Saint-Gratien, Val-d'Oise

Saint- Gratien is a commune with 20,453 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011 ) in the department of Val- d'Oise of the Ile- de -France region, about ten kilometers north of Paris.

Location

Saint- Gratien at the output of the Vallée de Montmorency and belongs to the same region in the north of the metropolitan area of Paris. The city is surrounded by the neighboring communities of Argenteuil, Sannois, Eaubonne, Soisy -sous- Montmorency, Enghien- les- Bains and Epinay- sur -Seine.

Demographics

Sources: Cassini and INSEE

History

Saint- Gratien is named after the young shepherd Gratien, who died a martyr and was canonized in the 4th century. The monks from the monastery in Saint- Denis built here a shrine to his memory and relics are buried under the altar of the church. In 1225, Guillaume de Cornillon owned a large part of the area around the place.

In the 17th century Marshal Nicolas Catinat inherited from his mother, the area of Saint- Gratien. In 1701 he retired to his castle in Saint- Gratien, and spent his time between the cultivation of fruit trees and the administration of his estates. He died in Saint- Gratien on February 12, 1712 and is buried in the chapel of the village. In honor of this man, the city of Saint- Gratien took over the crest of Catinat in July 1994 as a coat of arms.

Attractions

Attractions are the castles Catinat (built in 1610 ) and Princess Mathilde as well as the church and the town hall.