History of Essonne

First Essonne inhabitants

Created by the law of July 10, 1964 (on the reorganization of the Paris region) Essonne is a very recent department. But the history of the lands that compose it (Hurepoix, Brie, Gâtinais and northern Beauce), goes back several millennia.

It was at Etiolles that we found traces of the first nomads who settled on the Seine banks about 13,000 years ago. The traces left by first men are numerous in our department. Essonne early occupation dates back to the Upper Paleolithic and can be explained by the incomparable fertility of our lands.

Walls and fortresses

From the “Hundred Years War” to the Wars of Religion, Essonne has not lived apart from the looting, sieges and exactions that marked these tragic periods in French history. During periods of calm, castles were built, others improved their defenses, especially from Paris to Orleans, a true strategic position.
Farms and some churches were fortified while many towns and villages were surrounded by ramparts, first wooden and then stone, to try to protect themselves from incursions.

Today, we can still admire important masterpieces of these medieval times.

Beautiful castles and large estates

The Essonne has a hundred mansions, beautiful homes and castles built or transformed over time. All these historic monuments remind us that, for several centuries, the region was considered a place of pleasure and a resort destination popular with Parisian financiers and dignitaries. The “classical” era of the 17th century is well represented among the dozens of famous castles in Essonne, such as Courances, Baville, Chamarande and Courson, with their gorgeous geometric brick and stone facades.

Discover Essonne, its heritage, gardens and castles

An exceptional heritage

Scientific, architectural, artistic and religious: the richness and diversity of Essonne heritage make it unique. This cultural heritage, from different eras, includes curiosities such as the Nymphaeum of Viry-Chatillon and emblematic masterpieces of Essonne, such as the “factories” of the park of Méréville or Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières “the most beautiful church village of France “. The millstone, a stone extracted in the department, occupies an important place in this anthology. It is majestically present in the Art Nouveau castel of Hector Guimard in Villemoisson and more modestly in hundreds of pavilions with multiple decorations and colors, symbolizing the suburbs and especially the Essonne.

Fields that nourish

For centuries, Essonne has lived in rural time and the pace of field work. Its famous crops of cereals, fruits and vegetables underwent major changes in the late 19th century. In the Beauce, “the granary of Paris”, thousands of sheep fertilized the land before the arrival of the first steam engines. In the Hurepoix, the Arpajonnais, a tramway rail, routinely brought Arpajon beans or tomatoes from Montlhéry to Les Halles, the belly of Paris. Despite the urbanization of the Essonne from the late fifties, the department has retained an agricultural activity: far from having disappeared, it has again deeply transformed and diversified, ranging from the production of local soil to the globalized cereal crop.

Manufactures at the forefront

In the mid-18th century, taking advantage of the geography of southern Paris, the first industries began to take root in the predominantly rural region. These small businesses still close to the arts enjoy a natural wealth, the Essonne rivers which, according to an engineer of 1791, “never fall, overflow or freeze.” They provide the necessary hydraulic energy for grain mills that have been running since the Middle Ages, but also for new distilleries, starch mills and oil mills.

Prestigious artists in residence

From the eighteenth century, our department has always attracted and inspired many artists and writers like Victor Hugo in Bièvres or Claude Monet in Montgeron. Holiday resort and source of inspiration, the Essonne in particular seduced outdoor painters. Thus, Jean-Baptiste Corot used to put his easel to Brunoy, Marcoussis and Montlhéry inspired landscapes, just as Maurice Eliot did in Epinay-sous-Sénart. Essonne is also staged in literature by authors who testify to their sense of observation. Alphonse Daudet describes the customs of inhabitants around Draveil, Georges Simenon anchors in Morsang-sur-Seine and leads the inspector Maigret among workers of Corbeil, while Jean-Louis Bory obtains the Goncourt prize for his novel “My village in the German hour” which is part of his hometown, Méréville.