Vincennes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Commune of Vincennes |
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 A street in Vincennes, with the keep of the Vincennes medieval castle in the background. |
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| Location | |
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| Paris and inner ring départements | |
| Coordinates | 48°50′42″N 2°26′05″E / 48.845°N 2.43472°E |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Île-de-France |
| Department | Val-de-Marne |
| Arrondissement | Nogent-sur-Marne |
| Canton | 2 cantons |
| Mayor | Laurent Lafon |
| Statistics | |
| Land area1 | 1.91 km2 (0.74 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 46,400 (2005 [1]) |
| - Density | 24,293 /km2 (62,920 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 94080/ 94300 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Vincennes is a commune of the Val-de-Marne located in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. This Francilienne town is located 6.7 km (4.2 mi). (4.2 miles) from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.
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[edit] History
The Marquis de Sade was imprisoned in Vincennes fortress in 1777, where he remained (mainly: he escaped for a little over a month in 1778), until February 1784, when Vincennes fortress was closed and de Sade was transferred to the Bastille. In 1929, the commune of Vincennes lost about half of its territory when the city of Paris annexed the Bois de Vincennes, a large part of which belonged to the commune of Vincennes.
Vincennes was also the site of famous European colonial expositions in the 20th century. Fairs were held showcasing artifacts from colonies of France, England, Italy, etc.
[edit] Sights
The city is famous for its castle, the Château de Vincennes, and its park, the Bois de Vincennes hosting one of the biggest zoos in Paris, Zoo de Vincennes (though these two are now within the limits of the City of Paris). It also features a large military fort, now housing various army services. This fort and an adjoining plain known as the "Polygon" has historically been an important proving ground for French armaments.
[edit] Transport
Vincennes is served by two stations on Paris Métro Line 1: Bérault and Château de Vincennes.
Vincennes is also served by Vincennes station on Paris RER line A.
[edit] Porcelain
In the old royal château, a porcelain manufactory was established in 1740, specializing in imitations of Meissen porcelain and naturalistic flowers, which were incorporated into bouquets under the direction of Parisian marchands-merciers. The Vincennes porcelain factory continued until 1756, when the production was transferred to new buildings at Sèvres, initiating the career of world-famous Sèvres porcelain.
[edit] International relations
[edit] Twin towns — Sister cities
Vincennes is twinned with:
Castrop-Rauxel, Germany[2]
Lambeth, United Kingdom
Montigny-le-Tilleul, Belgium
Tomar, Portugal
Vincennes, Indiana, United States
[edit] Images gallery
 Panoramic view of the church and City Hall of Vincennes |
 Main tower of the Vincennes medieval castle |
 The Vincennes Park in autumn |
 The famous rock of Vincennes zoo |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ 2005 estimate, 43,595 at the 1999 census
- ^ "List of Twin Towns in the Ruhr Destrict". © 2009 Twins2010.com. http://www.twins2010.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pic/Dokumente/List_of_Twin_Towns_01.pdf?PHPSESSID=2edd34819db21e450d3bb625549ce4fd. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vincennes |
