German armies in the ...
, General Joseph Joffre installed his headquarters in Chantilly because of the easy access it offered to Paris by rail. The Grand Quartier-Général, or HQ, took over the hôtel du Grand Condé on 29 November 1914 with 450 officers and 800 clerks and soldiers. Joffre for his part lodged at the Villa Poiret about a hundred yards away. Joffre held the conference of Chantilly from 6 to 8 December 1915 to makes battle plans with his Allied counterparts and to coordinate military offensives for 1916. General Headquarters moved to
Beauvais Beauvais ( , ; pcd, Bieuvais) is a city and commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise département, in the Hauts-de-France region, north of Paris. The commune of Beauvais had a population of 56,020 , making it the most popul ...
in December 1916, and Chantilly became home to hospitals for soldiers wounded on the front, one in the hôtel Lovenjou, the other in the Egler Pavilion. One of the three camouflage workshops of the French 1st Engineers Regiment opened in 1917 in custom-built barracks on the ''petite pelouse'' near the racetrack. Up to 1200 women were hired, as well as 200 German
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
and 200 workers from Annam in French Indo-China (then a French protectorate). They painted canvases which the army used to mask artillery and troop movements from view. The town grew in 1928 with the annexation of the Bois Saint-Denis from Gouvieux. In 1930 a monument was put up to Maréchal Joffre on the avenue which now bears his name.


World War II

The
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
entered the city on 13 September 1940, and occupied it. They used the Great Stables as a veterinary hospital for the horses they brought in from Germany, by some estimates the city was home to as many as 400 German horses during the war. The military command took over the hôtel du Grand Condé. Following the assassination of a collaborator, the parish priest, Abbot Charpentier, who authored a 1943 anti-
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
sermon, was arrested along with several
French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
fighters he had supported. He was deported to the
Mauthausen Mauthausen was a Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen, Upper Austria, Mauthausen (roughly east of Linz), Upper Austria. It was the main camp of a group with List of subcamps of Mauthausen, nearly 100 further ...
camp, where he died 7 August 1944. The viaduct at La Canardière was bombed by Allied forces on 30 May 1944, and the town was liberated by American tanks on 31 August 1944. The American 8th Air Force in turn installed itself at the hôtel du Grand Condé.


Post-war Chantilly

Since the war, the city has developed new neighborhoods on the north side of town. Some hotels and villas at the center of town became residences; some stables were torn down to allow housing to be built. As this new housing was built, a new population moved in who mostly work in the Paris area, while the town lost almost all of its remaining industrial base when the Guilleminot factories shut down in 1992.


Population


Monuments and tourist attractions


Château de Chantilly

The château de Chantilly was built for the
House of Montmorency The House of Montmorency, pronounced , was one of the oldest and most distinguished noble families in France. Origins The family name Montmorency derived from their castle in the '' pays de France'', recorded in Latin as ''Mons Maurentiacus'', ...
, then was home to the Condés and finally to the
Duke of Aumale Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
, fifth son of Louis-Philippe. He willed it to the
Institute of France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...
. Le château has two parts: the ''Petit Château'' and the ''Château Neuf''. The first was built in 1560 by the architect Jean Bullant for the
constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
Anne de Montmorency Anne, Duke of Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter (15 March 1493, Chantilly, Oise12 November 1567, Paris) was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France and served five kings. Early lif ...
. The interior decoration goes back to the 18th century for the larger apartments, and was carried out by Jean Aubert, Jean-Baptiste Huet, and
Jean-Baptiste Oudry Jean-Baptiste Oudry (; 17 March 1686 – 30 April 1755) was a French Rococo painter, engraver, and tapestry designer. He is particularly well known for his naturalistic pictures of animals and his hunt pieces depicting game. His son, Jacques- ...
. The smaller apartments redone in the 19th century are on the ground floor. The ''Château Neuf'' was built by architect
Honoré Daumet Pierre Jérôme Honoré Daumet (23 October 1826, Paris – 12 December 1911, Paris) was a French architect. Biography Daumet was the winner of the Prix de Rome in 1855, and in 1861 conducted a treasure-hunting expedition to Macedonia at the requ ...
between 1876 and 1882 on the site of the portion of the older building destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century. It contains paint galleries, libraries and the chapel. A gallery, built by architecte Félix Duban in the 1840s, links the two buildings. The château is surrounded by a 115-hectare park which includes 25 hectares of water gardens. The parks includes large formal gardens designed by
André Le Nôtre André Le Nôtre (; 12 March 1613 – 15 September 1700), originally rendered as André Le Nostre, was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was the landscape architect who designed the gard ...
, the Anglo-Chinese garden installed between 1772 and 1774 in the center of which is the Hameau de Chantilly, the English garden installed in 1817 around the temple of Venus on the western side and, near the forest, the La Cabotière and de Sylvie parks. The entire estate was designated a historic monument by the decrees of 24 October and December 1988.


