Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of

Hauts-de-Seine Hauts-de-Seine (; ) is a Departments of France, département in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region, Northern France. It covers Paris's western inner Banlieue, suburbs. It is bordered by Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne to the e ...

such as

Marnes-la-Coquette Marnes-la-Coquette () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. Located from the centre of Paris, the town is situated in the Hauts-de-Seine department on the departmental border with Yvelines between the Parc de Saint-Cloud and the ...

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...

and

Vaucresson Vaucresson () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the Hauts-de-Seine department from the center of Paris. Vaucresson contains abundant parkland; 22 of its 308 hectares are classed as natural zones. Today Vaucresson i ...

, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest towns, with the second-highest average household income of communities with 10,000 to 50,000 households. In 2019, it had a population of 30,012.

History

The town is named after

Clodoald Saint Clodoald ( la, C(h)lodoaldus, Cloudus; reconstructed Frankish: ''*Hlōdōwald''; 522 – 560 AD), better known as Saint Cloud (), was a Merovingian prince, grandson of Clovis I and son of Chlodomer, who preferred to renounce royalty and be ...

, grandson of

Clovis Clovis may refer to: People * Clovis (given name), the early medieval (Frankish) form of the name Louis ** Clovis I (c. 466 – 511), the first king of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler ** Clovis II (c. 634 – c. 657), ...

, who is supposed to have sought refuge in a hamlet on the Seine near Paris, then named Novigentum, like many other newly founded mercantile settlements outside the traditional towns. After he was canonized, the village where his tomb was located took the name of Sanctus Clodoaldus. A park contains the ruins of the Château de Saint-Cloud, built in 1572 and destroyed by fire in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. The château was the residence of several French rulers and served as the main country residence of the cadet Orléans line until the French Revolution. The palace was also the site of the ''coup d'état'' led by

Napoleon Bonaparte 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 ...

that overthrew the

French Directory The Directory (also called Directorate, ) was the governing five-member committee in the French First Republic from 2 November 1795 until 9 November 1799, when it was overthrown by Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte in the Coup of 18 Brumaire and r ...

in 1799. The town is also famous for the

Saint-Cloud porcelain Saint-Cloud porcelain was a type of soft-paste porcelain produced in the French town of Saint-Cloud from the late 17th to the mid 18th century. Foundation In 1702, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans gave letters-patent to the family of Pierre Chicane ...

produced there from 1693 to 1766. The Headquarters of the International Criminal Police Organization ( Interpol) was at 22 Rue Armengaud from 1966 until 1989, when it moved to Lyon.

Demographics

Main sights

The main landmarks are the park of the demolished Château de Saint-Cloud and the Pavillon de Breteuil. The Saint-Cloud Racecourse, a racetrack for Thoroughbred flat racing, was built by

Edmond Blanc Edmond Blanc (22 February 1856 – 12 December 1920) was a horse breeder as well a French politician. He served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1893 to 1894, and from 1898 to 1902, representing Hautes-Pyrénées. He also served as ...

in 1901 and hosts a number of important races, including the annual Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Tribute to Santos-Dumont

On the Avenue de Longchamp is a bronze statue commissioned by the Airclub of France representing the Greek mythological figure

Icarus In Greek mythology, Icarus (; grc, Ἴκαρος, Íkaros, ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos suspe ...

, in honour of Alberto Santos-Dumont. Inaugurated on October 19, 1913, it sits on a square near the old Aerostation of Saint-Cloud, where Santos-Dumont performed his experiments with heavier-than-air aircraft. Santos-Dumont was also responsible for the construction of the world's first hangar. A replica has occupied the hangar's site in Saint-Cloud since 1952 after the original was destroyed for its bronze during the Nazi military occupation.

Transport

Saint-Cloud is served by two stations on the

Transilien La Défense Transilien Line U, also known as "La Défense - La Verrière" or more often simply "ligne U", is a tangential commuter train link, which serves the western Paris region from La Défense. It links the Paris's business district of La Défense to ...

and Transilien Paris-Saint-Lazare suburban rail lines: Le Val d'Or and Saint-Cloud. The town is also served by the T2 Tramway, which runs alongside the

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

. Central Saint-Cloud, known as ''le village'', is also served by the metro station Boulogne-Pont de Saint-Cloud (line 10), just across the Seine on the Boulogne-Billancourt side of the Pont de Saint Cloud.

Hospital

* René Huguenin Hospital

Education

Public high schools: * Lycée Alexandre-Dumas * Lycée Santos-Dumont It is also served by the public high school Lycée Jean Pierre Vernant in Sèvres. Private high schools: * Institution Saint-Pie-X International schools: * American School of Paris * Internationale Deutsche Schule Paris (German school)

Personalities

Notable births

* Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1674–1723), Regent of France from 1715 to 1723 * Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans (1676–1744), Regent of Lorraine, lived at the Palace at Saint-Cloud *

Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (Louis Philippe Joseph; 13 April 17476 November 1793), was a major French noble who supported the French Revolution. Louis Philippe II was born at the Château de Saint-Cloud to Louis Philippe I, Duke of Char ...

(1747–1793), a key figure during the early stages of the French Revolution; * Princess Marie Bonaparte (1882–1962),

psychoanalyst PsychoanalysisFrom Greek language, Greek: + . is a set of Theory, theories and Therapy, therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a bo ...

, closely linked with Sigmund Freud *

Gilbert Norman Gilbert Maurice Norman (7 April 1915 – 6 September 1944) was a British Army officer who served in the Special Operations Executive in France during World War II. Norman was born in Saint-Cloud, Hauts-de-Seine, to an English father and a Fre ...

(1914–1944), Special Operations Executive member *

Annick Gendron Annick Gendron was a French abstract painter, (1939 Châtin, Nièvre - 22 October 2008 Saint-Cloud). Art In the 1970s Gendron’s innovative way of using and manipulating industrial material and tools as plastic, glass, hydraulics press an ...

, painter *

Nicole Courcel Nicole Marie Jeanne Andrieu (21 October 1931 – 25 June 2016), better known as Nicole Courcel, was a French actress who achieved popularity through the 1950s and 1960s, though she is mostly unknown outside of France. Born in Saint-Cloud, in ...

(1930–2016), film actress * Jean-Claude Killy (born 1943), alpine skier and a triple

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

champion * Gérard Manset (born 1945), known as Manset, rock songwriter *

Hervé Guibert Hervé Guibert (14 December 1955 – 27 December 1991) was a French writer and photographer. The author of numerous novels and autobiographical studies, he played a considerable role in changing French public attitudes to HIV/AIDS. He was a ...

(1955–1991), writer *

Mino Cinelu Mino may refer to: Places in Japan * Mino, Gifu, a city in Gifu Prefecture * Mino, Kagawa, a former town in Kagawa Prefecture * Mino, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture * Mino, an alternate spelling of Minoh, a city in Osaka Prefecture * Mi ...

(born 1957), musician *

Alexandra Fusai Alexandra Fusai (born 22 November 1973) is a former professional tennis player from France. Fusai was born in Saint-Cloud, Hauts-de-Seine. Starting from September 1989 when she turned professional, Fusai played four tournaments (all of them p ...

(born 1973), former

professional tennis player Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cove ...

Marie Silin Marie Silin (born 4 October 1979) is a French politician from En Marche who was Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with ...

(born 1979), member of parliament * Magalie Poisson (born 1982), Olympic

rhythmic gymnast Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon. The sport combines elements of gymnastics, dance and calisthenics; gymnasts must be strong, flexible, agile, dexterous and coordi ...

Paul Lasne Paul Bastien Lasne (born 16 January 1989) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 2 club Paris FC. Career Born in Saint-Cloud, Lasne broke into the first team squad at Bordeaux in 2009. He was loaned out to Ch� ...

(born 1989), footballer *

Ingmar Lazar Ingmar Lazar (born June 22, 1993 in Saint-Cloud, is a French classical pianist. Lazar started to play the piano when he was five. He made his debut at the age of six at the Salle Gaveau. At the age of 10, he won the International EPTA Piano Compe ...

(born 1993), classical pianist, prodigy

Notable residents

Henri III of France Henry III (french: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; pl, Henryk Walezy; lt, Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Li ...

(1551–1589), King of France, assassinated in Saint-Cloud * Philippe d'Orléans (1640–1701) lived in the Château de Saint-Cloud from 1658 to his death in 1701 * Henrietta of England (1644–1670) lived and died in the Château de Saint-Cloud *

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 ...

(1769–1821) lived in the Château de Saint-Cloud *

Antoine Sénard Antoine Marie Jules Sénard (9 April 1800 – 29 October 1885) was a French lawyer and politician who was briefly President of the Constituent Assembly of the French Second Republic. After returning to private practice during the Second French Emp ...

(1800–1885), member of the National Assembly, mayor of Saint-Cloud from 1871 to 1874 *

Émile Verhaeren Émile Adolphe Gustave Verhaeren (; 21 May 1855 – 27 November 1916) was a Belgian poet and art critic who wrote in the French language. He was one of the founders of the school of Symbolism and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Litera ...

(1855–1916), Flemish poet *

André Chevrillon André Chevrillon (3 May 1864 – 9 July 1957) was a French writer, a nephew of Hippolyte Taine, who chose England and the Orient as objects of study. Chevrillon was born at Ruelle ( Charente), and educated at the University College School (Lo ...

(1864–1957), French author *

Florent Schmitt Florent Schmitt (; 28 September 187017 August 1958) was a French composer. He was part of the group known as Les Apaches. His most famous pieces are ''La tragédie de Salome'' and ''Psaume XLVII'' (Psalm 47). He has been described as "one of the ...

(1870–1958), French composer *

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

(1875–1937), French composer * Marcel Dassault (1892–1986), French businessman and politician * Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873–1932), Brazilian inventor and aviation pioneer *

Lino Ventura Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura (14 July 1919 – 22 October 1987), known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian actor who grew up in France and starred in many French films. Born in Italy, he was raised in Paris by his mother. After a first caree ...

(1919–1987), Italian actor, lived and died in Saint-Cloud *

Jean-Pierre Fourcade Jean-Pierre Fourcade (born 18 October 1929 in Marmande, Lot-et-Garonne) is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. He represents the Hauts-de-Seine department and is a member of the Union for a Popular Movement The Union ...

(born 1929), French Minister, mayor of Saint-Cloud from 1971 to 1992 * Christophe Dominici (1972–2020), rugby union player for France and Stade Français *

Gérard Holtz Gérard Holtz (born 8 December 1946) is a French sports journalist. Early life and education Gérard Holtz was born in Paris and grew up in the area of Belleville. At the age of eight, he nearly died from an accident and contracted tubercul ...

(born 1946), French sports journalist * Jean-Marie Le Pen, French politician, owner of Domaine de Montretout in Saint-Cloud

Notable burials

Alimardan Topchubashov Alimardan bey Alekber bey oghlu Topchubashov ( az, Әлимәрдан бәј Әләкбәр оғлу Топчубашов, italic=no, Əlimərdan bəy Ələkbər oğlu Topçubaşov; 4 May 1862, Tiflis – 8 November 1934, Paris) was a prominent ...

(1863–1934) *

(1856–1920) *

René Alexandre René Alexandre (22 December 1885 – 19 August 1946) was a French actor. René Alexandre was born in Reims and died in Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine in 1946. He was married to actress Gabrielle Robinne from 1912 until his death. Filmography ...

(1885–1946) * Maurice Bessy (1910–1993), author of ''A Pictorial History of Magic and The Supernatural'' (1963) * Gérard Blain (1930–2000) * Gilbert Grandval (1904–1981) * Fernand Gravey (1905–1970) *

Jean-René Huguenin Jean-René Huguenin (1 March 1936 – 22 September 1962) was a French writer. He began writing articles for ''La Table ronde'' and ''Arts'' at the age of 20. In 1960, he published his first and only novel, ''La Côte sauvage'', which became a critic ...

(1936–1962) * Dorothy Jordan (1761–1816) * Vlado Perlemuter (1904–2002) * Andrée Servilange (1911–2001) * Jean Toulout (1887–1962) *

Maurice Yvain Maurice Yvain (12 February 1891 – 27 July 1965) was a French composer noted for his operettas of the 1920s and 1930s. Some of which were written for Mistinguett, at one time the best-paid female entertainer in the world. In the 1930s and 1940s, ...

(1891–1965)

Twin towns – sister cities

Saint-Cloud is twinned with: * Bad Godesberg (Bonn), Germany *

Boadilla del Monte Boadilla del Monte () is a Spanish town and municipality located in the west of the Community of Madrid, inside its metropolitan area. It has the second highest level of income per capita in all of the country of Spain. In 2017, it had a popula ...

, Spain * Frascati, Italy * Kortrijk, Belgium *

St. Cloud, Florida St. Cloud is a city in northern Osceola County, Florida, United States. It is on the southern shore of East Lake Tohopekaliga in Central Florida, about southeast of Orlando. The population was 35,183 in the 2010 census, and 54,579 in the 2019 cen ...

, United States *

St. Cloud, Minnesota St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 68,881 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 12th-largest city. St. Cloud is the county seat of Stear ...

, United States * Windsor and Maidenhead, England, United Kingdom

In popular culture

Saint-Cloud is the main setting of the 1955 French film '' Les Diaboliques'' (a.k.a. ''Diabolique'').

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saintcloud Communes of Hauts-de-Seine Cities in Île-de-France