Senlis, Oise
Encyclopedia
Senlis is a French
commune
located in the Oise
department near Paris
. It has a long and rich heritage, having traversed centuries of history. This medieval town has welcomed some of the most renowned figures in French history, including Hugh Capet, Louis IX
, the Marshall of France, Anne of Kiev
and Séraphine de Senlis. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived here, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly
forest. It is renowned for the gothic Senlis Cathedral
and its vast historical monuments.Its habitants are called "Senlisiens" and "Senlisiennes".
in the region of Picardie
in the north of France. It is situated on the river Nonette
, between the forests of Chantilly
and d'Ermenonville
in the South and d'Halatte on the North. It is located forty kilometers from the north of Paris
, 44 km from Beauvais
and 79 km from Amiens
.
The highest point of the town (140m) lies at the heart of the forest Halatte and the lowest point is located on the banks of the Nonette, west of the city. Geologically, the area is occupied by a vast limestone plateau of the Lutetian
covered mostly in silt
.
incursions. The wall remained in use into the 13th century. The town also featured a Roman amphitheatre, the remains of which are still visible, about 500 m west of the walled town. The amphitheatre seated as many as 10,000 people and was used for public meetings, theatre, gladiatorial combats, and animal hunts. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived here, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly Forest and its venison, and built a castle on the foundations of the Roman settlement. In 987 the archbishop of Reims
, Albéron called together an assembly, and asked them to choose Hugh Capet as king of France. However, the monarchs of France soon abandoned the city, preferring Compiègne
and Fontainebleau
. New life was given to the city in the twelfth century, and ramparts were built. The popularity of the city later fell, and it slipped into decline. Today it remains an attraction for tourists for its long history and its links to the French monarchy.
. Under the Capetian rule, Senlis became a royal city and remained so until the reign of Charles X. A castle was built during this period whose remains still lie today. The city reached its apogee in the XII and XIII centuries as trade of wool and leather increased, while vineyards began to grow. With an increasing population, the city expanded and required the construction of new ramparts: a second chamber was erected under Phillip II
that was larger and higher than the ramparts of the Gallo-Romans. A municipal charter was granted to the town in 1173 by the King Louis VII. The bishop of Senlis and the Chancellor Guérin became close advisors to the King, strengthening Senlis' ties to the French royalty. In 1265, the Bailiwick
of Senlis was created with its vast territory covering the Beauvais
and the French Vexin
. In 1319, the town crippled by debt, was passed to the control of the royalty. Senlis became devastated by the Hundred Years War, but managed to escape destruction despite being besieged by the Armagnacs. Senlis' economy suffered heavily and would have to wait until the XV century to observe another boom, during which many buildings were built or restored. In 1493, the King Charles VII of France, son of Louis XI signed the Treaty of Senlis
with the Duke of Burgundy
, Maximilian I
of Austria.
In A Writer at War 14-18, Édouard Coeurdevey describes the German destruction that he witnesses when visiting Senlis on 6 June 1915. On June 8th he wrote 'Senlis bonde d'Annamites'.
The historical framework of Senlis, with its ancient cobbled alleys and its proximity to Paris, made it a major destination for cinema. Among many are the following movies filmed in Senlis:
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...
commune
Commune
Commune 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...
located in the Oise
Oise
Oise is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise.-History:Oise is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department near 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...
. It has a long and rich heritage, having traversed centuries of history. This medieval town has welcomed some of the most renowned figures in French history, including Hugh Capet, Louis IX
Louis IX
Louis IX may refer to:* Louis IX of France .* Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria "the Rich" * Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt ....
, the Marshall of France, Anne of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and Séraphine de Senlis. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived here, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly
Chantilly, Oise
Chantilly is a small city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune in the department of Oise.It is in the metropolitan area of Paris 38.4 km...
forest. It is renowned for the gothic Senlis Cathedral
Senlis Cathedral
Senlis Cathedral is a former Roman Catholic cathedral in Senlis, Oise, France.It was formerly the seat of the Bishopric of Senlis, abolished under the Concordat of 1801, when its territory was passed to the Diocese of Beauvais.The cathedral was built between 1153 and 1191; its south tower dates...
and its vast historical monuments.Its habitants are called "Senlisiens" and "Senlisiennes".
Geography
Senlis is part of the province of l'OiseOise
Oise is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise.-History:Oise is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
in the region of Picardie
Picardie
Picardy is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northern part of France.-History:The historical province of Picardy stretched from north of Noyon to Calais, via the whole of the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department...
in the north of France. It is situated on the river Nonette
Nonette River
The Nonette is a tributary to the Oise River in northern France. Its source is in Nanteuil-le-Haudouin, from which it flows west through Senlis and Chantilly, and joins the Oise in Gouvieux....
