Montereau-Fault-Yonne (), or simply Montereau, is a commune in the

Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square kilometres (2,284 square miles); it roughly covers its ...

department in the

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 ...

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 ...

in north-central

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 ...

Geography

Montereau-Fault-Yonne is situated at the confluence of the rivers

Yonne Yonne () is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. It is named after the river Yonne, which flows through it, in the country's north-central part. One of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté's eight constituent departments, it is l ...

and

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/ Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributa ...

, 70 km southeast 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 ...

. The A5 autoroute (Paris–Troyes–Chaumont) passes northeast of the town. Montereau station has rail connections to Laroche-Migennes, Melun and Paris.

Name

The city takes its name from its geographical position on the confluence of the

and the

rivers. ', also spelled ' comes from the verb ' ("to fail") in its old meaning ''to fall''. Montereau is where the Yonne falls into the Seine.

Sights

Montereau-Fault-Yonne - Surville - Place Jean XXIII - 2

The town is split in three by the rivers, ' situated on the southern shore and ''Surville'' on the hill to the north. The old town centre is located in ' while ''Surville'' is an assembly of high rise buildings, erected after World War II, and is in many ways a typical ' in the

. Some of these high rise buildings are now (2005) going to be destroyed and replaced by individual houses. The old château-park in ''Surville'' (now the site of a high school ''Lycée André Malraux'') however gives a very nice view over the confluent and the

region. On the east side, between the two rivers, are the port and an industrial park.

History

In 1359, the King of Navarre

Charles II of Navarre Charles II (10 October 1332 – 1 January 1387), called Charles the Bad, was King of Navarre 1349–1387 and Count of Évreux 1343–1387. Besides the Pyrenean Kingdom of Navarre, Charles had extensive lands in Normandy, inherited from his fathe ...

, who held the town because of his

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

ascent, lost it to the regent of France (the future king

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

Montereau-Fault-Yonne - Plaque commemorating assassination of John the Fearless

John the Fearless John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs durin ...

was killed on the town's bridge in September, 1419 by Tanneguy du Chastel and the sire de Barbazan, during a conference with the dauphin (who became in 1422 Charles VII). An inscription on the bridge recalls the event. In the collegiate church Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Loup there is a sword which has long been said to be

', but actually this sword is certainly more recent. In 1420,

Philip the Good Philip III (french: Philippe le Bon; nl, Filips de Goede; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonge ...

, the son of John the Fearless, seized the town, which remained for eight years in the hands of the Anglo-Burgundian coalition. However, at the end of a long siege, the king Charles VII, helped by Jacques de Chabannes and Jean de Dunois, managed to take it again. In 1567, during the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

, Condé briefly seized the town. In 1587, the inhabitants of Montereau sided with the Catholic League, but in 1590 they accepted the legitimacy of the new king Henry IV. Montereau-Fault-Yonne - Statue of Napoleon - 1

Montereau-Fault-Yonne - Statue of Napoleon - 1

Montereau was also the place of one of the last victories of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

on 14 February 1814. In January 2012, the mayor proposed development of Napoleon's Bivouac, a commemorative theme park at a projected cost of 200 million euros. The plans remain in dispute and nothing has been built.

Demographics

Inhabitants of Montereau-Fault-Yonne are called '. The

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 Montereau-Fault-Yonne has 29,458 inhabitants (2018).Comparateur de territoire, Unité urbaine 2020 de Montereau-Fault-Yonne (77404)
INSEE

Hospital

Montereau has a campus of the

Centre hospitalier Sud Seine et Marne The Centre hospitalier Sud Seine et Marne is a teaching hospital in Fontainebleau, Montereau-Fault-Yonne and Nemours Nemours () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Geography N ...

Economy

Historically, the city has sported a strong industrial base and thus has strong blue collar roots. In recent decades, unemployment has become an increasing problem, especially within the immigrant community in ''Surville''.

Twin towns

Montereau is twinned with the British town of

Otley Otley is a market town and civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the population was 13,668 at the 20 ...

, north of

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...