Saint-Cloud
Encyclopedia
Saint-Cloud is a commune
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 western suburbs of Paris
Paris
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
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. It is located 9.6 km (6 mi) from the centre of Paris
Kilometre Zero
In many countries, Kilometre Zero or similar terms in other languages, is a particular location , from which distances are traditionally measured...

.
Like other communes of the Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine is designated number 92 of the 101 départements in France. It is part of the Île-de-France region, and covers the western inner suburbs of Paris...

 such as Marnes-la-Coquette
Marnes-la-Coquette
Marnes-la-Coquette is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. Located from the center of Paris, the town is situated between the Parc de Saint-Cloud and the Forest of Fausses-Reposes...

, Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...

 or Vaucresson
Vaucresson
Vaucresson is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the Hauts-de-Seine department from the center of Paris.The people who live in the commune are called Vaucressonais. Vaucresson contains abundant parkland; 22 of its 308 hectares are classed as natural zones...

, Saint-Cloud is one of the wealthiest cities in France, ranked 22nd out of the 36500 in average household income.

History

The town is named after Clodoald
Clodoald
Saint Clodoald , better known as Cloud, was the son of King Chlodomer of Orleans.-Life:Clodoald was raised in Paris by his grandmother, Saint Clotilde. He was one of three brothers, all of whom were targeted for assassination by their uncle, Clotaire I...

, grandson of Clovis
Clovis I
Clovis Leuthwig was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings, ensuring that the kingship was held by his heirs. He was also the first Catholic King to rule over Gaul . He was the son...

, who is supposed to have sought refuge in the hamlet of Novigentum. Canonized after his death, the village where his tomb was located took the name of Sanctus Clodoaldus.

A park contains the ruins of the Château de Saint-Cloud
Château de Saint-Cloud
The Château de Saint-Cloud was a Palace in France, built on a magnificent site overlooking the Seine at Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, about 10 kilometres west of Paris. Today it is a large park on the outskirts of the capital and is owned by the state, but the area as a whole has had a large...

, built in 1572 and destroyed by fire in 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...

. The château was the residence of several French rulers and served as the main country residence of the cadet Orléans
Duc d'Orléans
Duke of Orléans was one of the highest ranking titles of the French peerage and dates back to the 14th century. Known as princes of the blood , the title of Duke of Orléans was exclusive to princes of the nearest collateral line of the royal family; thus they constituted a junior branch of the...

 line prior to the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

. The palace was also the site of the coup d'état
18 Brumaire
The coup of 18 Brumaire was the coup d'état by which General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the French Directory, replacing it with the French Consulate...

 led by Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...

 that overthrew the French Directory
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...

 in 1799.

The town is also famous for the Saint-Cloud porcelain
Saint-Cloud porcelain
Saint-Cloud porcelain was a type of soft-paste porcelain produced in the French town of Saint-Cloud from the late 17th to the mid 18th century.-Foundation:...

 produced there from 1693 to 1766.

The Headquarters of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...

) had been located at 22 Rue Armengaud from 1966 until 1989, when it moved to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....

.

Main sights

The main landmarks are the park of the demolished Château de Saint-Cloud
Château de Saint-Cloud
The Château de Saint-Cloud was a Palace in France, built on a magnificent site overlooking the Seine at Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, about 10 kilometres west of Paris. Today it is a large park on the outskirts of the capital and is owned by the state, but the area as a whole has had a large...

 and the Pavillon de Breteuil
Pavillon de Breteuil
Pavillon de Breteuil is a building located in Sèvres, France near Paris. It was inaugurated by Louis XIV in 1672. It is in the park of the former royal Château de Saint-Cloud, which was destroyed in 1870....

. The Saint-Cloud Racecourse
Saint-Cloud Racecourse
Hippodrome de Saint-Cloud is a grass race course for Thoroughbred flat horse racing opened in 1901 at 1 rue du Camp Canadien in Saint-Cloud near Paris, France...

, a race track for Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 flat racing
Flat racing
Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...

, was built by Edmond Blanc in 1901 and is host to a number of important races including the annual Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June.-History:...

.