Musée Condé

The Condé Museum in the château has one of the oldest collections of historic art in France and its collection of paintings is only surpassed in France by the Musée du Louvre. The museum also contains a collection of 1,300 manuscripts including the daybook '' Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry''. As a condition of its bequest to the
Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institut ...
by the Duke of Aumale, the collection's presentation cannot be modified nor can it be loaned out, so it is a permanent fixture of Chantilly.


The Great Stables

The ''Grandes Écuries'', which contain the Living Museum of the Horse, are among the most-visited horse-racing sites in the world. They were built between 1719 and 1740 by Jean Aubert. They are 186 meters long with a central dome 38 meters high, and could accommodate 240 horses and 500 dogs for the daily rides to hunt. Dressage demonstrations or re-enactments are held daily in the quarry. Horse shows are regularly held beneath the dome.


Porte Saint-Denis

The porte Saint-Denis is part of an unfinished pavilion originally intended to provide symmetry with the current entrance of the Great Stables, on the other side of the open-air stables. When the
Duke of Bourbon Duke of Bourbon (french: Duc de Bourbon) is a title in the peerage of France. It was created in the first half of the 14th century for the eldest son of Robert of France, Count of Clermont and Beatrice of Burgundy, heiress of the lordship of ...
died in 1740, only this portion remained unfinished when construction stopped. This pavilion was to mark the entrance to the burgeoning city. Its name came from the old land holdings of the Abbey of Saint-Denis, which was once very close to the château.


