Houdan () is a commune of the Yvelines department west of Paris in the north of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

History

The name has evolved from the Saxon "Hoding," meaning "settlement on the hill". Houdan is thought to have been inhabited since the 5th century. By the 12th century, two churches and a château were present. During the Hundred Years' War, the town changed hands and was pillaged frequently. The town was destroyed; only the 12th century keep survives from that period. After the war, the town was ruled by the English until 1475. Houdan is mentioned in the Prophecies of

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book '' Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection ...

. Houdan was a staging post on the road from Paris to

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

, and many old inns are still standing. Houdan was also an important

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, ...

market for Paris and a breed is named after the town. The breed is ornamental, but is also used for its meat and white eggs. It is the site of the Boldoflorine factory which over the years had transformed from absinthe distillery to producer of herbal remedies and

tisane Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain t ...

s. In the 2000s the factory was converted to residential use.

Infrastructure

It is on the SNCF train line between

Alençon station Alençon is a railway station in Alençon, Normandy, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and t ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, and the

Gare Montparnasse Gare Montparnasse (; Montparnasse station), officially Paris-Montparnasse, one of the six large Paris railway termini, is located in the 14th and 15th arrondissements. The station opened in 1840, was rebuilt in 1852 and relocated in 1969 to ...

in Paris. It is on the

route nationale 12 The Route nationale 12, or RN12, is a trunk road ( nationale) in France connecting Paris with Brittany. The road forms part of European route E50. It is approximately long. History Until the 1950s, the RN 12 followed a different itinerary betwe ...

connecting Paris with

, which once passed through, but now bypasses, the town.

Attractions

* Vestiges of the old town wall fortifications, including a keep built around 1135. * Houses of the 15th and 16th centuries. * Church, 15th - 17th centuries,

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

style containing an organ (1735), and a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

-style choir.

International relations

Houdan is twinned with: *

Pangbourne Pangbourne is a large village and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Thames in Berkshire, England. Pangbourne has its own shops, schools, Pangbourne railway station, a railway station on the Great Western main line and a vill ...

, United Kingdom *

Baïla Baïla is a village in the rural community of Suelle, Sindian Arrondissement, Sindian, Bignona Department, Bignona, Ziguinchor Region, Ziguinchor, Casamance, Senegal. History Boukout, a Jola people, Jola rite of passage, took place in Baïla for ...

, Sénégal

References

External links

Houdan website
Communes of Yvelines {{Yvelines-geo-stub