The Plateau de Saclay, also called Silicon Valley Européenne (in English, European Silicon Valley), is located north of
Essonne
Essonne () is a department of France in the southern Île-de-France region. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659 across 194 communes.Yvelines
Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.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. ...
Vallée de Chevreuse
Vallée de Chevreuse (Chevreuse Valley) is the valley of the Yvette River in the Yvelines and Essonne departments.
It encompasses the communes around Chevreuse (Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, Choisel, Dampierre, etc.) within the Parc naturel rég ...
'') to the south and east, and the valley of the Bièvre to the north.
It hosts world-class universities, engineering and management schools and research centers, such as
Paris-Saclay University
Paris-Saclay University (french: Université Paris-Saclay) is a public research university based in Paris, France. It is one of the 13 prestigious universities that emerged from the division of the University of Paris, also known as the Sorbonne ...
,
École Polytechnique
École may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine
The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern Franc ...
,
HEC
HEC or hec may refer to:
Math and science
* Habitable Exoplanets Catalog
* HEC syndrome, a medical condition characterized by hydrocephalus, endocardial fibroelastosis and cataracts
* Highly emetogenic chemotherapy, a term for chemotherapy drug ...
Inria
The National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria) () is a French national research institution focusing on computer science and applied mathematics.
It was created under the name ''Institut de recherche en informatiq ...
,
Danone
Danone S.A. () is a French multinational corporation, multinational food-products corporation based in Paris. It was founded in Barcelona, Spain. It is listed on Euronext Paris where it is a component of the CAC 40 stock market index. Some of t ...
research center, one
Thales
Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regard ...
research facility, and national scientific instruments such as the SOLEIL synchrotron and the NeuroSpin Project.
In order to create an even more attractive campus, other engineering schools and high-value centers are planned: EDF headquarters, Agro ParisTech,
Telecom ParisTech
Telecom may refer to:
* Telecommunications
** A telephone company (or ''telecommunications service provider'')
** The telecommunications industry
* Telecom Animation Film, a Japanese studio
See also
* Telcom (disambiguation)
* Telekom (disambi ...
, and
ENSAE ParisTech
ENSAE Paris (officially École nationale de la statistique et de l'administration économique Paris) is a university in France, known as Grandes Ecoles and a member of IP Paris ( Institut Polytechnique de Paris). ENSAE Paris is known as the spe ...
for instance.
Geography
The plateau is located about 165 meters above sea level. It is traversed by ditches that drain water. These works, as well as the ''étang de Saclay'', located near the town of
Saclay
Saclay () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It had a population of 3,067 in 2006. It is best known for the large scientific facility CEA Saclay, mostly dealing with nuclear and p ...
, were intended to supply water to Versailles Castle (and in particular its fountains).
It includes the municipalities of
Gif-sur-Yvette
Gif-sur-Yvette (, literally ''Gif on Yvette'') is a commune in south-western Ile de France, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
Geography
The town is crossed by and named after the river Yvette.
The total area is and is green sp ...
(Moulon district),
Orsay
Orsay () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris.
A fortified location of the Chevreuse valley since the 8th century a ...
,
Palaiseau
Palaiseau () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Palaiseau is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Palaiseau.
Inhabitants of Palaiseau ar ...
,
Saclay
Saclay () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It had a population of 3,067 in 2006. It is best known for the large scientific facility CEA Saclay, mostly dealing with nuclear and p ...
Essonne
Essonne () is a department of France in the southern Île-de-France region. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659 across 194 communes.Toussus-le-Noble, Châteaufort, Les Loges-en-Josas and Buc in
Yvelines
Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines () is a new town and an agglomeration community in the French department of Yvelines. It is one of the original five villes nouvelles (new towns) of Paris and was named after the Saint Quentin Pond, which was chosen to ...
(''plateau de Villaroy'').
Ponds and ditches
When, from 1670,
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 Ve ...
built his Versailles Castle, he asked Le Nôtre to create a sumptuous park enlivened by a myriad of fountains, waterfalls and ponds. Necessary to bring the water to
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, ...
,
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...
put out two major projects:
* The '' Machine de Marly'' was supposed to pump up the waters of the
Seine
The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plate ...
to the ''Plaine de
Louveciennes
Louveciennes () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, between Versailles and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and adjacent to Marly-le-Roi.
Population
...
''.
* Collection and storm water drainage from
Trappes
Trappes () is a commune in the Yvelines department, region of Île-de-France, north-central France. It is a banlieue located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris, in the new town of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
Transport
...
and
Saclay
Saclay () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It had a population of 3,067 in 2006. It is best known for the large scientific facility CEA Saclay, mostly dealing with nuclear and p ...
via channels.
It is a hydraulic system with a unique set of ponds all connected by 200 km of open ditches spread over 13000 hectares (32000 acres ), which was created to supply the fountains of Versailles Castle by mere gravity. On the ''plateau de Saclay'', six ditches, including the Saint-Aubin ditch, the Favreuse ditch and the Corbeville ditch, feed the old pond ''étang Vieux'' (37 hectares (91 acres)) and the new pond ''étang Neuf'' (33 hectares (81 acres)) near Saclay with a capacity of approximately 1.6 million m³.
Economics / Urban
The ''plateau de Saclay'' has a long agricultural tradition. However, it became an important center of education, scientific research and research and development after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, and especially since the 1960s. Many ''
grandes écoles Grandes may refer to:
* Agustín Muñoz Grandes, Spanish general and politician
* Banksia ser. Grandes, a series of plant species native to Australia
* Grandes y San Martín, a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spa ...
