Arpajon, Essonne Département, Île-de-France Region, France

🇫🇷 Arpajon is a commune in the Essonne department in the Île-de-France region of northern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arpajonnais or Arpajonnaises. The commune has been awarded three flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.

Geography: Location Arpajon is the capital of a canton located in the Paris urban area in the heart of the department of Essonne and the natural region of Hurepoix some 31 km south of Paris (Notre-Dame - point zero for distances from Paris), 15 km west of Évry, 14 km south of Palaiseau, 6 km south of Montlhéry, 14 km north-west of La Ferté-Alais, 19 km east of Dourdan, 17 km west of Corbeil-Essonnes, 18 km north of Étampes, and 26 km north-west of Milly-la-Forêt.

The commune is also 410 km north of its homonym Arpajon-sur-Cère in Cantal department., the original stronghold of the lords of the town.

The commune consists of only 240 hectares but it is the capital of Arpajonnais Country which extends from Breuillet in the east to Brétigny-sur-Orge in the west and from Leuville-sur-Orge in the north to Cheptainville in the south. The relatively small size of the commune does not preclude a significant height differential from 89 to 47 metres altitude which causes a relatively large concentration of buildings on nearly 80% of the territory. Agricultural areas, which represent only 10% of the territory, are located in the extreme north-east of the commune along Route nationale 20.

Geography: Hydrography Arpajon lies at the confluence of the Rémarde and the Orge rivers which join then separate in the centre of the town to permanently join at the border with Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon. On the communal area the two rivers flow in parallel, the Rémarde coming from the west from Ollainville and, further south, the Orge comes from Égly with both streams flowing towards the north-east.

Relief and geology The city centre is in the Orge valley at an altitude of approximately 47 metres but the territory extending north and south rises rapidly to the Avrainville plateau in the south, La Norville in the east, and the start of the Linas hill to the north which means it is necessary to climb to exit the commune. The highest point in the commune at 89 metres is located north of the Butte-aux-Grès area near the Linas forest. Due to the low height of the town relative to the surroundings there are many television receiving antennae which are sometimes ten metres above the roofs.

The territory lies on the boundary of the limestone geological area of the Paris basin and the sand of the Beauce with, in the extreme north, the remains of sandstone quarries.

Communication and transport

Arpajon railway station.

The main transport route for the commune is Route nationale 20 which has avoided the centre of town by a deviation west since 1956 and crosses Arpajon from north to south. The commune is also the point of convergence of three important departmental roads: the D116D that leads to Dourdan in the west, the D449 that leads to La Ferté-Alais in the south, and the D152 that leads to Brétigny-sur-Orge in the east and to Limours in the west which is duplicated by the D97 which also goes to Limours. In addition there are the D192 which is a fast route through the Arpajon-Égly-Breuillet urban area and the D193 which connects to the D19. The commune is located four km south of the Francilienne, a major regional axis that allows quick access to the A10 autoroute and A6 autoroute.

The Bretigny-Tours railway passes across the commune from west to east with Arpajon C4 RER station in the south of the commune served by two trains per hour.

The town is also served by: • Albatrans bus network: ◦ Route 91.04 to Évry • Daniel Meyer bus network: ◦ Route DM151 to Paris-Porte d'Orléans 19 ◦ Route DM153 to Massy-Palaiseau ◦ Route DM19 to Brétigny-sur-Orge 20 ◦ Route DM20 to Arpajonnais Country between Égly and Norville 21. • Ormont bus network: ◦ Route 68.01 to Bruyeres-le-Chatel ◦ Route 68.05 to Boissy-sous-Saint-Yon 22, 23. • Savac bus network: ◦ Route 39.18 to Limours-en-Hurepoix 24. • CEAT bus network: ◦ Route 10.20 from Paris to Angerville ◦ Route 10.21 from Paris to Méréville

There are also some shuttle buses providing free transport in the commune with some dedicated to the elderly.

Orly Airport is located 18 km away and accessible by Route nationale 20. Charles de Gaulle Airport is located 51 km away. For general aviation the Étampes - Mondésir Aerodrome (ICAO: LFOX) is 27 km away.

Localities, places, and areas

The commune is not extensive so it does not any division into districts. Nevertheless, it is possible to distinguish the city centre, the railway station area, and the Cerpied Mill. In the north, nearby, is a place called La Montagne in reference to the slope to get there from the city centre and, in the extreme north, there is the former Folies quarter which has now become the business district of Butte-aux-Grès. A second business area, Les Belles-Vues, is reminiscent of the once agricultural character of the commune.

