Pontoise () 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 northwestern 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 centre of Paris, in the " new town" of

Cergy-Pontoise Cergy-Pontoise () is a new town and an agglomeration community in France, in the Val-d'Oise and Yvelines departments, northwest of Paris on the river Oise. It owes its name to two of the communes that it covers, Cergy and Pontoise. Its populatio ...

Administration

Pontoise is the official ''

préfecture In France, a prefecture (french: préfecture) may be: * the ''chef-lieu de département'', the commune in which the administration of a department is located; * the ''chef-lieu de région'', the commune in which the administration of a region is ...

'' (capital) of the

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.

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'', although in reality the ''préfecture'' building and administration, as well as the department council (''conseil général''), are located in the neighboring commune of

Cergy Cergy () is a Communes of France, commune in the French Departments of France, department of Val-d'Oise, in northwestern suburbs of Paris. It is located from the Kilometre Zero#France, centre of Paris, in the "new town#France, new town" of Cerg ...

, which is regarded as the ''de facto'' capital of Val-d'Oise. Pontoise is also the seat of the

Arrondissement of Pontoise The arrondissement of Pontoise is an Arrondissements of France, arrondissement of France in the Val-d'Oise Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region. It has 105 Communes of France, communes. Its population is ...

. The ''

sous-préfecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefecture ...

'' building and administration, unlike the ''préfecture'', are located inside the commune of Pontoise.

Sister cities

The city of Pontoise has three sister city relationships with: * Böblingen, Germany since 1956 *

Sevenoaks Sevenoaks is a town in Kent with a population of 29,506 situated south-east of London, England. Also classified as a civil parish, Sevenoaks is served by a commuter main line railway into London. Sevenoaks is from Charing Cross, the traditio ...

, United Kingdom since 1964 * Geleen, Netherlands since 1962

Security

Known for being a violent city in the late 20th century, with a criminal rate of 137.62 incidents per 1000 inhabitants, Cergy-Pontoise has enjoyed a significant decrease in violence in the first decade of the 21st century. By 2008, the rate had declined to 99.87, although this is still considered high. That rate has continued to decline in the second decade.

History

Pontoise is the historical capital of the

Vexin Vexin () is an historical county of northwestern France. It covers a verdant plateau on the right bank (north) of the Seine running roughly east to west between Pontoise and Romilly-sur-Andelle (about 20 km from Rouen), and north to south ...

français. Its foundation dates from

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 letter ...

times (''Pontisara''). At that time, the rock peak overhanging the river

Oise Oise ( ; ; pcd, Oése) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 ...

supported the defense of the fort which was on the Roman road, the Chaussée Jules César, between ''

Lutetia The Gallo-Roman town of ''Lutetia'' (''Lutetia Parisiorum'' in Latin, in French ''Lutèce'') was the predecessor of the modern-day city of Paris. It was founded in about the middle of the 3rd century BCE by the Parisii, a Gallic tribe. Trac ...

'' (

) and ''Rotomagus'' ( Rouen). The road still exists and is now part of the N14 from Paris to Rouen. It is also known to many people as the birthplace of the alchemist Nicholas Flamel. With an over 2,000 year legacy, Pontoise still has vestiges of the past, such as medieval lanes, convents, churches and museums, and was awarded the "City of Art and History Label" in 2006. The impressionist painter Camille Pissarro made it famous through many paintings which are present nowadays in the most famous art galleries in the world.

Climate

Pontoise has a

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 ( ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Pontoise is . The average annual rainfall is with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Pontoise was on 1 July 2015; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 1 January 1997.

