I like to tell you a bit on the memorable town on the off the beaten paths of my former Yvelines dept 78. There is a wonderful stories to write about thie royal region of my belle France, This town was a joy to come either by car or train mine you ! I am lucky to found me this picture hidden in my cd rom vault to do this post for you and me, Therefore, here is my take on this is Viroflay !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
The town of Viroflay is located in the Yvelines department no, 78 in the Île-de-France region of my belle France. Along with 18 other towns, Viroflay belongs to the Versailles Grand Parc intermunicipal community. (see posts) ,The town is situated 17 km from Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, the zero point for French roads, and 4 km from the Palace of Versailles. It is also 6 km from the Pont de Sèvres (Boulogne-Billancourt Hauts de Seine dept 92) and 9 km from the Quai d’Issy-les-Moulineaux (Paris 15éme arrondissement) via the Route du Pavé des Gardes. Nearby towns include Chaville (Hauts-de-Seine 92 ), Vélizy-Villacoublay, and Ville-d’Avray (Hauts-de-Seine 92). The A86 autoroute highway runs underground beneath the town on a north-south axis. The former N 10 road, now the D 10, crosses it from east to west. Of course , I came here by car from Versailles most of the time along the Avenue de Paris bear right on Place Louis XIV and quickly again on Avenue Louvois under the viaduct of 7 bridges (viaduc 7 ponts) bearing right onto the Avenue de Versailles continue and bear right onto Route du Pavé de Meudon which same street becomes the Avenue de Vélizy continue and bear left onto Rue Louis Gaubert continue same road becomes the Rue de Jouy continue go under the railroad track and quickly turn left on the Place de Verdun and the Chaville-Vélizy train station of Viroflay from the quays !
Here all about it ! I have taken the train here as Viroflay is on the Paris-Saint-Lazare to Versailles-Rive-Droite line (mine !) However, the town has three train stations within its territory, You have the Viroflay-Rive-Droite station,at Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad, on the Transilien Line L, with connections to Île-de-France Tramway Line 6. Transilien Line L, which serves the town at the Viroflay-Rive-Droite station, has destinations including Paris-Saint-Lazare, La Défense, and Versailles-Rive-Droite. The Viroflay-Rive-Gauche station,at Rue Rieussec, on RER Line C and Transilien Line N, with connections to Tramway T6. Transilien Line N, which serves the town at the Viroflay-Rive-Gauche station, has destinations including Paris-Montparnasse, Versailles-Chantiers, Rambouillet, Plaisir – Grignon, and Mantes-la-Jolie. The Chaville – Vélizy station on RER C line at Place de Verdun (see pic), located ,also, in Viroflay. The RER C,line serves Viroflay at the Chaville – Vélizy and Viroflay-Rive-Gauche stations, has destinations including Juvisy, Dourdan – La Forêt, Saint-Martin-d’Étampes, Javel, Versailles-Chantiers, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and Versailles-Château.
The things to see here as visiting , me think are the pavillon Saint-Vigor located not far from the Meudon forest, on Rue Jean Rey. This classical building was constructed in 1770. It belonged to the family of Louis XV’s former wet nurse, Marie-Madeleine Bocquet, nicknamed “Madame Poitrine” or Mrs Chest by the child king. The Saint-Eustache church was built starting in 1543 on medieval foundations in the center of the original village. This former royal chapel, was dominated by a rustic bell tower. The royal horses, before participating in a hunt, were blessed by the royal priest of Viroflay. Consecrated by Cardinal Eustache du Bellay, it was replaced in the 1960s by the current Church Notre Dame du Chêne built from 1960 to 1966 by the Sainsaulieu brothers and financed by the people of Viroflay; this vast church resembles the hull of an overturned ship. The Viroflay viaduct (the Arcades), a symbol of the town, is 1,407 meters long and spans the bottom of the valley where the D 10 road passes. Built in 1851-1852, the City/town hall, made of wood and millstone grit, nicknamed the “Grand Chalet,” was built in the 19C by the Duke of Morny, half-brother of Napoleon III, Minister of the Interior, and owner of the Viroflay stud farm. The L’Écu de France, a former post house between Paris and Versailles, is a complex of recently renovated buildings. Artistic events are held there. The Forêt de Fausses-Reposes covers an area of 635 hectares. The part of the forest located in Viroflay faces due south. The Forêt de Meudon covers an area of 1,100 hectares. The slope located in Viroflay, facing due north, is damp. It provides access to a wooded plateau crisscrossed by forest paths created in the 18C.
A bit of history I like tell us that in the Middle Ages, the land belonged to the monks of the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris. Established as a parish in the 16C, Viroflay was purchased in 1695 by the royal family from the widow of Chancellor Michel Le Tellier, Lord of Chaville and Viroflay. King Louis XIV then incorporated Viroflay into the royal hunting grounds, the Grand Parc. Viroflay was therefore given to the Grand Dauphin, the King’s eldest son, who owned the Château de Meudon. Under Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI, Viroflay was also the only parish to be traversed by both the Court and the army on the road between Versailles and Paris. Coming from Versailles, at the edge of Chaville, the army then took the direct route to Paris or the Route du Pavé des Gardes across the heights of the Meudon forest, while the Court passed through the bottom of the valley to the pont de Sèvres bridge, as the carriages could not negotiate the steeper slopes. Several aristocrats built residences there, close to the forests rich in game. The parish remained “royal” until the French revolution.
The official Transilien regional transports on the Gare Chaville Vélizy of Viroflay: https://www.transilien.com/fr/gare/chaville-velizy-8739317
The town of Viroflay on its history : https://www.ville-viroflay.fr/dhier-a-aujourdhui/
The town of Viroflay on its heritage : https://www.ville-viroflay.fr/valorisation-du-patrimoine/
The Yvelines dept 78 tourist office on views including that of Viroflay : https://www.destination-yvelines.fr/les-plus-beaux-panoramas-des-yvelines/
There you go folks, another quant ,nice memorable town in my former dept 78 Yvelines. Oh yes , this is indeed a wonderful quant town that even if off the beaten path trails of the real France is worth the detour, me think. Again, hope you enjoy the post on this is Viroflay !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 