Montmorency () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the northern suburbs 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. S ...

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 ...

. It is located from the center of Paris. Montmorency was the fief of the

Montmorency family 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'', i ...

, one of the oldest and most distinguished families of the

French nobility The French nobility (french: la noblesse française) was a privileged social class in France from the Middle Ages until its abolition on June 23, 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First Empire the Emperor Napoléo ...

. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris.

Name

The name Montmorency was recorded for the first time in

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...

as ''Mons Maurentiacus'' (attested in 993). ''Mons Maurentiacus'', literally "Mount Maurentiacus", was the name given to the

promontory A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the so ...

over which a castle was built in the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

. ''Maurentiacus'', the name of the area surrounding the promontory, meant "estate of Maurentius", probably a

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...

landowner. In 1689 Montmorency was officially renamed ''Enghien'', but the village on the slopes of the promontory was still referred to as "Montmorency" by most people. During 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 considere ...

, at the creation of

French communes The () is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. French are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities in the United States and Canada, ' in Germany, ' in Italy, or ' in Spain. The United Kingdom's equi ...

in 1790, the newly born commune was named Montmorency. Three years later in 1793, at the peak of the French Revolution, the name of the commune, which was probably thought of as too reminiscent of the overthrown ''

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

'', was changed into ''Émile'', in honor of French philosopher and writer

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

who had composed his educational treaty '' Émile'' a few decades earlier while in residence at Montmorency. In 1813 the commune was renamed Montmorency. In 1815, at the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

of monarchy, the commune was renamed ''Enghien''. Throughout these troubled years, however, the village was always referred to as "Montmorency" by the locals, regardless of what the official name was in all its changes. Montmorency vu du lac d'Enghien1

The name "Enghien", on the other hand, was used for the lake and marshland in the valley beneath Montmorency, an area that was withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the commune of Montmorency/Enghien in 1790, and was divided between the jurisdictions of several neighboring communes. In other words, the place called "Enghien" was not located within the commune of ''Enghien''. This confusing situation was ended on 27 November 1832, when the commune of ''Enghien'' was definitely renamed Montmorency. In 1850, the area of Enghien, which had developed as a

spa resort A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs; in the era before modern biochemical knowledge and ...

, was incorporated as a commune (named

Enghien-les-Bains Enghien-les-Bains () is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the département of Val-d'Oise. Enghien-les-Bains is famous as a spa resort and a well-to-do suburb of Paris, developed in ...

) by detaching its territory from the territory of four communes neighboring Montmorency. The commune of Montmorency did not lose territory and as such was not affected by the incorporation of the commune of Enghien-les-Bains.

History

Montmorency was the fief of the

, one of the oldest and most distinguished families of the

, who owed their name to the location of their ancestral castle on the

of Montmorency. The castle of Montmorency was destroyed by the English during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

and was not rebuilt. After the Hundred Years' War, the Montmorency moved their residence to the

Château d'Écouen The Château d'Écouen is an historic château in the commune of Écouen, some 20 km north of Paris, France, and a notable example of French Renaissance architecture. Since 1975, it has housed the collections of the Musée national de la Renaissan ...

Écouen Écouen () is a Communes of France, commune in the Val-d'Oise department, in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. The 19th-century poet and playwright Pierre-Joseph Charrin (1784–1863) d ...

, to the northeast of Montmorency. In 1632 the last Montmorency,

Henri II de Montmorency Henri II de Montmorency (1595 – 30 October 1632) was a French nobleman and military commander. Biography Born at Chantilly, Oise, Henri was the son of Henri I de Montmorency and Louise de Budos. He was the godson of Henri IV of France, Henri ...

, was executed for treason in

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

and the duchy of Montmorency was inherited by 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: ''prin ...

, a cadet branch of the French royal family who, like the Montmorency, did not reside in Montmorency, choosing instead the

Château de Chantilly The Château de Chantilly () is a historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Paris. The site comprises two attached buildings: the Petit Château built around 1560 for Anne de Montmor ...

as their residence. In 1689 King

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

allowed the duchy of Montmorency to be renamed duchy of Enghien, in memory of the duchy of

Enghien Enghien (; nl, Edingen ; pcd, Inguî; vls, Enge) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1January 2006, Enghien had a total population of 11,980. The total area is , which gives a population dens ...

(modern-day

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

) which the Princes of Condé had lost in 1569 at the death of

Louis I de Bourbon, Prince de Condé 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 ( ...

. Montmorency/Enghien was the fief of the Princes of Condé until the

. The art collector

Pierre Crozat Pierre Crozat (1665–1740) was a French financier, art patron and collector at the center of a broad circle of ''cognoscenti''; he was the brother of Antoine Crozat. Biography The brothers Crozat were born in Toulouse, France, the sons of a we ...

had a country retreat here in the first half of the 18th century, the fashionable Château de Montmorency, which was at the centre of social gatherings. It contained a chapel decorated in 1715-16 by

Pierre Le Gros the Younger Pierre Le Gros (12 April 1666 Paris – 3 May 1719 Rome) was a French sculptor, active almost exclusively in Baroque Rome where he was the pre-eminent sculptor for nearly two decades.Gerhard Bissell, ''Pierre le Gros, 1666–1719'', Reading ...

and paintings by

Charles de La Fosse Charles de La Fosse (or Lafosse; 15 June 1636 – 13 December 1716) was a French painter born in Paris. Life He was one of the most noted and least servile pupils of Le Brun, under whose direction he shared in the chief of the great decorativ ...

. The building was demolished in 1817. In addition, the

Montmorency cherry The Montmorency cherry is a variety of sour cherry (''Prunus cerasus'') grown in Europe, Canada, and the United States, particularly in the Grand Traverse Bay region of Northwest Michigan and in Door County, Wisconsin. Montmorency cherries are par ...

, a popular sour cherry variety, derives its name from the town.

Population

Transport

The closest station to Montmorency is Enghien-les-Bains station on the

Transilien Paris-Nord Transilien Paris-Nord is one of the sectors in the Paris Transilien suburban rail network. The trains on this sector depart from Gare du Nord in central Paris, and serve the north-west and north-east of Île-de-France region with Transilien lines H ...

suburban rail line and it takes 15 minutes from Paris Gare du Nord to get there. This station is located in the neighboring commune of

, from the town center of Montmorency. From there you can take the buses 15M or 13 to get into the city center.

Education

Primary schools: * Three combined preschools (''maternelles'') and elementary schools: Pasteur, La Fontaine, and Sablons preschool/Jules Ferry elementary * Preschool only: Jules Ferry preschool and Ferdinand Buisson preschool * Elementary school only: Ferdinand Buisson elementary Secondary schools:Collèges et lycées
" Montmorency, Val-d'Oise. Retrieved on September 8, 2016. * Junior high schools: Charles-Le-Brun and Pierre-de-Ronsard * Senior high schools: Lycée d’enseignement général Jean-Jacques Rousseau and

Lycée professionnel Turgot In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

Personalities

Jean Jacques Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

, philosopher, writer, and composer *

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

, composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor *

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

, German poet, writer and literary critic *

Marie-Hélène Arnaud Marie-Hélène Françoise Arnaud (24 September 1934 – 6 October 1986) was a French model and actress. Working as a house model for the French fashion house Chanel, she was the "face of Chanel" in the 1950s; she also developed a second career a ...

, model and actress * Christian Nade, footballer * Quentin Lévy, gladiator