Urban development

As a city, Chantilly is less than 250 years old. The oldest part is the rue du Connétable, which began in 1727 as a planned allotment called "the officials' housing", allocated from part of the château estate. These buildings are now numbered 25 through 67 on the rue du Connétable. The rest of the neighborhood was sold to the end of the main street, where the Condé hospice stood before the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
. After 1799, the town spread over the old footprint of the château gardens, with street names recalling the different gardens and sometimes following their old paths. The rue des Potagers, rue de la Faisanderie, and rue des Cascades are examples of this, i.e. Vegetable Street, Pheasantry Street and Waterfall Street. Street numbers here begin from the château rather than from the place Omer Vallon as in other neighborhoods. Development took the form of town houses, small 19th century buildings and other villas surrounded by gardens. Traces also exist of old stables dating from the beginnings of the racehorse community at the start of the 19th century. Along the avenue du maréchal Joffre development was tied to the Paris road and the arrival of the railway. The station is at the end of the avenue. Here small buildings and villas built in the 19th and 20th century reflect the residential nature the town took on in this period. The area has become progressively more built up as villas and their gardens were replaced with private residences and master houses were transformed into multi-family dwellings. Chantilly has three outer neighborhoods: The Bois Saint-Denis lies south of town, between the Paris road and the railway. This neighborhood grew out of the construction of stables, which got further and further from the center of town as land became more scarce. Forest parcels belonging to the
Duke of Aumale Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
began to be developed in 1890. While this neighborhood was originally within Gouvieux, it became part of Chantilly in 1928. It was then composed of brick stables, trainer residences and lodgings for the lads and jockeys. For a long time it was almost entirely devoted to racing, but over time, beginning in the 1960s, many stables were demolished or transformed into apartment buildings or housing subdivisions. Building codes now specifically protect this heritage and these racing activities. The Verdun area is at the site of the old train station for the racetrack. (see the article on the Gare de Chantilly – Gouvieux in the French Wikipedia), and lies between the railway and the forest. When the old station closed around 1950, the land was used for apartment buildings, originally limited to railway workers. Much of it still belongs to the SNCF. The city's two high schools are nearby. North of town neighborhoods lie on terraces overlooking the Nonette. These are made up of public housing (le quartier Lefébure), small subdivisions and privately owned multifamily residences (résidence Sylvie, résidence du Coq Chantant or du Castel) built during the 1960s and 1970s. These neighborhoods have developed their own school and church as well as other amenities used by the city as a whole, such as open space and a stadium. An intermediate area between the north end of town and the downtown area contains green zones such as the Grand Canal, the Saint-Jean canal and lying between them, in the meadow of the Grand Canal, the community gardens in the area known as La Canardière. The few buildings in this area are tied to Chantilly's old industrial base, such as the François Richard-Lenoir factory and the old Guilleminot factory and its outbuildings. There are no specific protections for historic buildings or neighborhood preservation, nor is there a historic district such as in Senlis, but the town has local development codes and urban development plans. Much of the land (69%) in Chantilly is forest, so takingthe racecourse into account the city only manages about 25% of its land, much of it around the historic monuments and therefore subject to architectural constraints.


Notable residents

*
Pierre d'Orgemont Pierre (I) d’Orgemont (c. 1315, Lagny-sur-Marne - 23 June 1389, hôtel des Tournelles, Paris) was a French politician of the Hundred Years' War era. Life He seems to have been the son of Jean d’Orgemont, a middle-class man from Lagny who ...
, built the first known chateau. *
François Vatel François Vatel (; 1631 – 24 April 1671) was the majordomo (in French, ) of Nicolas Fouquet and prince Louis II de Bourbon-Condé. Vatel was born either in Switzerland or in Paris in 1625, 1631, or 1635. He is widely credited with creating ' ...
(1631–1671), maître d'hôtel and believed to be the inventor of Chantilly cream, died in Chantilly * Henri Jules de Bourbon-Condé (1643–1709), founded the parish of Chantilly. * Louis IV Henri de Bourbon-Condé (1692–1741), statesman and lord of Chantilly, built the Great Stables. * Pierre-Joseph Candeille (1744–1827), composer and singer, died at Chantilly. * Bertrand Bessières (1773–1854), general under Napoleon, lived and died in Chantilly. * Henriette Méric-Lalande (1798–1867) et Laure Cinti-Damoreau (1801–1863), singers, retired in Chantilly and died there. *
Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale Henri Eugène Philippe Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale (16 January 1822 – 7 May 1897) was a leader of the Orleanists, a political faction in 19th-century France associated with constitutional monarchy. He was born in Paris, the fifth son of ...
(1822–1897), fifth son of Louis Philippe I, last lord of Chantilly *
Léopold Delisle Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist ...
(1826–1910), French historian and librarian, retired in the commune and occasionally acted as librarian of the Musée Condé. * Félix Bollaert (1855–1936), commercial director of the mines at Lens, brother-in-law of
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
Omer Vallon, lived in the rue de Gouvieux and was buried in the cimetière Bourillon. * Abel Hermant (1862–1950), writer and academic, retired in Chantilly after his imprisonment for collaboration. *
Alfred Heurtaux Alfred Marie-Joseph Heurtaux (20 May 1893 – 30 December 1985) was a French World War I fighter ace credited with 21 victories. Later in his life, he joined the French Resistance during World War II, and survived imprisonment in Buchenwald deat ...
(1893–1985), soldier and Resistance fighter, died in the commune. * Princess Nadejda Petrovna of Russia (1898–1988), Russian princess, retired in Chantilly. * Émilien Amaury (1909–1977), founder of the newspaper ''
Le Parisien ''Le Parisien'' (; French for "The Parisian") is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and its suburbs. It is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH. Histor ...
'', died of a horse-riding accident in the forest and was buried in the cimetière Saint-Pierre. * Jean Neuberth (1915–1996), painter, died at Chantilly. *
Jean Bruce Jean Bruce (22 March 1921 – 26 March 1963), born Jean Brochet, was a prolific French popular writer. He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Jean Alexandre, Jean Alexandre Brochet, Jean-Martin Rouan, and Joyce Lindsay. He died in a car accident in ...
(1921–1963), author of spy novels, creator of OSS 117, lived in the avenue du Général Leclerc and was buried in the cimetière Saint-Pierre.


