Another of my memorable times while living in Versailles and working in Paris for almost 9 years was Poissy. This town is close in the royal circle of the Yvelines dept 78 in the region of Ïle de France. As I have several posts already in my blog this memory lane post will be on my black and white series, no pictures. This was sort of like an introduction to Poissy in my blog. I will update text and links for you and me. And thanks for reading me since Nov 2010! Therefore, this is my take on this is Poissy !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I
Getting out into the A13 autoroute de Normandie direction Rouen until exit sortie 6 Versailles centre that brings you on the N186 is only 23 kms or take a bit longer but more scenic route on the D190 into the N13 at St Germain en Laye and onwards to the N186 to Versailles. The bus no 9 from Poissy train station/bus terminal next to the bus terminal annexe at rue de l’Europe in Versailles near the Castle on Transdev network . The roads A13,A14, D30, N13 D190 all passed and bypassed the town. A city always in the history books to modern times and a big crossroad of railways as well.
I like to remember memorable places of mine and this is another one. I used to come by here on many business/family trips and to get my sons off school at the train station in Poissy , also a stop for the RER A into Paris. The town has a long history starting with the Pincerais under the Merovingians, and thereafter becomes one of the oldest Royal towns in Ïle de France, birthplace of kings Louis IX (Saint Louis) and Philippe III. It was one of the earliest towns to received city designation in 1200 by king Philippe-Auguste, as well as an important religious town with convents of the Dominicans, Capuchins, and Ursulines before the French revolution.
You have things to see here such as The Collegiale Church of Notre Dame (St Louis was baptized here ) a roman Church style from the 12C; the old bridge of Poissy first built in the 12C destroyed by English bombings in 1944; was a bridge of 410 meters long and 24 arches , now only three arches remain linking the left bank of the Seine river to an isle in the middle of the Seine river; it has been replaced by a new bridge just 300 meters next to it. The prairie Porterie is what is left of the old abbey of the Dominicans where the colloquial of Poissy was held, been founded by king Philippe le Bel in the 13C and destroyed in the 18C including the priory Church of Saint Louis. It is now housing the museum of toys or musée du jouet (very nice indeed) . The city hall or Hôtel de Ville is the old Cistercian convent dating from 1620 that was changed to a school in 1837; a new building was done in 1937 including a theater. The Pavillon de L’Octroi is an octagonal tower built in 1830 replacing the old gate of Paris and now the tourist office . The nearby Villa « Les Heures Claires », or aka as Villa Savoye work of architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret aka as Le Corbusier built between 1928 and 1931; the wonderful distillery of the liquor of Noyau de Poissy, with a store at the rue du Général-de-Gaulle. The old slaughterhouse of the Halle aux Veaux built in 1831 in the now place de la République, stop been used as such in 1870;now it is the host of a wonderful market inside and outside there.
The city hall or Hôtel de ville at rue de la Gare was an old convent of the Capuchins dating from 1620 transformed into city hall/school in 1837. A new city hall was done opening in 1937 with the innovation of integrating a theater.
It ,also, has a nice marché Beauregard or market day and a pretty riverfront (Seine) scene of music jazz and restaurant on a peniche boat. La villa Savoye and the parc Chateau de Villiers are good too the park is just across from the Seine river. The Chateau de Villiers of Louis XIII style built with stone and brick in the 19C now houses since 1976 an events center; the Chateau de la Coudraie built in 1870, on rue de Migneaux, and housed personnel of the auto brand Simca in 1962. The Chateau de Bethemont modified in 1858 is today a golf park . The chapel of Saint Lazarus de la Maladrerie dating from 1120-1140 , the tower or tour de Bethemont built in the 14-15C, damaged in 1429 while the reconquest by Jeanne d’Arc and taken again by the English who made it without further use. The wonderful park or parc Meissonier 12 hectares along the Seine river and the avenue du Bon Roi Saint-Louis (road D 153). It has English style garden with a lake , a rosary, theater and green house owned by the city since 1952 and renovated a part of the old abbey cloister. The parc de Villard next to the parc Meissonier and owned by the city since 1976 includes a castle, playground park and mini farm. Lovely town I tell you ; it must be seen more !
For the lovers of nature, walkers, bike riders etc the city is squeeze between two wonderful and historical forests. The forest Domaniale of Saint Germain en Laye to the west and the Forest Domaniale of Marly le Roi to the south. It is ,of course, at the confluent of the Seine river with three islands that of Migneaux ,the Grand Motteau and of Blanc. You can even arrange a boat ride at the harbor or Rue du Port, rive gauche right by the old bridge ; the existence of which is not sure but have found written document of the existence of a wooden bridge going back to 1162! the bridge was 400 meters long over the Seine river from Poissy to the town of Carrières-sous-Poissy , of this bridge only is left about 6 arches but only about 330 meters away from the new bridge and 570 meters from the bridge of the island of Migneaux that links it to the city. In all a very nice town for a walk to see the beautiful buildings and lively life not to mention home to the manufacturer of PSA Peugeot automobiles.