Demographics

Immigration

Transport

Pontoise is served by

Pontoise Pontoise () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the "new town" of Cergy-Pontoise. Administration Pontoise is the official ''préfecture'' (capital) of the Val-d'Oise ''dép ...

station, a terminus on Paris

RER line C RER C is one of the five lines in the Réseau Express Régional (English: Regional Express Network), a hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system serving Paris, France and its suburbs. The line crosses the region from north to south. The li ...

and an intermediate terminus for suburban trains originating from Gare Saint-Lazare as well as a terminus for suburban trains from Gare du Nord. Some trains originating at Gare Saint-Lazare continue onto

Gisors Gisors () is a commune of Normandy, France. It is located northwest from the centre of Paris. Gisors, together with the neighbouring communes of Trie-Château and Trie-la-Ville, form an urban area of 13,915 inhabitants (2018). This urban are ...

. For bus services, Stivo (formerly Services des Transports de l'Agglomération Nouvelle) operates within the new town of

, and in and around Pontoise, with

transport interchange A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles and/or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include railway stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stops, airports and ferry slips. F ...

s situated Place Charles de Gaulle and Parking Canrobert. Pontoise – Cormeilles Aerodrome is the area airport.

Education

Public preschool through elementary schools include:Les établissements scolaires
" Pontoise. Retrieved on6 September 2016. *Seven preschools (maternelles''): des Cordeliers, Eugène-Ducher, de l'Hermitage, Laris, Ludovic-Piette, Jean-Moulin, Parc-aux-Charettes *Two primary schools: École primaire Gustave-Loiseau and École primaire des Maradas *Seven elementary schools (''élémentaires''): Paul-Cézanne, Eugène-Ducher, de l'Hermitage, des Larris, Jean-Moulin, Ludovic-Piette, Parc-aux-Charrettes Public senior high schools/sixth-form colleges: * Lycée Camille Pissarro Pontoise *

Lycée Alfred Kastler de Cergy-Pontoise Lycée Alfred Kastler de Cergy-Pontoise is a senior high school located in Pontoise, Val-d'Oise, France, in the Paris metropolitan area, serving both Pontoise and Cergy.Cergy Cergy () is a Communes of France, commune in the French Departments of France, department of Val-d'Oise, in northwestern suburbs of Paris. It is located from the Kilometre Zero#France, centre of Paris, in the "new town#France, new town" of Cerg ...

Collèges et lycées
"

. Retrieved 6 September 2016. "Lycée polyvalent A. Kastler ..6 avenue de la Palette, sur la commune de Pontoise " There are also six private schools: École Saint-Martin-de-France (up to senior high school), École "Ella", École Saint-Louis, Établissement Vauban, Notre-Dame-de-la-Compassion (junior and senior high school)

Culture

Pontoise is one of the capitals of the

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

movement. Many painters took as a starting point the city and its area for the creation of landscapes. Camille Pissarro lived there for seventeen years. Other artists lived or worked in the area such as

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

( Auvers-sur-Oise),

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a ...

Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...

Charles-François Daubigny Charles-François Daubigny ( , , ; 15 February 181719 February 1878) was a French painter, one of the members of the Barbizon school, and is considered an important precursor of impressionism. He was also a prolific printmaker, mostly in etchin ...

Gustave Caillebotte Gustave Caillebotte (; 19 August 1848 – 21 February 1894) was a French painter who was a member and patron of the Impressionists, although he painted in a more realistic manner than many others in the group. Caillebotte was known for his early ...

Gustave Loiseau Gustave Loiseau (3 October 1865 – 10 October 1935) was a French Post-Impressionist painter, remembered above all for his landscapes and scenes of Paris streets.

, etc.

Main sights

Cathédrale Saint-Maclou de Pontoise Pontoise Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Maclou de Pontoise) is a Roman Catholic Church (building), church located in the town of Pontoise, on the outskirts of Val d'Oise in Paris, France. The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Maclovius otherwise ...

. It was built in the 12th century and reconstructed and enlarged in the 15th and 16th centuries. The tower, as well as the central portal, is in

flamboyant Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...

style. The central body is flanked by

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

additions. The remaining 12th century part of the cathedral is to the back. To the North of the building is a

portal. * Musée de Pontoise (Musée Tavet-Delacour). The museum houses sculptures from the

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 a ...