Births in Chantilly

*
Anne de Montmorency Anne, Duke of Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter (15 March 1493, Chantilly, Oise12 November 1567, Paris) was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France and served five kings. Early lif ...
(1492–1567), grand maître of France, then constable *
Louis Antoine de Bourbon-Condé Louis Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Enghien (''duc d'Enghien'' pronounced ) (Louis Antoine Henri; 2 August 1772 – 21 March 1804) was a member of the House of Bourbon of France. More famous for his death than for his life, he was executed on charg ...
, Duke of Enghien (1772–1804) * Antoine Guillemet (1841–1918), painter *
Jean de Laborde Jean de Laborde (29 November 1878 – 30 July 1977) was a French admiral who had a long career starting at the end of the 19th century and extending to World War II after which he was convicted of treason and sentenced to death. A pioneer of na ...
(1878–1977), French admiral who participated in the scuttling of the French fleet at
Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
*
Alfred Aston Alfred Aston (16 May 1912 – 10 February 2003) was a French football winger and manager. He was part of France national team at the FIFA World Cup 1934 and 1938. He was capped 31 times for his country. He played football until the age of 44, ...
(1912–2003), French soccer player * Jacques Cooper (1931), French stylist * Daunik Lazro (1945), jazz saxophonist


Economy

The economy of Chantilly has always been intimately associated with the French aristocracy. The most important economic activity, even today, is horse racing, which sprang up in the area due to the nobles who lived nearby. The other major economic center is on tourism. Slightly more than half of the local population participates in the labor market, and when residents younger than fifteen and older than 64 are excluded the figure rises to 80%. Much of the active workforce, 41%, is employed outside of the Oise, almost all of them in
Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...
, either in Paris proper or in the area around the
Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, ), also known as Roissy Airport or simply Paris CDG, is the principal airport serving the French capital, Paris ( and its metropolitan area), and the largest inter ...
. This proportion has been gradually increasing over time. Approximately 7,000 commuters travel into Île-de-France every day.L'Oise et ses cantons – Chantilly rchivesur site de l'Insee, 2006. Consulté le 20 juillet 2009 There are no large employers in Chantilly or its immediate environs. The largest is the Lycee Jean Rostand, followed by the city itself and the information technology company EDI. None has more than 250 employees. On 1 January 2007, the city had 801 business, 193 of them retail. The unemployment rate at the most recent census was 8.4% vs 10.7% for the Oise as a whole. For labor market purposes Chantilly is considered part of the Sud-Oise, which, along with Amiens, is the largest labor pool in Picardy.