Transport

Saint-Cloud is served by two stations on the Transilien La Défense
Transilien La Défense
Transilien La Défense is one of the sectors in the Paris Transilien suburban rail network. The trains on this sector depart from La Défense station in Paris's business district of La Défense. Transilien service from La Défense is part of the SNCF Saint-Lazare rail network. Service consists of one...

 and Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare
Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare
Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare is one of the sectors in the Paris Transilien suburban rail network. The trains on this sector depart from Gare Saint-Lazare in central Paris, as well as from Noisy-le-Roi station in the suburbs. Transilien services from Paris – Saint-Lazare are part of the SNCF...

 suburban rail lines: Le Val d'Or and Saint-Cloud
Gare de Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud is a station in the commune of Saint-Cloud .- The Station :The station is served by line L and U trains of the Transilien Paris - Saint Lazare network. It is at the junction of the Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche and Versailles – Rive_Droite branches...

.

The town is also served by a number of stops on the T2 Tramway
Tramways in Paris
The French region of Île-de-France, encompassing the capital city of Paris, currently has four tram lines, and is planning an additional line. Of the existing lines, three are operated by its public transport authority, RATP, which also operates the Paris Métro and most bus services. The fourth...

, which runs along the side of the Seine.

Central Saint-Cloud, known as le village, is also served by the metro station 'Boulogne-Pont de Saint-Cloud' (line 10), located across the Seine river on the Boulogne-Billancourt side of the Pont de Saint Cloud.

Personalities

Saint-Cloud was the birthplace of:
  • Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
    Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
    Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...

     (1674–1723), Regent
    Regent
    A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...

     of France from 1715 to 1723;
  • Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans (1676–1744) Regent of Lorraine, sister of the above and paternal grandmother of Marie Antoinette
    Marie Antoinette
    Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....

     who later bought the Palace at Saint-Cloud;
  • Philippe Égalité
    Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
    Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotined during the Reign of Terror...

     (1747–1793), a key figure during the early stages of the French Revolution
    French Revolution
    The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

    ;
  • Princess Marie Bonaparte (1882–1962), psychoanalyst
    Psychoanalysis
    Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...

    , closely linked with Sigmund Freud
    Sigmund Freud
    Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...

  • Gilbert Norman
    Gilbert Norman
    Gilbert Maurice Norman was born 1914 in Saint-Cloud,Hauts-de-Seine to an English father and a French mother and was educated in France and England....

     (1914–1944), Special Operations Executive
    Special Operations Executive
    The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...

     member
  • Annick Gendron
    Annick Gendron
    Annick Gendron is a French abstract painter, .- Art :In the 1970s Gendron’s innovative way of using and manipulating industrial material and tools as plastic, glass, hydraulics press and centrifuges...

     painter
  • Jean-Claude Killy
    Jean-Claude Killy
    Jean-Claude Killy was an alpine ski racer, who dominated the sport in the late 1960s. He was a triple Olympic champion, winning the three alpine events at the 1968 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there...

     (born 1943), alpine skier
    Alpine skiing
    Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...

     and a triple Olympic
    Olympic Games
    The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

     champion
  • Gérard Manset
    Gérard Manset
    Gérard Manset is a French singer-songwriter, painter, photographer and writer, most well known for his musical work.Since 1972, the covers of his albums state his name as simply "Manset"...

     (born 1945), known as Manset, rock songwriter
    Songwriter
    A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

  • Hervé Guibert
    Hervé Guibert
    Hervé Guibert was a homosexual French writer and photographer. The author of numerous novels and autobiographical studies, he played a considerable role in changing French public attitudes to AIDS...

     (1955–1991), writer
  • Alexandra Fusai
    Alexandra Fusai
    Alexandra Fusai is a former professional tennis player from France.Fusai turned professional in 1991. She was 1.76m tall and weighed about 60 kg in 1997. She played right-handed and lived in Nantes during her career...

     (born 1973), former professional tennis player
    Tennis
    Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

  • Ingmar Lazar
    Ingmar Lazar
    Ingmar Lazar is a French classical pianist.Ingmar Lazar started to play the piano when he was 5. He made his debut at the age of six at the Salle Gaveau in Paris....

     (born 1993), classical pianist, prodigy


Twin towns

Saint-Cloud is twinned with: - Frascati
Frascati
Frascati is a town and comune in the province of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills close to the ancient city of Tusculum. Frascati is closely associated with science, being the location of several international scientific...

, Italy - Bad Godesberg
Bad Godesberg
Bad Godesberg is a municipal district of Bonn, southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From 1949 till 1990 , the majority of foreign embassies to Germany were located in Bad Godesberg...

, Germany - Kortrijk
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...

, Belgium - Windsor and Maidenhead, United Kingdom

External links

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