Toponymy

The Gallo-Romans placed a castrum to monitor the passage of along the Orge between Lutèce and Cenabum. The castrum became Chastres around the year 250 then Châtres (sometimes Châtres-sous-Montlhery) in the 17th century with the reform of spelling and the appearance of the circumflex in place of the silent "s". Chastres could also mean "land of rivers" in "the barbarian language".

In 1720 Louis de Severac, who was from the Arpajon family of Rouergue bought the marquisate of Châtres. He obtained the privilege of giving his name to the city from the regent Philippe d'Orléans and he called it Arpajon, spreading the use of the name by beating the peasants who had the misfortune to answer Châtres to the question "where do you reside?". In 1794 Philippe de Noailles and his wife Anne d'Arpajon, first lady of honour to Marie-Antoinette, were guillotined. In 1793 the commune took the name of Franc-val or Franeval but returned to Arpajon in 1801.

Similar to Avignon and Arles the preposition "in" is not used. "A residence at Arpajon" is correct while "a residence in Arpajonnais" is also correct usage.

History At the time of Roman Gaul there was a castrum was installed at the intersection of the road from Lutèce to Cenabum and the river Orge in the valley that was the territory of the Parisii tribe. The discovery in 1960 of the remains, which included a Gallo-Roman cemetery, certify this ancient occupation. The evolution of the name to Chastres is sometimes dated to the year 250. Two megalithic monuments remain: one in the Library Park and the other near the Rémarde river an inscription in Gallic was found in 1947 and is kept in the Municipal Museum of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

From Chastres to Arpajon In the 10th century the first church was built in the village but it was quickly ruined. In 1006 the rebuilding of the church and steeple was entrusted to the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint-Maur by Renaud de Vendôme, bishop of Paris and it was consecrated to Pope Clement I. They added a cloister, a priory, and a tithe barn.

A document dated 1265 attests to the presence of a Hotel-Dieu at Arpajon for the accommodation of travelers and the poor. There were also several mills on the Orge and the Rémarde. The town was fortified and had five entrances.

In 1317 Pierre de Chastres was buried in the parish church. In 1360, during the Hundred Years War, the city was besieged by King Edward III of England and the church where there were eight hundred refugees was burned leaving no survivors.

In 1470 the lordship of Chastres belonged to the lord of Marcoussis. In July 1470 King Louis XI authorised two fair days at Chastres for his counselor and chamberlain Jean du Graville by letters patent. Louis Malet de Graville built a Market hall at the crossroads of the Paris to Étampes and Dourdan to Corbeil roads.

In 1510 the monks, through the generosity of the Graville and Montagu families undertook major renovations of the church and in 1542 a sub-delegation of Chastres was attached to the Generality of Paris. In 1545 the lordship of Chastres became independent.

In 1643 the bell named Antoinette was cast. On 28 April 1652 Turenne stationed his troops at Châtres to protect the court at Saint-Germain before he marched on Étampes on 3 May.

In 1717 the Hotel-Dieu was completely rebuilt. In 1720 Louis de Severac, Marquis of Arpajon from the great medieval family of Arpajon, bought and obtained from Philippe d'Orléans the privilege of giving his name to the commune. However, the adoption of the new name took a long time and peasants who refused to abandon the name of Châtres were beaten up. He also promised to reduce local taxes for two years. The Canting arms of the city come from this family. In 1733 he knocked down the old city gate in the north which was too narrow for many carts and instead erected two Pilasters which are the current Porte de Paris. He died on 21 August 1736 and was buried in the choir of the parish church.

The French Revolution and growth In 1782 Benjamin Franklin installed a lightning rod on the spire of the Church of Saint Clement. At the Revolution the town chose to adopt the name of Francval. There was a custom to give the name of the place of baptism as a second or third name: thus a boy was named Francval in year II.

Philippe de Noailles was lord of Arpajon and he was long in great favour at court with his wife being first lady of honour to Marie Antoinette, nicknamed by her Madame Etiquette. This Court favour brought down punishment in the days of the Revolution and the old marshal and his wife were guillotined on 27 June 1794.

The castle was sold in 1802 and demolished. In 1800 the Canton of Arpajon was created then attached to the Arrondissement of Corbeil in the department of Seine-et-Oise. In 1806 Napoleon I and Empress Josephine visited the town and made offering at the high altar of the church. In 1833 a large Post and Telegraph office was opened.