Horse racing

Chantilly is the largest center of horse training activities in France, with 2,633 horses, 2,620 of them thoroughbreds, lodged in approximately a hundred training stables. This represents 70% of the race horses in Paris. The next closest, at Maisons-Laffitte, only has about 800. About two thousand area residents are directly or indirectly employed in this field. Given the real estate crunch inside city limits, nowadays stables can only be found in the Bois St-Denis neighborhood, where there are thirty, which specialise in gallop. Fifty-four others, also specializing in gallop, can be found in
Lamorlaye Lamorlaye () is a commune in the Oise department in the northern region Hauts-de-France. Its inhabitants are referred to as '' Morlacuméen(e)s''. Population See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 commun ...
,
Gouvieux Gouvieux () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. Geography The commune is served by the Chantilly-Gouvieux station on the RER D line or the TER trains from the Parisian Gare du Nord station. The town is located in the Chantil ...
,
Coye-la-Forêt Coye-la-Forêt () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. The communes cooperate in the following inter ...
and to a lesser extent at Avilly-Saint-Léonard. Fifty-nine jockeys live in Chantilly and 109 in the rest of the municipal area. Some of the more famous trainers in the area are
Criquette Head-Maarek Christiane "Criquette" Head (born 6 November 1948 at Marly-le-Roi, near Maisons-Laffitte, France) is a retired French racehorse trainer. Known as Criquette, she was born into the Thoroughbred horse racing business. Her great grandfather was a ...
, Freddy Head,
Pascal Bary Pascal Bary (born April 4, 1953) is a French racehorse trainer. He has been training since 1981, having previously worked as an assistant to François Boutin. He is based at Chantilly, Oise. Major wins Dubai * Dubai World Cup - (1) - ''Glória ...
,
André Fabre André Fabre (born 9 December 1945) is a French thoroughbred horse racing trainer. The son of a diplomat, Fabre graduated from university with a law degree but then decided to pursue a career in thoroughbred horse racing. He began by working in ...
, Marcel Rolland,
Élie Lellouche Élie Lellouche (born 5 March 1952 in Tunis) is a French trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses and jockeys.Afrique magazine - Issues 150-159 - Page 63 1998 "Victory Mill n'a pas été très heureuse lors de sa réapparition à Maisons-Laffitte, en é ...
,
Nicolas Clément Nicolas Clément (12 January 1779 – 21 November 1841) was a French physicist and chemist. He was a colleague of Charles Desormes, with whom he conducted the Clément-Desormes experiment. The two chemists are also credited with determining a ...
,
Alain de Royer-Dupré Alain de Royer-Dupré (born 24 September 1944http://www.breederscup.com/bio.aspx?id=2334 Breeders' Cup trainer profile) is a leading French thoroughbred racehorse trainer. Early life He grew up at the Haras de Saint Lô, a national stud farm in N ...
and those attached to the stables of Karim Aga Khan IV. Noted jockeys in the area include Dominique Bœuf, Christophe-Patrice Lemaire,
Olivier Peslier Olivier Peslier (born 12 January 1973 in Château-Gontier) is a French thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Peslier competes in flat racing mainly in France but travels often around the world for the big international races. He was a retained joc ...
, Thierry Thuilliez and
Thierry Jarnet Thierry Jarnet (born 24 March 1967) is a champion thoroughbred flat racing jockey in France who won the title four times between 1992–1995. Jarnet was first apprenticed to Patrick Rago at Maisons-Laffitte and then to Yann Porzier at Chanti ...
.


France Galop

The stables affiliated with
France Galop France Galop is the governing body of flat and steeplechase horse racing in France. It was founded on May 3, 1995, as the result of the amalgamation of four different industry organizations. Prominent owner/breeder Jean-Luc Lagardère was elected ...
use a number of installations that the organisation manages and maintains. 60 permanent and 30 seasonal employees work at these installations, which encompass 1,900 hectares. Among these installations is the des Aigles track at
Gouvieux Gouvieux () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. Geography The commune is served by the Chantilly-Gouvieux station on the RER D line or the TER trains from the Parisian Gare du Nord station. The town is located in the Chantil ...
as well as others at
Lamorlaye Lamorlaye () is a commune in the Oise department in the northern region Hauts-de-France. Its inhabitants are referred to as '' Morlacuméen(e)s''. Population See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 commun ...
and
Coye-la-Forêt Coye-la-Forêt () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. The communes cooperate in the following inter ...
, which has thirty-odd trainers working in a 60-hectare facility, as well as the 15-hectare track at Avilly-Saint-Léonard. France Galop also manages 47 kilometres of trails covering 1,500 hectares in
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
, which are strictly limited to horses at certain times of day. In all, the organisation manages 120 hectares of grass, 120 kilometres of sand trail and one dirt trail used 365 days a year regardless of the weather, which translates to 33,000 gallops a year including 2,000 at the racecourse alone.


