Buc, Yvelines
Encyclopedia
Buc is a commune
in the Yvelines
department in the Île-de-France
region
.
Its inhabitants are called Bucois, Bucoises.
, France.
The old town and a part of the city is located inside the vallée de la Bièvre
(Bièvre valley) at an altitude of approximately 100 meters. Most of its residential neighborhood are implanted on the plateau de Saclay (Saclay's plateau) at around 50 meters higher.
Buc's surrounding communes are:
Versailles
at its north, Jouy-en-Josas
at its north east, Les Loges-en-Josas
at its South east, Toussus-le-Noble
at its south, Châteaufort
at its extreme south west and Guyancourt
at its west.
Histogram
(Graphic elaboration by Wikipedia)
The name « Buc » derives from the latin
buscum which means boxwood
.
, Jean-Marc Le Rudulier, has brought to the commune during his two long terms. This reward is highly decorative under the Buc's entrance street sign. It's something Bucois and Bucoises can be proud of.
department has been created in 1968. This one was subsequently part of the Seine-et-Oise
department. Jehan Despert is considered as the « father » of the Yvelines
. He is the one whom suggested to the president of the County Council of Seine-et-Oise of that time, Gaston Palewski
, the name of this department at its creation, in reference to the ancient forêt d'Yveline (Yveline forest) from which radiate most of the water streams that irrigate the department. The actual Foret de Rambouillet (Rambouillet forest) constituted its remains.
, RER
, or suburban rail network. The closest stations from Buc are Versailles - Chantier station (gare de Versailles - Chantiers) and Petit Jouy Les Loges station (gare de Petit Jouy - Les Loges). One bus line (Bus 262) links the city to Versailles. It takes the bus 5–15 minutes (If you are located at the Bas-Buc) to 10–30 minutes (if you are located at the Haut-Buc) to reach Versailles - Chantier station depending of the traffic.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Yvelines
Yvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
department in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
.
Its inhabitants are called Bucois, Bucoises.
Geography
Buc is located 21 km south west of ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France.
The old town and a part of the city is located inside the vallée de la Bièvre
Bièvre
Bièvre is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Namur. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 3,151 inhabitants. The total area is 109.59 km², giving a population density of 29 inhabitants per km².-External links:*...
(Bièvre valley) at an altitude of approximately 100 meters. Most of its residential neighborhood are implanted on the plateau de Saclay (Saclay's plateau) at around 50 meters higher.
Buc's surrounding communes are:
Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
at its north, Jouy-en-Josas
Jouy-en-Josas
Jouy-en-Josas is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris from the center.Jouy-en-Josas is home to the prestigious HEC School of Management.-Geography:...
at its north east, Les Loges-en-Josas
Les Loges-en-Josas
Les Loges-en-Josas is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-References:*...
at its South east, Toussus-le-Noble
Toussus-le-Noble
Toussus-le-Noble is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.-History:In 1969, the communes of Châteaufort and Toussus-le-Noble were separated from the Essonne department and added to Yvelines.-References:*...
at its south, Châteaufort
Châteaufort
Châteaufort is the name of two communes in France:* Châteaufort, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département* Châteaufort, Yvelines, in the Yvelines département...
at its extreme south west and Guyancourt
Guyancourt
Guyancourt is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris from the center, in the "new town" of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.-Geography:...
at its west.
Demography
(Graphic elaboration by Wikipedia)
History
Blazon of Buc
|
|
The name « Buc » derives from the latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
buscum which means boxwood
Boxwood
Boxwood may refer to:*Buxus, a genus of about 70 species of shrubs and trees in the family Buxaceæ, which in North America is called "boxwood"*Buxus sempervirens, the most common species of Buxus, which is known as "boxwood" in United Kingdom...
.
- Territory attached to the domain of Versailles in 1660 and used to be frequented by Louis XIV of FranceLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
mostly for hunting. - 1684-1686 : Construction of the Buc aqueduct (aqueduc de Buc).
- 1880 : Construction of the Fort du Haut-Buc.
- 1909, July 25 : Installation of Louis BlériotLouis BlériotLouis Charles Joseph Blériot was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of £1,000...
on 200 ha ; he built his private airfield and, in 1913, a flying school.
Culture
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church : Built in siliceous rockSiliceous rockSiliceous rocks are sedimentary rocks that have silica as the principal constituent. The most common siliceous rock is Chert other types include Diatomite. They commonly form from silica-secreting organisms such as radiolarians, diatoms, or some types of sponges....
from the 12th century, enlarged in 1994. The naveNaveIn Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
has a gothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
architectural shape and its bell towerBell towerA bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
has a romanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style. In the steepleSteeple (architecture)A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
, the bell, which is classified Monument historiqueMonument historiqueA monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
, has been melted, blessed and then baptized Louise Auguste Adélaïde by its sponsor Louis XIV of FranceLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
in 1775. - Aqueduc de Buc : Built by François Michel Le Tellier de Louvois in 1686. This aqueduct purpose was to provide water drained from the Ponds of SaclaySaclaySaclay is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.It is best known for the large scientific facility CEA Saclay, mostly dealing with nuclear and particle physics....
(More precisely ponds of Saclé, Pont Salé and Saint-Hubert by the time it was used.) and delivered to the Domain of the Palace of VersaillesPalace of VersaillesThe Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
, known as well as the Gardens of VersaillesGardens of VersaillesThe Gardens of Versailles occupy part of what was once the Domaine royal de Versailles, the royal demesne of the château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French Garden style perfected here by...