Modernisation of Arpajon in the 19th century In 1851 the Martin brothers, originating from Limoges, set up a shoe factory which, in 1900, employed 450 adults and about 50 children. It was bought by André shoes in 1920 and closed its doors forever in 1956. In 1868 the commune built a City Hall for use instead of the feudal castle. Then, in 1889, it bought the Pagoda that was presented by Tonkin during the Universal Exhibition of Paris.

In the same year the Compagnie de chemin de fer sur route de Paris à Arpajon (Railway Company for the Paris to Arpajon route) which in 1893 opened the Porte d'Orléans-Antony and Antony-Longjumeau-Montlhery sections then the Montlhery-Arpajon section in 1894 for passengers. In the surrounding villages of Marcoussis, Linas, and Montlhéry, market gardening was very important and from 1911 to 1936 led to expansion of the railway to transport tomatoes, strawberries, and beans grown in the fields to the Paris markets.

In the second half of the 19th century the Boulevard de la Gare was opened with the inauguration of the railway station in 1865 and the construction of holiday villas.

Modern History In 1922 the first Bean Fair was inaugurated which was classified as a national fair in 1970. On 6 July 1924 on the long, straight Route nationale 20 between Arpajon and Torfou, René Thomas set a land speed record of 230.47 km/h (143.21 mph) in a Delage called La Torpille (The Torpedo) followed, on 12 July 1924, by Ernest A.D. Eldridge who increased the record to 234.98 km/h (146.01 mph) in a Fiat Special called Mephistopheles II. In 1934 the Hôtel-Dieu became a hospice as a result of the construction of the first hospital outside the town. On 22 August 1944 the commune was liberated by the Leclerc division. In 1948 Abel Cornaton, mayor of the commune, endowed the municipal showers which became the district court in 1985.

On 23 April 1977 Arpajon was on the path of the Tour cycliste de l'Essonne. On 1 January 1968, after the breakup of Seine-et-Oise department, Arpajon was integrated into the new French department of Essonne and abandoned its former postal code - 78021. Arpajon was also the last stage town of the Tour de France in 1999 before a journey of 143 km to Paris.

Administration Arpajon is the chief town of the canton represented by the mayor of the commune. It is attached to the third electoral district of Essonne. Its mayor is assisted by eight deputy mayors chosen from a municipal council of 29 elected members. Arpajon commune is recorded in the register of companies under the code SIREN 219 100 211. Its activity is registered under code APE 8411Z.

In 2009 the commune had a budget of €16,504,000 of which €11,359,000 was Operational and €5,145,000 investment, of which 34.85% is funded by local taxes. Municipal debt in the same year was €487,000. In 2009 the tax rate was 11.78% for the residential tax, 14.74% Developed Property tax, 46.78% for undeveloped property, and 15.09% for the business tax fixed by the inter-communality. The commune has a communal social welfare centre and, in 2017, had 942 HLM housing units or 19.6% of all main residences.

The town is part of the communauté d'agglomération Cœur d'Essonne which includes 21 communes, and is responsible for economic development, town planning and roads, social housing policy, sports, culture and early childhood, collection and treatment of garbage, and welcoming travelers. It also is a member of the Joint Association of the valley of the Orge (SIVOA) with 32 other communes for the preservation and enhancement of the environment.

Education Arpajon schools are attached to the Academy of Versailles. The commune has the Édouard-Herriot primary school, the Anatole France and La Rémarde kindergartens, and the Victor Hugo elementary school. In addition there is the private Catholic Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc school in the Diocese. Strangely the town does not have a college and students attend the Jean Moulin and Albert Camus colleges in the neighbouring commune of La Norville or the Roland Garros college in Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon.

Because of its status as capital of the canton, however, there are three higher schools, the Edmond Michelet general and technological school which provides training in BTS IRIS., the René-Cassin general and technological which had an 88% pass-rate for the baccalauréat in 2007, and the Paul Belmondo professional school. The premises of the hospital centre is also a training centre for caregivers.

An information and referral centre is present in the commune. Recreation centres cater for children outside school hours and two crèches welcome young children. The CIPF is present in the town.

Health The commune has a hospital with a capacity of 302 beds, offering services such as: Surgery, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Gastroenterology, Diabetology, Cardiology, Pneumology, and Radiography. An ambulance service supplemented by a mobile emergency and resuscitation service is active for 42 neighbouring communes. The centre is spread over four sites: the central hospital, the rehabilitation centre in the neighbouring commune of Égly, and the Village du Pays retirement homes at Châtres and Guinchard, the latter hosting Alzheimer day patients. A family planning centre and a maternal and child healthcare centre are located in the commune.