Equine businesses

A number of professionals and businesses specializing in racehorses have grown up in the Chantilly area. Two prominent horse transportation companies are based in Lamorlaye and Gouvieux respectively. Three veterinarians within the municipal boundaries specialize in horses, and another five in the adjacent communes. Chantilly has one farrier and there are another four nearby. Similarly, there is one saddler and another seven based outside town. Chantilly has two racehorse dealers; another five are based in the surrounding area. A horse-racing school, AFASEC's "The Windmill" is based in Gouvieux and provides instruction to 185 jockeys and trainees, many of whom are housed in a facility in Chantilly proper. Finally, there are plans to build a biomass plant that will use the manure generated by the stables.


Racecourse

The racecourse hosts 25 meets and 197 races every year, including the prestigious Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de Diane. It is one of six Parisian racecourses managed by
France Galop France Galop is the governing body of flat and steeplechase horse racing in France. It was founded on May 3, 1995, as the result of the amalgamation of four different industry organizations. Prominent owner/breeder Jean-Luc Lagardère was elected ...
, although it is owned by the
Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institut ...
. When it was threatened with closing, 24 million euros were raised to modernize it by a public interest group that included the mayor's office, France Galop, the Institute of France, the CCAC, an intergovernmental commission of Chantilly-area governments, the Oise council, the Picary regional council, and Prince
Karim Aga Khan Shāh Karim al-Husayni (born 13 December 1936), known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Ismaili followers and elsewhere as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailis, a denomination within Shia Islam. He ...
. Work was completed in 2007 and included a new ring, repairs and modernization of the stands, a scale and a new parking area. It now receives 40,000 visitors a year.


Tourism

Tourism in Chantilly centers on the Domaine de Chantilly, which owns the chateau and associated lands. The chateau itself had roughly a quarter million visitors in 2007, while the Living Museum of the Horse drew 149,000. The other big tourist draw is
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
, which received as many as four million visits yearly. This makes it the 7th most-visited forest in the Paris region. Most of the visitors are day excursionists. Unlike
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...
and
Fontainebleau Fontainebleau (; ) is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the ''arrondissemen ...
, foreign tourists account for only 15% of the traffic, which can at peak times reach 20,000 simultaneous visitors to the various Domaine properties. Every year an international show jumping competition, the Chantilly Jumping, which is part of the
Global Champions Tour The Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) is an annual pre-eminent individual show jumping series that comprises up to 15 rounds of competition hosted around the world. It brings together the top 30 riders in the FEI Jumping World Rankings. It was ...
, is held in 2 arenas in the middle of the racecourse. At the heart of the Parc naturel régional Oise-Pays de France, Chantilly is surrounded by history. The medieval city of Senlis and its cathedral are only ten kilometers away and the abbeys of Chaalis, Moncel, and Royaumont are only slightly further, as is the priory at Saint-Leu-d'Esserent. Natural attractions also abound, such as the forests of Halatte and Ermenonville, and Parc Jean-Jacques-Rousseau in
Ermenonville Ermenonville () is a commune in the Oise department, northern France. Ermenonville is notable for its park named for Jean-Jacques Rousseau by René Louis de Girardin. Rousseau's tomb was designed by the painter Hubert Robert, and sits on the Isl ...
. Nearby theme parks like La Mer de sable and Parc Astérix also draw visitors to the area. In 2005, due to difficulties the
Institute of France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...
was experiencing with the management of the domain, the more important elements of the domain were taken over by a non-profit corporation created and supported financially by the
Aga Khan Aga Khan ( fa, آقاخان, ar, آغا خان; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Kari ...
, charged with economic development, restoration and the development of tourism. Business tourism is another important factor. Proximity to Paris and to the Charles de Gaulle airport combine with the high quality of local hotel properties make it a prime conference destination. More than two thousand are held there every year. Chantilly and its immediate vicinity have three four-star hotels: * the Dolce in :Vineuil-Saint-Firmin * the Montvillargenne in
Gouvieux Gouvieux () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. Geography The commune is served by the Chantilly-Gouvieux station on the RER D line or the TER trains from the Parisian Gare du Nord station. The town is located in the Chantil ...
* the Mont-Royal a little further away at
La Chapelle-en-Serval La Chapelle-en-Serval is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. The communes cooperate in the following i ...
There are also four three-star hotels. A conference center run by the Capgemini corporation is also located in the immediate vicinity, in Gouvieux. Another four-star hotel is being built in the Rue du Connétable near the Jeu de Paume, with an additional luxury residence planned for Avilly-Saint-Léonard.