, in order to supply huge amounts of water to its multitude of fountains and bassins. The aqueduct has 19 millstone arches, is 21 meters high and 580 meters long. Now disused, this great architectural work has been classified Monument historiqueMonument historiqueA monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
in 1952. - Château du Haut-Buc : This ancient little castle was part of the Grand parc de Versailles (Great Versailles Domain) and was used by Louis XIV of FranceLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
to accommodate his son Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de ToulouseLouis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de ToulouseLouis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse , duc de Penthièvre , d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet , , was the son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Madame de Montespan...
(1681), duc de Penthièvre (1697), d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet (1711) which later moved into the PavillonPavillonPavillon may refer to:* Le Pavillon, a New York City restaurant* Pavillon de Flore, a section of the Palais du Louvre in Paris, France* Pavillon de Paris, a large concert space in Paris, France...
des Eaux at LouveciennesLouveciennesLouveciennes is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, between Versailles and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and adjacent to Marly-le-Roi.-Sights:...
. Le Château du Haut-Buc has been destroyed in 1740 on order of Louis XV of FranceLouis XV of FranceLouis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
. The actual castle, the communeCommuneCommune may refer to:In society:* Commune, a human community in which resources are shared* Commune , a township or municipality* One of the Communes of France* An Italian Comune...
property, has been rebuilt on the same site in 1864. Today the castle is often used as a showroom. Its park has a soccer, rugby and basketball pitch. - Fort du Haut-Buc : Made between 1814 and 1880, this fortificationFortificationFortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
used to be part of the second fortified defence belt of ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
between 1874 and 1882. This military buildingMilitary buildingA military building is any structure designed to house functions performed by a military unit. General types include:* Administrative Facilities* Ammunition Storage Facilities* Commissary Facilities* Correctional Facilities* Fortifications* Hospitals...
is currently unaffected and is completely abandoned since 1995. - Near the aqueduct and the PondPondA pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
of La Geneste (Part of the ponds of La Minière), the OakOakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
of Louis XIVLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, which is probably more than 500 years old, survived a great storm which occurred in 1999, devastating much of the forest. Unfortunately this emblematic tree collapsed from aging, the last week of 2004. Buc's forest is part of the Forêt de Versailles (Versailles forest). - Buc local legendLegendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
: Some people postpone that beavers can be observed in La Bièvre whereas nothing really proves the presence of such inhabitants. This river get its name from the latinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word biber which means beaver that would explain the legend. But other roots can be found like beber which means "brownBrownBrown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
" which could qualify its natural water color or bibere which means to drink which is more than enjoyable on the evening, facing the pond of La Geneste in a peaceful atmosphere with some mates and a good pack of Kronenbourgs cans. And surprisingly, this it at those moments that beavers are more likely to appear. - A cartoon Festival (Festival de Buc) is held each year since 1994. The comic book of one of the adventures of Blake and MortimerBlake and MortimerBlake and Mortimer is a Belgian comics series created by the Belgian writer and comics artist Edgar P. Jacobs. It was one of the first series to appear in the Belgian comics magazine Tintin in 1946, and was subsequently published in book form by Les Editions du Lombard.The main protagonists of the...
, S.O.S. Meteors: Mortimer in ParisS.O.S. Meteors: Mortimer in ParisS.O.S. Meteors: Mortimer in Paris is the eighth comic book in the Blake and Mortimer series by Edgar P. Jacobs. It was first published in Tintin Magazine.-Synopsis:...
(1959) of Edgar P. Jacobs, has its story based in Buc and around. - Buc is the home of one of the three Franco-German high school and the only one located in France. Franco-German BaccalauréatBaccalauréatThe baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
s are issued.
Administration
In 2005, the commune has been rewarded « Ville Internet @@ » (« Internet city @@ ») as well as in 2008 and 2010. That is actually the only good thing the actual mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, Jean-Marc Le Rudulier, has brought to the commune during his two long terms. This reward is highly decorative under the Buc's entrance street sign. It's something Bucois and Bucoises can be proud of.
The department
The YvelinesYvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
department has been created in 1968. This one was subsequently part of the Seine-et-Oise
Seine-et-Oise
Seine-et-Oise was a département of France encompassing the western, northern, and southern parts of the metropolitan area of Paris. Its préfecture was Versailles and its official number was 78. Seine-et-Oise was abolished in 1968....
department. Jehan Despert is considered as the « father » of the Yvelines
Yvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
. He is the one whom suggested to the president of the County Council of Seine-et-Oise of that time, Gaston Palewski
Gaston Palewski
Gaston Palewski , French politician, was a close associate of Charles de Gaulle during and after World War II. He is also remembered as the lover of the English novelist Nancy Mitford, and appears in a fictionalised form in two of her novels.-Biography:Palewski was born in Paris, the son of an...
, the name of this department at its creation, in reference to the ancient forêt d'Yveline (Yveline forest) from which radiate most of the water streams that irrigate the department. The actual Foret de Rambouillet (Rambouillet forest) constituted its remains.
Transport
Buc is not served by any station of the Paris MétroParis Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
, RER
RER
The RER is a rapid transit system in France serving Paris and its suburbs. The RER is an integration of a modern city-centre underground rail and a pre-existing set of commuter rail lines. It has several connections with the Paris Métro within the city of Paris. Within the city, the RER...
, or suburban rail network. The closest stations from Buc are Versailles - Chantier station (gare de Versailles - Chantiers) and Petit Jouy Les Loges station (gare de Petit Jouy - Les Loges). One bus line (Bus 262) links the city to Versailles. It takes the bus 5–15 minutes (If you are located at the Bas-Buc) to 10–30 minutes (if you are located at the Haut-Buc) to reach Versailles - Chantier station depending of the traffic.
External links
Buc's town hall official website aerial point of view of the commune of Buc available at the IAURIF website Buc's key figures on Insee website Buc map sur Google MapsGoogle Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...