'' and research centers are located on the plateau, and it is anticipated that the campus becomes one of the most important in Europe in the coming years.
Municipalities are part of the plateau agglomeration communities:
* the ''
Communauté d'agglomération Paris-Saclay
The ''Communauté d'agglomération'' ''Paris-Saclay'' ''(or CPS)'' is an administrative entity in the Essonne département, near Paris. The administrative center is Orsay.Villiers-le-Bâcle,
Saclay
Saclay () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It had a population of 3,067 in 2006. It is best known for the large scientific facility CEA Saclay, mostly dealing with nuclear and p ...
Orsay
Orsay () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris.
A fortified location of the Chevreuse valley since the 8th century a ...
,
Palaiseau
Palaiseau () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Palaiseau is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Palaiseau.
Inhabitants of Palaiseau ar ...
,
Bures-sur-Yvette
Bures-sur-Yvette (, literally ''Bures on Yvette'') is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Bures-sur-Yvette is located in the Vallée de Chevreuse on the river Yvette, along which the RER line& ...
,
Gif-sur-Yvette
Gif-sur-Yvette (, literally ''Gif on Yvette'') is a commune in south-western Ile de France, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
Geography
The town is crossed by and named after the river Yvette.
The total area is and is green sp ...
, Gometz-le-Châtel ...
* the ''Communauté d'agglomération Versailles Grand Parc'' : Buc,
Jouy-en-Josas
Jouy-en-Josas () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris.
Jouy-en-Josas is home to the main campus of HEC ...
Route nationale 118
Route nationale 118 is now a French route nationale from Sèvres to Les Ulis.
History
The route was created in 1972. It takes the place of route nationale 187 between Sèvres and Meudon la Forêt, of the route nationale 306 between Saclay an ...
'', the axis
Boulogne-Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt (; often colloquially called simply Boulogne, until 1924 Boulogne-sur-Seine, ) is a wealthy and prestigious commune in the Parisian area, located from its centre. It is a subprefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department an ...
- Les Ulis. It is not directly served by the RER, but the RER lines B and C respectively serve the ''
Vallée de Chevreuse
Vallée de Chevreuse (Chevreuse Valley) is the valley of the Yvette River in the Yvelines and Essonne departments.
It encompasses the communes around Chevreuse (Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, Choisel, Dampierre, etc.) within the Parc naturel rég ...
'' and the valley of the Bièvre, surrounding the plateau.
Within the framework of the project "''
Grand Paris
The Métropole du Grand Paris (; "Metropolis of Greater Paris"),There is no official or widely-used English translation yet. also known as Grand Paris or Greater Paris, is a ''métropole'' covering the City of Paris and its nearest surrounding su ...
''", the final scheme adopted on 26 May 2011 by the ''Société du Grand Paris'' concerning the transport network ''Grand Paris Express'' provides an automated metro line linking
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, ...
Paris-Orly Airport
Paris Orly Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Orly), commonly referred to as Orly , is one of two international airports serving the French capital, Paris, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly an ...
The ''plateau du Moulon'' is the south-eastern part of the ''plateau de Saclay'', located in the municipalities of
Gif-sur-Yvette
Gif-sur-Yvette (, literally ''Gif on Yvette'') is a commune in south-western Ile de France, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
Geography
The town is crossed by and named after the river Yvette.
The total area is and is green sp ...
and
Orsay
Orsay () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris.
A fortified location of the Chevreuse valley since the 8th century a ...
. This is another place for research and
higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...
(''Campus d'Orsay'').
History
Recent work on the ''plateau'' by archaeologists from Inrap and
CNRS
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe.
In 2016, it employed 31,63 ...
show the presence of an almost continuous occupation since the first
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 appl ...
. A
Roman villa
A Roman villa was typically a farmhouse or country house built in the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, sometimes reaching extravagant proportions.
Typology and distribution
Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) distinguished two kinds of villas ...
is located on the site of Moulon.
In 2006, a Gallic village was discovered on the ''plateau de Moulon''. It was probably composed of one hundred members:
artisans
An artisan (from french: artisan, it, artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art, ...
,
farmers
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer ...
and
ranchers
A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...
.
The ferme d'Orsigny (Orsigny farm) (resulting from the combination of two working farms) occupies the site of an ancient Gallo-Roman (''Orsiniacum'') villa, which itself followed a Celtic settlement.
The site was reoccupied by the
Merovingians
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 Gauli ...
after its destruction by fire. From the eleventh to the thirteenth centuries, Orsigny was refounded by the monks of
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés () is one of the four administrative quarters of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its official borders are the River Seine on the north ...
. It became, in the sixteenth century, a hamlet around a farm belonging to the family Mérault, which managed to establish an area of 256 hectares, divided later. In 1644, the hamlet was depopulated, an heiress of Mérault donated the domain to the
congregation of the mission
, logo =
, image = Vincentians.png
, abbreviation = CM
, nickname = Vincentians, Paules, Lazarites, Lazarists, Lazarians
, established =
, founder = Vincent de Paul
, fou ...
of St. Vincent de Paul. It reached the area of 345 hectares in 1670. In 1789, the church property was nationalized and sold to Parisians.
See also
*
Paris-Saclay
Paris-Saclay is a research-intensive and business cluster currently under construction in the south of Paris, France. It encompasses research facilities, two French major universities with higher education institutions (''grandes écoles'') and ...
References
{{coord, 48.74, 2.17, display=title
Saclay
Saclay () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It had a population of 3,067 in 2006. It is best known for the large scientific facility CEA Saclay, mostly dealing with nuclear and p ...