, between the forests of Chantilly
Chantilly, Oise
Chantilly is a small city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune in the department of Oise.It is in the metropolitan area of Paris 38.4 km...
and d'Ermenonville
Ermenonville
Ermenonville is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.Ermenonville is notable for its park named for Jean-Jacques Rousseau by René Louis de Girardin...
in the South and d'Halatte on the North. It is located forty kilometers from the north 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...
, 44 km from Beauvais
Beauvais
Beauvais is a city approximately by highway north of central Paris, in the northern French region of Picardie. It currently has a population of over 60,000 inhabitants.- History :...
and 79 km from Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
.
The highest point of the town (140m) lies at the heart of the forest Halatte and the lowest point is located on the banks of the Nonette, west of the city. Geologically, the area is occupied by a vast limestone plateau of the Lutetian
Lutetian
The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage or age in the Eocene. It spans the time between and . The Lutetian is preceded by the Ypresian and is followed by the Bartonian. Together with the Bartonian it is sometimes referred to as the Middle Eocene subepoch...
covered mostly in silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
.
History
Senlis was known in early Roman imperial times as Augustomagus and later as Civitas Silvanectium ("City of the Silvanectes"). During the 3rd century, a seven-meter high defensive wall, about half of which still exists, was erected around the settlement in response to FrankishFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
incursions. The wall remained in use into the 13th century. The town also featured a Roman amphitheatre, the remains of which are still visible, about 500 m west of the walled town. The amphitheatre seated as many as 10,000 people and was used for public meetings, theatre, gladiatorial combats, and animal hunts. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived here, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly Forest and its venison, and built a castle on the foundations of the Roman settlement. In 987 the archbishop of Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, Albéron called together an assembly, and asked them to choose Hugh Capet as king of France. However, the monarchs of France soon abandoned the city, preferring Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
and Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
. New life was given to the city in the twelfth century, and ramparts were built. The popularity of the city later fell, and it slipped into decline. Today it remains an attraction for tourists for its long history and its links to the French monarchy.
Royal city
Senlis fell under the ownership of Hugh Capet in 981. He was elected king by his barons in 987 before being crowned at NoyonNoyon
Noyon is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.It lies on the Oise Canal, 100 km north of Paris.-History:...
. Under the Capetian rule, Senlis became a royal city and remained so until the reign of Charles X. A castle was built during this period whose remains still lie today. The city reached its apogee in the XII and XIII centuries as trade of wool and leather increased, while vineyards began to grow. With an increasing population, the city expanded and required the construction of new ramparts: a second chamber was erected under Phillip II
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
that was larger and higher than the ramparts of the Gallo-Romans. A municipal charter was granted to the town in 1173 by the King Louis VII. The bishop of Senlis and the Chancellor Guérin became close advisors to the King, strengthening Senlis' ties to the French royalty. In 1265, the Bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
of Senlis was created with its vast territory covering the Beauvais
Beauvais
Beauvais is a city approximately by highway north of central Paris, in the northern French region of Picardie. It currently has a population of over 60,000 inhabitants.- History :...
and the French Vexin
Vexin
The Vexin is a historical county of northwestern France. It covers a verdant plateau on the right bank of the Seine comprising an area east-to-west between Pontoise and Romilly-sur-Andelle , and north-to-south between Auneuil and the Seine near Vernon...
. In 1319, the town crippled by debt, was passed to the control of the royalty. Senlis became devastated by the Hundred Years War, but managed to escape destruction despite being besieged by the Armagnacs. Senlis' economy suffered heavily and would have to wait until the XV century to observe another boom, during which many buildings were built or restored. In 1493, the King Charles VII of France, son of Louis XI signed the Treaty of Senlis
Treaty of Senlis
The Treaty of Senlis concerning the Burgundian succession was signed at Senlis, Oise in May of 1493 between Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and King Charles VIII of France....
with the Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy
Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
, Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
of Austria.
Main sights
- The Senlis CathedralSenlis CathedralSenlis Cathedral is a former Roman Catholic cathedral in Senlis, Oise, France.It was formerly the seat of the Bishopric of Senlis, abolished under the Concordat of 1801, when its territory was passed to the Diocese of Beauvais.The cathedral was built between 1153 and 1191; its south tower dates...
is a Roman Catholic Gothic church and a national monument of FranceFranceThe 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...
