This is Chevreuse !!!

Posted in France, Versailles

This is a nice town and a wonderful off the beaten path visit of Chevreuse. I am glad to have found me some pictures that will have in follow up posts as this one will be an introduction to the town in my black and white series, no pictures. When I was in Versailles, I came often to this town and walked all over it. Therefore, here is my take on this is Chevreuse !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The town of Chevreuse is located in the Yvelines department 78 in the Île-de-France region of my belle France, The town is located in the Chevreuse Valley, on the banks of the Yvette river, just before its confluence with the Rhodon river. The municipal territory is included in the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Regional Natural Park. The town is located 20 km from Versailles, 19 km from Rambouillet, 38 km from Paris, and 446 km from my current home, The main road through the town is the D906, which leads to Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse and Gif-sur-Yvette in the Essonne department 91, and to Cernay-la-Ville. In Chevreuse begins the D58 road which leads to Dampierre-en-Yvelines as well as the D13 road which leads Maurepas. The town, is also, located 11 km from Christ-de-Saclay, where the N118 road passes which provides rapid road access to Paris and the inner suburbs by exit/sortie 18 Toussus-le-Noble Airport, Saclay, and Gif-sur-Yvette. We have come here from Versailles along the Rue de la Paroisse to Rue du Maréchal Foch to Ave de l’Europe to Avenue du Général de Gaulle to Rue Royale (D10) right on Rue du Général Leclerc, left on Rue du Maréchal Joffre, (D91) continue on Ave Clément Ader by exit/sortie 4 connect with the N12 road by exit/sortie 6 bear left into the Avenue des Garennes continue same as D91 road and at carrefour Saint Laurent bear left into the D13 road ,then go thru town center Chevreuse on Route de Choisel or D906 road to the town.

Other things to see here are the Saint-Saturnin priory built in the 10C. It is the oldest building in the town. It now houses the Chevreuse Museum of Contemporary Art and hosts exhibitions of paintings and plastic arts. The Château de la Madeleine (still looking for pictures!) dates from the 11C. It now houses the Maison du Parc, the reception and headquarters of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Regional Natural Park. The name Château de la Madeleine comes from the fact that the lords of Chevreuse dedicated the castle chapel to Saint Madeleine and this name was extended to the castle itself. The Saint-Martin Church dates from the 12C. The former Cabaret du Lys at 3 rue Lalande (formerly rue des Sablons). Racine was a regular visitor there in 1661. Today, the building is a venue for art exhibitions run by the Aladin association. It is the starting point of the Jean Racine path, which connects the town to the Château de la Madeleine and the abbey of Port Royal-des-Champs in Magny-les-Hameaux. The ramparts and turrets mark the town and can be discovered at a bend in the path. The Promenade des Petits-Ponts: a picturesque path that runs alongside the canal in the town center and reveals the old wash houses and tanneries. No fewer than 22 small bridges mark it, as well as huts, flower-lined barriers, gates, small gardens, and a hide dryer.

A bit of history I like tell us that in the in the 11C, Guy I, Lord of Chevreuse, began building a fortified castle overlooking the village, the Château de la Madeleine. (I’m looking for photos!) At the beginning of the 12C, a lord of Chevreuse fought several wars against Louis the Fat and the Count of Montfort l’Amaury. In 1304, a lord of Chevreuse under Philip the Fair carried the oriflamme at the Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle in Flanders. In 1306 and 1308, King Philip the Fair stopped in Chevreuse. In 1356, Ingebert I, Lord of Chevreuse, was taken prisoner at the Battle of Poitiers alongside the King of France, John II the Good. In 1366, Pierre de Chevreuse, advisor to the King of France, bought the castle and its lands and launched major renovation works, including the connection between the urban fortifications and the castle. Around 1417, the Lord of Chevreuse sided with the Burgundians, who invaded the castle. The town and the fortress were recaptured the same year by Tanneguy III du Chastel, chamberlain of King Charles VI and provost of Paris, in charge of order in the Paris region, who drove the Burgundians out of Chevreuse. During the Hundred Years’ War, the castle was occupied by the English for about twenty years, which served to bring the troops of Henry, King of England, into Paris. Chevreuse surrendered to the troops of Charles VII in 1438. With the financial help of the king, Nicolas de Chevreuse launched repairs. As a reward for his services, the lordship was raised to a barony in 1460. Jean de Brosse, known as de Bretagne, Duke of Étampes, acquired it in 1550. In 1551, Dampierre and the Duchy of Chevreuse were purchased by the Cardinal of Lorraine. Dampierre became the residence of the Dukes of Chevreuse. In 1555, the residence of the Dukes of Chevreuse was elevated to a duchy-peerage. In the 17C, around 1661, Jean Racine, a French playwright and poet, oversaw modifications to the keep, under the supervision of his uncle, the manager, on behalf of the Duke of Luynes; the path that runs from the Abbey of Port-Royal des Champs to the town centre of Chevreuse via the Château de la Madeleine was named after him in 1939. In 1693, Louis XIV acquired the duchy with the aim of expanding his park at Versailles, but ended up ceding it to the Dames de Saint-Cyr, to whom this estate belonged until the French revolution. On August 22, 1944, at around 6h30, the nazis company occupying Chevreuse withdrew. The post office and the town hall were occupied by the FFI. On August 24, at 7h30, the first armored vehicles of Marshal Leclerc’s 2nd Armored Division entered Chevreuse. This was the Langlade tactical group, which had come from Rambouillet and would subsequently return to the Saclay plateau, then Jouy-en-Josas, Clamart, Fort d’Issy, and finally Porte de Saint-Cloud. On August 25, patrols were organized in the woods of the Chevreuse valley to clear out the last nazis units.

The town of Chevreuse on its heritage : https://www.chevreuse.fr/fr/decouvrir-chevreuse/patrimoine

The parc naturelle régional de la Haute Vallée de Chevreuse on things to see/do : https://www.parc-naturel-chevreuse.fr/voir-faire

The Yvelines dept 78 tourist office on the castle route of the Chevreuse::https://www.destination-yvelines.fr/randonnees-a-velo/route-des-chateaux-de-chevreuse/

There you go folks, enjoy this wonderful ride into the French soul, and the countryside of the Yvelines dept 78 at quant nice off the beaten path to Chevreuse,  there is a lot more in my belle France. Again ,hope you enjoy this post on this is Chevreuse !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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