And here I am again to catch up on some missing memorable towns of my dear former Yvelines dept 78, I have to tell you about Port Marly even if cannot find me a picture ! This is heavens ,history, architecture and good views all over. I passed by it and gone into the castle but again can’t find me a picture but need to tell you anyway in my black and white series,no pictures. Therefore, here is my take on the town of Port Marly !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The town of Port-Marly is located in my former home, the Yvelines department 78 in the Île-de-France region of my belle France. The town is located 11 km from Versailles, 3 km from Saint-Germain-en-Laye and 20 km from Paris. The bordering towns are Croissy-sur-Seine , Louveciennes , Marly-le-Roi and Le Pecq. The name of the town was mentioned, in a notarial deed, under the forms “Port de la Loge” or “Port de Marly” in the 13C. In 1572, Jacques Nicolas received a bequest of a port and a passage called “Port de la Loge”. He installs a bin there; perhaps the one taken by the young Charles IX to join his beautiful mistress, Marie Touchet, on the Île de la Loge , Port Marly was until 1819, a hamlet of Marly-le-Roi (see post), the small port of the parish of Marly is now a town,
Former part of Marly-le-Roi, (see post) are now in Le Port-Marly located below the latter, along the Seine river, on either side of the national road N13 (many times taken ! )which crosses it from the south-east to the north-west. Be aware, traffic is extremely dense on the N13 crossing Port-Marly nowdays. The area concerned, located at Port-Marly but also at Pecq and Louveciennes, is a road junction. The sector in question, made up of twice four lanes, even resembles a highway/motorway portion. Attendance is very high since this axis allows you to reach the A 13, the A 14 or the A 86 as well as Versailles and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yes indeed !! The northern end of Île de la Loge is part of the town’s territory but no direct communication exists between the city center and the island: a single road bridge, located in Bougival serves it. Since 2017, it has also been connected to the city by a pedestrian bridge. The closest SNCF station is Marly-le-Roi station on line L from Gare Saint Lazare-Paris.
Some of the things to see in Port Marly are the Castle of Monte Cristo, home and park of Alexandre Dumas. This Renaissance-inspired castle stands in an English-style park with caves and waterfalls. At the bottom of the park is the Château d’If, the writer’s study. (visited), Built from 1778 to 1780, the Saint-Louis Church is a neoclassical masterpiece by Étienne-François Legrand offered by Louis XVI to the Marlyportains. Services have been conducted there since 1988 by the priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest according to the Tridentine form of the Roman rite. The latter are attached to the Maison Saint François de Sales de Marly-le-Roi. In addition, the church benefits from the presence of the scouts of the “Troupe 1re Port-Marly”, affiliated with the Scouts of Europe but also other branches, Former residence of the lords of Prunay, rebuilt in 1806, the Château des Lions has housed the City/town hall since 1971. The wedding hall called the Jacques-II room, presents a remarkable decor, masterpiece of work of French painting of the 17C, painted by the school of Simon Vouet. In 2002, to maintain the cultural heritage left by the Impressionists in Yvelines, Le Port-Marly, with eight other towns bordering the Seine, Carrières-sur-Seine, Chatou, Croissy-sur-Seine, Bougival, Louveciennes, Marly -le-Roi, Le Pecq and Noisy-le-Roi, created the label and structure « Pays des Impressionnistes » The Yvelines dept 78 tourist office on the pays des Impressionistes : https://www.sortir-yvelines.fr/Zoom-sur/decouverte-impressionnistes-yvelines
Some history of Port Marly that I like tell us that king Louis XIV left Saint-Germain en Laye for the splendor of Versailles while enjoying some relaxation in his residence in Marly. For the needs of the court he gave, by letters patent of 1693, primacy to the port of Marly over that of Aupec (current town of Le Pecq-see post). In 1778, king Louis XVI endowed it with a chapel soon to be erected as a rectory and parish Church of Saint-Louis done in 1785. It is on this church and parish that the inhabitants will rely to request their detachment from Marly le Roi, and will elect their own town of Port Marly. In 1806 , the castle, former manor of the lords of Prunay, is rebuilt as we know it ,currently the City/town hall. In 1846 Alexandre Dumas had the Château de Monte-Cristo, a sumptuous faux-Renaissance residence, and the Château d’If neo-Gothic built on the Montferrands hillside. In 1853, the Rodrigues-Henriques family (French Jewish family, originally from Portugal, established in Bordeaux, then in Paris. Several of these members abandoned the Jewish religion.) settles at the Château des Lions. There, it was received the painter Camille Corot who executed several famous paintings in 1872 , such as “The Turning of the Seine”, the “Watch”, and the “Promenade au Château des Lions”. At the same time, Sisley, Pissarro, Lebourg, Loiseau… were inspired by the changing colors of the Seine river passing by here, In 1854, an imperial decree grants a resident of Marly-le-Roi, Viscount de Mazenod, the concession for a horse tramway from Rueil-Gare to Port-Marly, via Rueil-Ville and Bougival, i.e. 7.3 km. This will be Europe’s first “American tramway” (horse-drawn rail cars) line. Partially opened for operation in August 1855 then on July 18, 1856 to Port-Marly, the line operated with some vicissitudes notably during the war of 1870 until October 1877. Some “stops” of the time are still today bus stops !, such as at Bas-Prunay, and Saint-Fiacre, In 1914 , the Great War or WWI empties the town of its children. One in ten families is affected. In 1940 , the Port ceases its commercial activities. Lots construction and modernisation with the park of the Château des Lions becomes the Lions district, that of the Château de la Corbellerie becomes the Corbelleries district, two districts which welcome new workers and new waves of immigrants. Then the domain of the Keratry chalet and La Source become zones dwellings, gardens, orchards at the top of the village, Marly-Soleil, Plains Champs, etc. Restaurants replace the small shops that made the village so friendly.
The town of Port-Marly and its heritage : https://www.port-marly.fr/index.php/Patrimoine-historique?idpage=2093&afficheMenuContextuel=true
The local Seine Saint Germain tourist office on Port Marly : https://www.seine-saintgermain.fr/en/exploring-saint-germain-boucles-de-seine/le-port-marly/
The Yvelines dept 78 tourist office on Port Marly : https://www.sortir-yvelines.fr/freesearch/result?SearchText=port+marly
The¨Île de France region tourist office on what to do in Port Marly : https://www.visitparisregion.com/en?search=port%20marly&page=0
There you folks, this is a hidden treasure off the beaten path but worth the detour for its history and architecture gems in the noble French traditions. This is Port–Marly , a chic nice place to stroll and see the wonders of my belle France, Again, hope you enjoy the post as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 