A bit of the history I like tell us that from the time of the Gauls ,Poissy was a modest town of farmers and fishermen on the limit of the territory of the Carnutes or Chartres (Carnutum). They have discovered some tombs on the street of rue de l’Église when doing work that is from that period. On the Roman times, Poissy was one of the crossing points of the Seine river. Recently, they have found evidence of Antiquity or the Middle Ages by the area of the Royal Priory. Under the Merovingians, Poissy, was called Pinciacum, and the territory extended to the north of the Seine river to the limit with the forest of Yvelines all including the valley of the Mauldre. Under the Capétiens, there was already a castle here and the first one old castle next to the collegiate Church was on a site of a hunting meeting place of the Mérovingiens. The second or new castle was built probably by Constance d’Arles, 3rd wife of king Robert II the Fair, and was at the enclos of the abbey next to the old castle. In 1200, king Philippe-Auguste gives this castle to his son Louis VIII on the occasion of his marriage to Blanche of Castile. Saint Louis was born here in 1214, probably in the castle and was baptised in the parish Church of Notre Dame(see post), later he signed private letters as Louis de Poissy or Louis, lord of Poissy to remember his baptism here. In 1297, the Pope Boniface VIII does the canonisation for Saint Louis here. The king Philippe le Bel, founded an abbey of Dominicans here in honor of Saint Louis that was his grandfather.
In 1245, is born here Philippe III le Hardi, son of king Louis IX , and Marguerite de Provence , and he ruled from 1270 to 1285. During the War of Hundred Years in 1346 the king of England , Edward III pillage and burn the city after landing in Normandy and coming along the Valley of the Seine, and defeat king Philippe VI de Valois at Crécy before his capture at Calais. In 1369, king Charles V ordered destroyed what was left of the castle of Poissy, that was burned in 1346 by the Black Prince son of the king of England. In 1429, the troops of Joanne of Arc takes the tower or tour de Béthemont aux Godons. Poissy is again occupied in 1441 by John Talbot and the English and again pillage the town and the abbey. It is at Poissy in 1561 that the colloquial of Poissy takes place. This was organized by Catherine de Médicis, to meet Catholics and Protestants held on the refectory room after been restored from the pillages of John Talbot. The failure of the effort of reconciliation gave light to the Wars of Religion. Here in 1567, took place the Battle of Poissy between Calvinists (led by the Prince Condé) and Catholics.
In December 12/13 1840, the flotilla of transports carrying the rests of Emperor Napoléon Ier made a stop at Poissy and a ceremony was held the Sunday December 13. An interesting anecdote, worth mentioning even if no longer there. There was a live animal market here very important in the region, on the route Paris to Rouen to provide beef to Paris. It was the right to trade given by king Louis IX in 1245 and the names of some streets tells you of the activity that was here such as rue de la Triperie (tripes) , rue des Moutons (lambs), rue du Bœuf couronné (beef), ruelle aux Vaches (cows). This concentration of animals also needed great expanse of land that was to be built on it . In 1867, the live animal market of Poissy, was cancelled and transferred to the new market at Villette in Paris on that year. During the Franco Prussian war of 1870, the town was occupied for several months in 1870/71. The bridge was mined to slow down the Prussian advance arriving from Saint Germain en Laye; the town was submitted to requisitions and needed to maintained a regiment of cavalry and their horses. During WWI, Poissy was in the field of tranches from Paris and many fortified works were done in town, the town hosted two military hospitals for the battlefront wounded. From 1928 to 1931 the architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret dit Le Corbusier built the villa Les Heures claires better known as the Villa Savoye. IT was damaged during WWII and taken by the city in 1958 that wanted demolished. A campaign was done with the intervention of d’André Malraux ,then Minister of Culture to save the villa,and of course it was succesful. In 2016, a convention between the town of Poissy and the Fondation Le Corbusier was signed to open the museum Le Corbusier. During WWII the town was again occupied by the Nazis from 1940 to 1944. The town of Poissy is liberated by the American army in August 26 1944.
The city of Poissy on its heritage: https://www.ville-poissy.fr/index.php/sport-culture/vie-culturelle/patrimoine.html
The local Terre en Seine tourist office on the Collegiale ND of Poissy: https://www.terres-de-seine.fr/decouvrir/patrimoine/la-collegiale-notre-dame-poissy/
The Île de France region tourist office on Poissy : https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/discover-paris-region?search=poissy&page=0
Easy ride by train or car from Paris for a good day of seeing something different in France. And Poissy is a Royal town to boot as told above. Worth a detour me think. Again, hope you enjoy the post on this is Poissy as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 