Chantilly Arts and Elegance Richard Mille

The automobile elegance contest of Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille takes place in the castle. It is one of the most prestigious elegance competitions in the world, such as the
Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este () is a Concours d'Elegance event in Italy for classic and vintage cars. It takes place annually near the Villa d'Este hotel in Cernobbio, on the western shore of Lake Como in northern Italy. Since 2011, the ...
in Italy,
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. It is widely considered the pinnacle event of its kind and one of the most prestigious car events i ...
in California and Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in Florida.


Communication and transportation


Roads

The old king's road that once connected Pierrefitte-sur-Seine to
Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.
by way of
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
bisects Chantilly from north to south. Formerly known as
route nationale 16 The Route nationale 16, or RN16, is a trunk road ( nationale) in France crossing Picardy north of Paris. Reclassification The majority of the road has now been re-classified as the RD 1016 and RD 916. Route Pierrefitte-sur-Seine to Clermont ( ...
this road has been renamed departmental road 1016. Trucks are not illegal on this road, but signs to the north and south of town suggest taking the A1 or A16 instead. The D924a connects to the
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
road, the old route nationale 17, at :La Chapelle-en-Serval. The D924 runs to Senlis. Trucks are banned on both of these roads, which connect to the A1. The speed limit on D924a is 70 km/h for its entire length through the commune, since it passes through
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
, which has many deer crossings.


Rail and public transportation

The Chantilly-Gouvieux train station was put into service in 1859 on the Paris–Lille railway. It is served by the
SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffic ...
via the TER Hauts-de-France network. Express trains reach Paris-Nord in 22 minutes and Creil in seven. The station is also served by line D of the Île-de-France RER. In 2006, 920,000 trips took place between Chantilly and Paris-Nord. A small public bus network, Desserte urbaine cantilienne (DUC), links the Lefébure neighborhood to Bois-St-Denis by way of the train station. A branch goes past the château and the Saint-Pierre cemetery. Passengers ride for free.


Airports and airport access

Chantilly is roughly 30 km from
Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, ), also known as Roissy Airport or simply Paris CDG, is the principal airport serving the French capital, Paris ( and its metropolitan area), and the largest inter ...
and 54 km from the Beauvais-Tillé Airport. There is no direct route to either by public transportation. An airfield named aérodrome de la Vidamée-Chantilly was opened in 1910 in Courteuil and served as a military air base during World War I. It has since disappeared. Another airfield, known as terrain de Chantilly-Les Aigles, was created during World War II by requisitioning the Les Aigles horse training center in Gouvieux. It was occupied during the
Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wor ...
by the chase group I/1 from the Étampes-Mondésir air base.


