Rambouillet (, , ) is a subprefecture of the

Yvelines Yvelines () is a Departments of France, department in the western part of the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.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 ...

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 beyond the outskirts 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 ...

, southwest of its

centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

. In 2018, the commune had a population of 26,933. Rambouillet lies on the edge of the vast

Forest of Rambouillet The forest of Rambouillet (french: Forêt de Rambouillet), also known as the forest of Yveline () is a large forest covering some 200 km² (77 square miles), located to the west of Paris, in the Île-de-France region of France. The town of R ...

(''Forêt de Rambouillet'' or ''Forêt de l'Yveline''); it is famous for its historical castle, the

Château de Rambouillet The Château de Rambouillet (), known in English as the Castle of Rambouillet, is a château in the town of Rambouillet, Yvelines department, in the Île-de-France region in northern France, southwest of Paris. It was the summer residence of ...

, which hosted several international summits. Due to its proximity to Paris and

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, ...

, Rambouillet has long been an occasional seat of government.

Population

Transport

Rambouillet is served by the

SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffic ...

Rambouillet railway station on the Transilien Line N suburban rail line, and on the regional line to

Chartres Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as def ...

and

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...

Features

*The

, a former medieval fortress, was acquired by

Louis XVI of France Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

in 1783 as a private residence because of its ideal situation in the game-rich forest of Rambouillet. It became a ''

bien national The biens nationaux were properties confiscated during the French Revolution from the Catholic Church, the monarchy, émigrés, and suspected counter-revolutionaries for "the good of the nation". ''Biens'' means "goods", both in the sense of ...

'' 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 conside ...

of 1789, and one of the imperial residences of

Napoléon I 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 who ...

during the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...

. At the time of the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

, the castle became royal residence, and it is there that Charles X signed his abdication on 2 August 1830. Sometimes neglected at times of political unrest, the château de Rambouillet became the official summer residence of the French President of the Republic after President

Félix Faure Félix François Faure (; 30 January 1841 – 16 February 1899) was the President of France from 1895 until his death in 1899. A native of Paris, he worked as a tanner in his younger years. Faure became a member of the Chamber of Deputies for ...

chose it as summer residence for himself and his family in 1896; Rambouillet thus became the official summer residence of the Presidents of the Third Republic and has retained its position ever since. *The Palais du Roi de Rome. In 1784, on a parcel adjacent to the gardens of the castle, Louis XVI had ordered the construction of the ''Hôtel du Gouvernement'', which was restored during the reign of Napoléon I, and renamed ''Palais du Roi de Rome'' as the official Rambouillet residence of Napoleon's infant son. Its entrance is situated in the rue Charles de Gaulle, Rambouillet's main street. *The Hôtel de Ville, the former ''Bailliage'' (Bailiwicks building) was built in 1786 at the request of Louis XVI by the architect Jacques-Jean Thévenin. It was given by Napoléon I to the inhabitants of Rambouillet to serve as their City Hall. The inscription over the doors of the City Hall reads "Donated to the inhabitants of Rambouillet by Napoleon the Great,

n the N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

Year 1809". *The new Saint-Lubin church was built between 1868 and 1871. Its architect was Anatole de Baudot, a student of

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (; 27 January 181417 September 1879) was a French architect and author who restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France, including those which had been damaged or abandoned during the French Revolution. H ...

. *The Bergerie nationale was built on the grounds of the Domain of Rambouillet at the request of Louis XVI, and is the home of the Rambouillet Merino sheep since 1786. *The Laiterie de la Reine, the ''Queen's Dairy'' also built on the grounds of the Domain of Rambouillet, is adjacent to the Bergerie. It was built in 1787 at the request of Louis XVI for his wife

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...

and designed by the architect Jean-Jacques Thévenin. *The Chaumière des coquillages, a thatched-roof cottage with its marble interior decorated with shells and mother of pearl, was built in 1779–1780 in the English garden of the Domain of Rambouillet by Claude-Martin Goupy, the architect of the '' duc de Penthièvre'', for the ''

princesse de Lamballe Princesse (French 'princess') may refer to: *"Princesse", single hit for Julie Zenatti *Princesse (Nekfeu song) *La Princesse La Princesse is a 15-metre (50-foot) mechanical spider designed and operated by French performance art company La Mac ...

'', Penthièvre's widowed daughter-in-law. *The Musée Rambolitrain, situated across from the Saint-Lubin church, is a museum featuring miniature trains. We find a faithful reconstruction of a Parisian toy store of the 1930s. *The Monument Américain (''The American Eagle Monument''), is situated at the south entrance of the town on the D 906 road to Chartres, at the site of two ambushes in which seven American soldiers were killed, on 16 August 1944. The monument was erected in 1947. It bears the inscription: ''"À la mémoire des soldats américains tombés pour la libération de notre région en août 1944"'', "In memory of the American soldiers fallen for the liberation of our region in August 1944". The names of nine American soldiers are inscribed on a plaque on the monument. Commemorative ceremonies are held at the monument every 19 August. Rambouillet - Église01

Notable people

;who were born in Rambouillet: * Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, ''duc de Penthièvre'', grandson of

Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

Ulysse Chevalier Ulysse Chevalier (24 February 1841 – 27 October 1923) was a French bibliographer and historian. Born in Rambouillet, he published many works on the history of Dauphiné, e.g. the cartularies of the church and the town of Die (1868), of ...

