Last modified: 2024-11-30 by olivier touzeau
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![[Flag]](../images/f/fr-94-vg.gif)
Flag of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 7 February 2023
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Villeneuve-Saint-Georges (35,492 inhabitants in 2021; 875 ha) is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, 15.5 kilometres from the centre of Paris, in the Val-de-Marne department.
During the Roman Empire, a small town was built around the area, with the name of Villa Nova. In the Middle Ages, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges was a possession of the abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The addition of "Saint-Georges" in the name of the commune was after the remains of Saint George was brought back in AD 858. The strategic position on the road between Paris towards the cities of Melun, Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon made it a transport hub. The importance of the towns led it to be raided and besieged many times, including during the Hundred Years' War. During the Siege of Paris in 1590, Captain Saint-Paul forced his way into Villeneuve-Saint-Georges and killed the 200-300 men under the name of Henry IV of France who were garrisoned there, whilst delivering food and assistance to the besieged people in Paris
During the modern times, Villeneuve became a bourgeois city. Mansions, like the castles of Beauregard and Bellevue were built in the area. In 1652, The Prince of Cond rebelled, and Charles IV sent Turenne to confront him. A battle took place between them in the area.
During the Revolution, the national guard was created and the church was looted. In 1876, the Fort of Villeneuve was built to protect Paris in anticipation of a future war. The establishment of the railway in 1847 transformed the city, and the agricultural village very quickly became a working-class town. On the eve of the First World War, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges had more than 10,000 inhabitants. It was the first railway town in the country with the largest sorting (triage) in Europe. On July 30, 1908, following the calls for a 24-hour general strike launched by the General Confederation of Labour to demand a 10-hour day, weekly rest, a salary increase and the end of Piece work, thousands of demonstrators converged in the town where a violent confrontation took place between the Gendarmerie and the workers. The result fight left four dead and more than 200 injured among the workers, and 69 injured on the side of the forces of order. The next day, Georges Clemenceau ordered the arrest of thirty leaders of the CGT, including its general secretary Victor Griffuelhes, to neutralize the union. After the introduction of paid leave, at the time of the great departures on vacation, a derailment on July 30, 1937 left 29 dead and 111 injured at the junction between the Brunoy and Corbeil lines.
During the Second World War, the city was bombarded by Allied aircraft
because the Wehrmacht used the railway installations. Many Resistance
fighters were killed after the Triage sabotage.
In the 1950ies, large housing estates were nuilt in the North part of
Villeneuve.
In 1966, the Paris fire brigade (BSPP) moved into the Fort of
Villeneuve, where is located the Recruit Training Center.
Nowadays, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges is often described as the noisiest
city from le-de-France. It is placed exactly under the overhead lines
of Orly airport, located in the immediate vicinity. In addition to the
incessant noise of planes, there is the nuisance of a bus station, the
RER station and an important railway junction shared with Valenton, as
well as the national road 6 crossing the city in a north-south axis,
constantly subject to traffic jams. Villeneuve-Saint-Georges is also
the poorest town in the Val-de-Marne, welcoming mainly an immigrant
population.
Olivier Touzeau, 7 February 2023
The arms of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges are blazoned:
Azure, Saint-George on his horse slaying a lying dragon, all Argent,
the terrace in base Azure too, charged with an inescutcheon Sable
issuant from the partition, charged of three bezants and flanked by
three fleurs-de-lis Or.
The motto "Sicut Sequena, semper ad planum revertor" means: Like the
Seine, I always come back to my level.
The flag is white with the coat of arms: photo from this page (2022).
Olivier Touzeau, 7 February 2023