Pontoise

Pontoise is a municipality with 29 885 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) north-west of the French capital Paris.

Geography

The town of Pontoise is located 28.4 km north west of the center of Paris and is the old part of the Ville Nouvelle Cergy -Pontoise.

Management

Pontoise is the seat of the prefecture of the department of Val- d'Oise. Although the administration building in the neighboring town of Cergy are, Pontoise considered the capital of the Val -d'Oise, Cergy, however, as de facto capital. Pontoise is also the administrative seat for the district of the same name.

History

Pontoise is the capital of the historical Vexin. It was founded in Roman times as Ponti Sara. Pontoise was at that time on the important road between the former Lutetia and Rotomagus (Rouen ).

Traffic

Pontoise has its own railway station which is well connected to the public transport network of Paris and its suburbs ( RER C and Transilien ). There is also a small airfield ( Pontoise -Cormeilles ) with a line connection to Brighton / Shoreham ( from 1 August 2007 with Skysouth ).

Culture

Lived during the second half of the 19th century, and many painters worked in Pontoise and the environment. They include Camille Pissarro, Maximilien Luce, Paul Cézanne, Charles- François Daubigny and Gustave Caillebotte. The Musée Camille Pissarro shows in his exhibition some of the works of these artists. In the Musée Tavet - Delacour the historical collections of the city are housed, including medieval sculptures. The museum also displays the city's collection of modern art. In addition to the works of Henri Matisse and Jean Arp here is welcome to see an extensive inventory of works by Otto.

The city is also home to the metal band Zuul FX.

Events

  • Festival Baroque de Pontoise: In September, the International Baroque Music Festival takes place every year in Pontoise.

Twinning

Pontoise maintains twinned with:

  • Böblingen in Baden- Württemberg ( Germany ), since 1956
  • Sevenoaks in Kent ( UK), since 1964
  • Sittard- Geleen in the province of Limburg ( Netherlands), since 1972

Personalities

Sons and daughters

  • Walter of Pontoise (* 1030, † 1099 ), Benedictine monk, abbot and saint
  • Nicolas Flamel (* 1330, † by 1413 ), Alchemist
  • Jacques Lemercier (1585-1654), architect, engineer and garden designer
  • Joseph de Guignes (1721-1800), orientalist and sinologist
  • Pierre -François- Léonard Fontaine (1762-1853), architect of neoclassicism
  • Charles Leclerc d' Ostin (1772-1802), General
  • Édouard Alfred Martel (1859-1938), cavers
  • Michel Giraud (1929-2011), politician
  • Dyrek François (1933-1999), theater, film and television actor
  • Jacques Vallée ( born 1939 ), astronomer and computer scientist
  • Jean- Éric Vergne (* 1990), French race car driver
Arrondissement Arrondissement of Pontoise Cantons of France Postal codes in France France Cergy-Pontoise Otto Freundlich Sittard-Geleen Limburg (Netherlands)
656422
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