Trails

Two hiking trails cross the commune. The GR 11 circles the greater Paris area and runs between Senlis and Saint Maximin. It cuts through the parc de Sylvie on the château grounds, goes through the Porte Saint-Denis and descends to the Saint-Jean canal, running alongside it until it cuts across the neighborhood known as Coq chantant (Crowing Rooster). The
GR 12 The GR12 (Grande Randonnée) is a transnational long-distance hiking trail and leads from Amsterdam via Brussels to Paris. Of the 977 km of the GR 12, 222 km run in the Netherlands, 197 km in Flanders, 212 km in Wallonia and the longest section o ...
, which runs from Paris to Amsterdam, goes from Senlis through the south end of town towards the Commelles ponds, then reaches Coye-la-Forêt. The
GR 1 The long distance footpath GR 1 is one of the paths in the grand randonnée network in France. It takes in the great forests outside Paris. Course Porte Maillot The starting point is the Porte Maillot metro station. ''Bois de Boulogne'' t ...
, known as Tour de Paris, runs along the southeastern edge of town on the south bank of the Commelles ponds.
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
is criss-crossed with many paths, which are barred to pedestrians between 6 am and 1 pm, to allow horses to be trained. Chantilly finished a network of bike paths in June 2008 which allow access by bike to Gouvieux, Vineuil-Saint-Firmin et Avilly-Saint-Léonard.


Sights

* The surrounding
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
* The Château de Chantilly * The
Chantilly Racecourse Chantilly Racecourse (In French: "Hippodrome de Chantilly") is a Thoroughbred turf racecourse for flat racing in Chantilly, Oise, France, about north of the centre of the city of Paris. Chantilly Racecourse is located in the country's main ...
* The Musée Condé


International relations

Chantilly is twinned with: * Watermael-Boitsfort, Belgium * Überlingen, Germany * Epsom and Ewell, UK


Climate

The climate in
Val-d'Oise Val-d'Oise (, "Vale of the Oise") is a department in the Île-de-France region, Northern France. It was created in 1968 following the split of the Seine-et-Oise department. In 2019, Val-d'Oise had a population of 1,249,674. ...
is comparable to that of the northern part of
Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...
; it has been described as falling somewhere between the
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
of Brest on the coast and the
continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing so ...
of
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...
. Rainfall is relatively light and with moderately heavy rainfall in spring and early summer, then again in the autumn, which is typical of oceanic climates, but storms are of the continental variety. The data below is for 2008.


See also

* Chantilly lace *
Chantilly Forest Chantilly Forest or Forest of Chantilly (Forêt de Chantilly) is a forest that spreads across , located mainly in the Oise, north of Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,4 ...
* Château de Chantilly * List of lords of Chantilly (French) *
Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020):Chantilly Jumping


References


Bibliography

* Gustave Macon, ''Histoire des édifices de culte de Chantilly'', in ''Comité archéologique de Senlis, Comptes-rendus et mémoires, années 1900–01'', Senlis, Imprimerie de Charles Duriez, 4th edition vol. IV, 1902, p. 179–260 () * Gustave Macon, ''Histoire de Chantilly'', in ''Comptes-rendus et Mémoires, années 1908 à 1912'', Comité archéologique de Senlis, Senlis (original edition) / Res Universis, Amiens (second edition), 1909–1913 (reprinted 1989), reproduction of the original edition originale, four volumes in one () (). ::unequaled summary of the city's history from its origins to the 19th century :::''Les origines'', volume 1, 190
Online
:::''Formation et développement (1692–1800)'', volume 2, 1909–191
online
:::''Administration et vie au xviiie siècle'' volume 3, 191
online
:::''La Révolution, l'Empire, la Restauration'', volume 4, 191
online
* Jean-Pierre Babelon and Georges Fressy, ''Chantilly'', Scala, 1999, 247 p. (). ::Focuses on the château *Jean-Pierre Blay, ''Les Princes et les jockeys'', Biarritz, Atlantica, 2006, 630 p. (). ::Thesis on Chantilly history in the 19th and early 20th century, focuses on relationship with horse racing :::''La Ville du cheval souverain'', volume 1 :::''Vie sportive et sociabilité urbaine'', volume 2 * Isabelle Dumont-Fillon, ''Chantilly'', Alan Sutton, Mémoire en images collection, 1999 ()


External links


Chantilly's portal
(in French)


Businesses in Chantilly
{{Authority control Communes of Oise Oise communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia