Houdan
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Houdan |
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 Houdan
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Location within Île-de-France region
Houdan
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Île-de-France |
| Department | Yvelines |
| Arrondissement | Mantes-la-Jolie |
| Canton | Houdan |
| Intercommunality | Pays houdanais |
| Mayor | Jean-Marie Tétart (2001–2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 87–129 m (285–423 ft) (avg. 104 m or 341 ft) |
| Land area1 | 10.39 km2 (4.01 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 3,141 (2006) |
| - Density | 302 /km2 (780 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 78310/ 78550 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Coordinates: 48°47′29″N 1°36′09″E / 48.7914°N 1.6025°E
Houdan is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.
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[edit] Geography
Houdan is 63 kilometres (39 mi) west of Paris in the Yvelines département. It is linked by SNCF Alençon and Paris (Gare Montparnasse).
[edit] History
The name has evolved from the Saxon "Hoding," meaning "settlement on the hill". Houdan is thought to have been inhabited since the 5th century. By the 12th century, two churches and a chateau were present.
During the Hundred Years' War, the town changed hands and was pillaged frequently. The town was destroyed; only the 12th century keep survives from that period. After the war, the town was under English administration until 1475.
Houdan is mentioned in the Prophecies of Nostradamus.
Houdan was a staging post on the road from Paris to Brittany, and many old inns are still standing.
Houdan was also an important poultry market for Paris and a breed of is named for the town. The breed is ornamental, but is also used for its meat and white eggs.
[edit] Sites of touristic interest
- Vestiges of the old town wall and its towers.
- Old houses of the 15th and 16th centuries.
- Donjon de Houdan-12th century keep (built ca. 1130-1140).
- Church, 15th - 17th centuries, containing an historic organ of L.A. Clicquot (1735).
[edit] Twin towns
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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