, manuscripts from the seventeenth century and paintings from the twentieth century * Musée Pissarro (

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

collections) and garden of the five senses. The Museum is situated in a

bourgeoise The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. T ...

house at the entrance of the old castle.

Parks and recreation

Parks: *Le Jardin de la Ville *Le Parc des Larris *Le jardin partagé de Marcouville *Le Jardin des Cinq Sens *Le Parc du Château de Marcouville *Les jardins et la terrasse basse du Dôme *Le Jardin des Lavandières *Plaines de jeux

Notable people

Sébastien Carole Sébastien Carole (born 8 September 1982), also known as Seb Carole, is a French former professional association football, footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger. He represented Martinique national football team, Martin ...

(b. 1982), footballer * Yarouba Cissako, footballer * Koumba Cisse handball player *

Nicolas Flamel Nicolas Flamel (; 1330 – 22 March 1418) was a French scribe and manuscript-seller. After his death, Flamel developed a reputation as an alchemist believed to have created and discovered the philosopher's stone and to have thereby achieved im ...

(c. 1340-1418), reputed alchemist, probably born here *

Jérémy Labor Jérémy Labor (born 19 March 1992) is a French professional footballer who plays for Championnat National 2 club Toulon. Traditionally a centre-back, he can also be utilized on the side. He is a former France youth international, having repre ...

(b. 1992), footballer * Christophe Lebon (b. 1982), swimmer * Luc Loubaki, basketball player *

Édouard-Alfred Martel Édouard-Alfred Martel (1 July 1859, Pontoise, Val-d'Oise – 3 June 1938, Montbrison), the 'father of modern speleology', was a world pioneer of cave exploration, study, and documentation. Martel explored thousands of caves in his native Franc ...

(1859-1938), Father of modern speleology * Guiday Mendy (b. 1986), basketball player * Aly Ndom, footballer * Camille Pissarro, painter * Yoann Rapinier, athlete *

Jacques Vallée Jacques Fabrice Vallée (; born September 24, 1939) is an Internet pioneer, computer scientist, venture capitalist, author, ufologist and astronomer currently residing in San Francisco, California and Paris, France. His scientific career began ...

, author, ufologist and former astronomer *

Jean-Éric Vergne Jean-Éric Vergne (born 25 April 1990), also known as JEV, is a French racing driver who competes in the FIA Formula E Championship with Dragon Racing. He became the 2017–18 ABB Formula E Champion, after clinching fifth in the New York ePrix ...

, former Formula One driver currently competing in Formula E * St William of Pontoise, hermit * Rabbi Moses of Pontoise, 12th-century disciple of

Rabbeinu Tam Jacob ben Meir (1100 – 9 June 1171 (4 Tammuz)), best known as Rabbeinu Tam ( he, רבינו תם), was one of the most renowned Ashkenazi Jewish rabbis and leading French Tosafists, a leading ''halakhic'' authority in his generation, and a gr ...

and mentioned in several

Tosafot The Tosafot, Tosafos or Tosfot ( he, תוספות) are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes. The auth ...

. *

Moussa Dembélé (French footballer) Moussa Dembélé (born 12 July 1996) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Lyon. Developed at Paris Saint-Germain, Dembélé made his professional debut for Fulham in the Premier League in November 2013 ...

, footballer *

Liza del Sierra Liza del Sierra (also spelled Del Sierra, born 30 August 1985) is a French pornographic actress, film director and producer. Biography Del Sierra was born Émilie Delaunay in Pontoise, in the Parisian region. She later grew up mostly in Bordeau ...

, pornographic actress. * A famous religious sister, Blessed Marie de l'Incarnation (1566-1618), formerly known as Madame Acarie, the foundress of the Reformed Carmelites in France, lived, died and was buried here in the Carmelite Monastery. * William of Pontoise (d. 1192), medieval Benedictine * Yacine Qasmi , moroccan footballer