Maisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte | |
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.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location (in red) within Paris inner and outer suburbs | |
Location of Maisons-Laffitte  | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Île-de-France |
| Department | Yvelines |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Germain-en-Laye |
| Canton | Maisons-Laffitte |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Jacques Myard |
| Area 1 | 6.75 km2 (2.61 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | 23,014 |
| • Density | 3,400/km2 (8,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 78358 /78600 |
| Elevation | 22–57 m (72–187 ft) (avg. 38 m or 125 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Maisons-Laffitte is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris 18.2 km (11.3 mi) from the center.
Maisons-Laffitte is famous for the Château de Maisons-Laffitte, built by architect François Mansart in the 17th century. Maisons-Laffitte is also known for its horse racing track, the Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse, which is why the town is known as the "cité du cheval" and is compared with Newmarket in the United Kingdom.
History
Originally called Maisons-sur-Seine (meaning "Houses upon Seine"), the commune was officially renamed Maisons-Laffitte in 1882 in honor of banker Jacques Laffitte who financed the housing developments on the estate of the Château de Maisons-Laffitte.
The Château de Maisons-Laffitte has a secret passage to what once used to be part of the Château de Maisons-Laffitte but which is now a school - Collège de l'Ermitage.
Transport
Maisons-Laffitte is served by Maisons-Laffitte station on Paris RER line A and on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line.
Notable residents
- Pape-Philippe Amagou, basketball player
- Grégory Baugé, cyclist
- Eugène Louis Bouvier, zoologist
- Jerzy Giedroyc, founder and editor of a leading Polish-émigré literary-political journal, Kultura
- Randy de Puniet, motorcycle racer
- Odd Nerdrum, painter
- Philippe Jaroussky, opera singer
- Jean Cocteau, writer, filmmaker, and artist
- James Winkfield, jockey, horse trainer
Education
Public schools:[1]
- Six preschools/nurseries (maternelles): Bois-Bonnet, Clos-Lainé, Cocteau, Colbert, La Renarde, Montebello
- Four elementary schools: Jehan Alain/André Ledreux, Colbert, Le Prieuré, Mansart
- Junior high schools (collèges): Jean Cocteau and Le Prieuré
- Senior high schools/sixth-form colleges: Lycée Evariste Galois and Lycée les Pierre Vives
Private schools:[1]
- International School of France / L'Ermitage (preschool through senior high)
- Sainte-Marie (preschool and elementary)
- Ecole Montessori Internationale
See also
References
External links
- Local website (in English)
- Official website (in French)
- Pictures and history of Maisons-Laffitte ( French)
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