The private hospital of Paris-Essonne, formerly the Charmilles Clinic, completes the offering with 60 beds, a surgery, and a specialization in pathologies of the face: ophthalmology, oto-rhino-laryngology, and dentistry.

In the town there are 47 doctors and 12 dentists are in private practice. There also 4 pharmacies.

Public services Security in the commune is ensured by the presence of a police commisariat as well as a fire and rescue centre.

Public service bodies are relatively numerous in Arpajon which has a postal agency an Employment office and ASSEDICs, a Treasury and Tax centre a family allowance office a primary health insurance office, and a subdivision of the DDE.

Two notarial offices, a bailiff's office, and two lawyers attached to the bar of Évry is located in the town.

From 1985 to 2009 a Registry of the District Court was installed in the town. Before the reform of the justice system the commune had a District Court but now depends on the one at Longjumeau, as with the Labour Court, the High Court, and the Commerce Court at Évry which are all attached to the Court of Appeal of Paris.

Economy As the capital of Arpajonnais and a historic land of market gardening, the commune has long been a place of trade and known for its fair since the 13th century. It has now lost the agricultural role (only three farms remain) and commerce favours other communes in the Canton. It remains, however, with a town centre with plenty of shops gathered around a merchants association. More than six hundred businesses are located in the commune with nearly a third of these shops. In 2004 52 new businesses were created in the commune. Two industrial areas include most of the other businesses: the Belles-Vues and the Butte-aux-Grès, both located in the north of the commune along Route nationale 20.

Arpajon is grouped into the labour pool (zone d'emploi) of Saclay by INSEE. In 2017 the Arpajon workforce was 5,365 people divided into 28.2% of employees, 27.0% of middle management, and 21.3% of workers. There were three people employed in agriculture. On the same date 10.3% of the active population was unemployed and only 18.7% worked in the commune. With 800 employees, the hospital is the largest employer, followed distantly by the family allowance office (300 staff), the René-Cassin School, and the municipality itself with 200 employees each.

A market is held in the covered market every Friday morning.

Employment, income and standard of living In 2017 the median income in the town stood at 20,700 euros, but 41% of the population was not liable for the income tax. 57.9% of main residences in Arpajon were rented, including 19.6% in HLM type dwellings. In 2010 the median household income tax was €28,718, placing Arpajon at 16,379th place among the 31,525 communes with more than 39 households in France.

Civil heritage The commune has a number of buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments: • The War Memorial 1914-1918 at Avenue de la Division Leclerc (20th century) • The Municipal Showers (1947) • The Town Hall (1868). The Town Hall contains several items that are registered as historical objects: ◦ A Clock (19th century) ◦ A set of 4 light fittings (20th century) ◦ A set of 3 Chandeliers (20th century) ◦ A Hearth (2) (19th century) ◦ A Hearth (1) (19th century) ◦ A Bust: Marianne (20th century) ◦ A Mural Painting: The communal genius presiding over great acts of civil life (1870) • The Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Antoine and Saint-Sulpice (19th century). was founded in the 12th century to house pilgrims on the road to Saint Jacques de Compostela and became a hospital under the Revolution. It was completely rebuilt from 1819 to 1852 and is still used as a retirement home 120. Adds the hall built in 1868 121 enhanced by the place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville in 1776 and refurbished in 1868 ranked since 1944 122. The Hôtel-Dieu contains two items that are registered as historical objects: ◦ A Bell called Marie (1517) ◦ A Painting: Rest during the flight from Egypt (19th century) • An Ornamental Garden (19th century) • A Lavoir (Public laundry) (1748) • The Town Hall Square (Place de la Mairie) (1776) • The War Memorial at Place de la Mairie (20th century) • The Porte de Paris city gate (1730) • The Railway Station (19th century) • The Covered Market (1470). The covered market is 35 metres long and 18 metres wide. • Arpajon Town (16th-20th century)

In addition there are a very large number of houses that are registered as historical monuments.

Religious heritage The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: • The Tomb of A. Paragot and A. Servant (19th century) • The Tomb of the Buard-Lanelongue family (19th century) • The Funeral Chapel of the Anglade-Debauge family (20th century) • The Tomb of Eugène Lagauche (1906) • The Tomb of the Betrouille-Dupouet family (19th century) • The Funeral Chapel of the Laperche family (20th century) • The Tomb of Cécile Guinchard and Jean Georges Lainé (19th century) • The Parish Church of Saint-Clement (11th century). The church contains a very large number of items that are registered as historical objects.