(1841–1923),

bibliographer Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliography ...

and

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

Robert Benoist Robert Marcel Charles Benoist (20 March 1895 – 14 September 1944) was a French Grand Prix motor racing driver and war hero. Early life Born near Rambouillet, Île-de-France, France, Robert Benoist was the son of Baron Henri de Rothschild' ...

(1895–1944), Grand Prix motor racing driver and war hero *

Jérémie Aliadière Jérémie Aliadière (born 30 March 1983) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker. As a graduate of the elite Clairefontaine academy, he signed for Arsenal at the age of 16. During his career he also played for Celti ...

, former

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...

football player, now with FC Lorient ;who lived in Rambouillet: *

François Ier Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...

, king of France, died at the castle, supposedly in the tower * Charles de Sainte-Maure, duc de Montausier and his wife Julie d'Angennes, the daughter of Charles d'Angennes and Catherine de Vivonne * Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse, legitimated son of

and the Marquise de Montespan, and father of the ''duc de Penthièvre'' * Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, ''duc de Penthièvre'', grandson of Louis XIV, and son of the ''comte de Toulouse'' * Maria Teresa d'Este, wife of the ''duc de Penthièvre'', died in childbirth *

Princesse de Lamballe Princesse (French 'princess') may refer to: *"Princesse", single hit for Julie Zenatti *Princesse (Nekfeu song) *La Princesse La Princesse is a 15-metre (50-foot) mechanical spider designed and operated by French performance art company La Mac ...

, duc de Penthièvre's daughter-in-law, killed in the September massacres of 1792 during the

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 ...

, Emperor of the French * Charles X, king of France, who signed his 1830 abdication in the castle * G. Lenotre, French author and historian *

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...

, American writer and journalist, lived a few days in Rambouillet in August 1944 *

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...

* Sébastien Faure, Anarchist activist and pedagogue, who set up La Ruche ("The Beehive") free school near Rambouillet in 1904 *

Didier Pironi Didier Joseph Louis Pironi (26 March 1952 – 23 August 1987) was a French racing driver. During his career, he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell (1978–1979), Ligier (1980) and Ferrari (198 ...

, Professional racing driver * Gérard Larcher, former Mayor of Rambouillet, Senator of the Yvelines, President of the Senate (reelected in October 2017), and several times minister * Jacqueline Thome-Patenôtre, Politician, member of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...

for Seine-et-Oise and later Yvelines from 1958 to 1973. She was also Mayor of Rambouillet from 1947 to 1983. * Vincent Maes actual student in bascan ;who died in Rambouillet: *

, king of France, died in castle in 1547 * Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse, son of Louis XIV and father of the ''duc de Penthièvre'', died in castle in 1737 * Maria Teresa d'Este, wife of the ''duc de Penthièvre'', died in childbirth in castle in 1754 * Germaine Coty, ''née'' Corblet, wife of French president

René Coty Jules Gustave René Coty (; 20 March 188222 November 1962) was President of France from 1954 to 1959. He was the second and last president of the Fourth French Republic. Early life and politics René Coty was born in Le Havre and studied at t ...

, died at the ''château de Rambouillet'' on 12 November 1955 *

Georges Wilson Georges Wilson (16 October 1921 – 3 February 2010) was a French film and television actor. He was the father of French actor Lambert Wilson. Biography Wilson was born in Champigny-sur-Marne, Seine (now Val-de-Marne) as the illegitimate s ...

, French film and television actor and director, died at the Rambouillet hospital on 3 February 2010.

Education

Schools in the commune include: * Eight pre-schools (''écoles maternelles''): Arbouville, Bel-Air, Clairbois, du Centre, Les Jardins, la Gommerie, de La Louvière, and La Ruche * Seven elementary schools: Arbouville, Clairbois, Gambetta, La Louvière, La Prairie, Saint Hubert, and Vieil Orme * Three junior high schools: Collège Catherine de Vivonne, Collège Le Racinay, and Collège Le RondeauLes Collèges à Rambouillet
" Rambouillet. Retrieved on September 4, 2016. * Lycée Louis Bascan, a public senior high school/sixth-form collegeLes Lycées à Rambouillet
" Rambouillet. Retrieved on September 4, 2016. Private schools include: * Institution Sainte Thérèse, which includes pre-school, elementary,Les écoles privées
" Rambouillet. Retrieved on September 4, 2016. junior high, and high school * École Jacinthe et François (private elementary school) * Collège Saint Jean Bosco (private junior high school) Universities: * University Institute of Technology of Vélizy * Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University

International relations

Rambouillet is twinned with: * Great Yarmouth, England, United Kingdom (1956) * Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany * Torres Novas, Portugal * Waterloo, Belgium *

Zafra Zafra () is a town situated in the Province of Badajoz (Extremadura, Spain), and the capital of the comarca of Zafra - Río Bodión. It has a population of 16,677, according to the 2011 census. Zafra is the hometown of Fray Ruy Lopez, autho ...

, Spain

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Communes of Yvelines