. The Cathedral was the ancient seat of the Bishopric of Senlis, abolished by the Concordat of 1801Concordat of 1801The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII, signed on 15 July 1801. It solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France and brought back most of its civil status....
, when its territory was passed to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Beauvais. The southern portal of the XVI century, the works of Martin ChambigesMartin ChambigesMartin Chambiges was a French architect from Paris working in the flamboyant gothic style. His chief works are the transepts of Sens Cathedral , of Senlis Cathedral, and of Beauvais Cathedral , in addition to the west front of Troyes Cathedral . He also designed the unusual choir of the church of St...
, marked the evolution of Gothic art. The cathedral was built between 1153 and 1519; its 256-foot-tall (78 m) tall spire dates from the 13th century and is visible across the plain of Valois. Its transepts were rebuilt between 1530 and 1556 after being destroyed by a fire, while the side portals and shallow east chapels date from about the same period. - The Ancient Royal Castle- priory Saint Maurice. The site has been occupied since the Roman era. In the course of the 4th century, the site was visited by the Carolingian kings. The actual castle dates back from the 12th century under Louis VII of FranceLouis VII of FranceLouis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England...
. - Hôtel de Ville Senlis has a plaque attached to honor the loyalty of Henry IV of FranceHenry IV of FranceHenry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
. - The Saint Vincent Abbey was founded in 1065 by the queen Anne de Kiev and entrusted to the monks of Génovéfains. The monument was transformed into a boys boarding school by the Fathers of Maristes and still exists today.
- The Museum of Art and Archeology contains notably rings found in a Roman- Gaul temple in the forest of d'Halatte. It is currently closed for renovation.
- The Museum of the Hunts
- The Museum of the Spahis
Culture
In 1972, the September meetings were created as cultural manifestation making Senlis a pedestrian town for a weekend in September. The event allows the public to discover the gardens and particular hotel hidden behind doorways. The last gathering took place in 2007. The Garden Lounge takes place around April, along with the Christmas march that take place around the Church of Saint Peter.In A Writer at War 14-18, Édouard Coeurdevey describes the German destruction that he witnesses when visiting Senlis on 6 June 1915. On June 8th he wrote 'Senlis bonde d'Annamites'.
The historical framework of Senlis, with its ancient cobbled alleys and its proximity to Paris, made it a major destination for cinema. Among many are the following movies filmed in Senlis:
- Coeurs du monde (1918) by D.W Griffith
- Ces dames aux chapeaux verts (1929) by André Berthomieu
- Le Dialogue des carmélites (1960) by André Berthomieu
- Séraphine (2008) by Martin ProvostMartin ProvostMartin Provost is a French film director, writer and actor. He wrote and directed such films as Séraphine and Le ventre de Juliette.-Filmography:Director:*Cocon *Tortilla y cinema *Le ventre de Juliette...
Famous people from Senlis
- Thomas CoutureThomas CoutureThomas Couture was an influential French history painter and teacher. Couture taught such later luminaries of the art world as Édouard Manet, Henri Fantin-Latour, John La Farge, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Karel Javůrek, and J-N Sylvestre.-Life:He was born at Senlis, Oise, France...
, French historian and teacher - Séraphine LouisSéraphine LouisSéraphine Louis, known as "Séraphine de Senlis" , was a French painter in the naïve style. Self-taught, she was inspired by her religious faith and by stained-glass church windows and other religious art...
, French naïve painter - William Malherbe, Post Impressionist painter
- Kévin GameiroKevin GameiroKévin Gameiro is a French international footballer who plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. He plays as a striker whose influence can extend out on the wings and in the hole...
, French footballer who plays for Paris St-Germain - Grégoire BoissenotGrégoire BoissenotGrégoire is a French composer, author and singer .-Singing career:In December 2007, Gregoire signed a contract with the young label My Major Company, which allows users to produce the artist. The first album of Grégoire was produced by 347 producers...
, French composer, author and singer
Twin towns
- Langenfeld, RhinelandLangenfeld, RhinelandLangenfeld is a town in North-Rhine-Westphalia in the district of Mettmann. The suburban city is located between Düsseldorf and Cologne...
in Germany. - New RichmondNew Richmond, QuebecNew Richmond is an incorporated municipality in Quebec, Canada situated on the southern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula between the municipalities of Maria and Caplan. The first European settlers arrived from Scotland in 1755. The first arrivals were the Duthie brothers, George and John Duthie and...
in Quebec, Canada. - MontaleMontaleMontale is a comune in the Province of Pistoia in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 25 km northwest of Florence and about 8 km east of Pistoia....
in Italy. - KievKievKiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
-Petchersk in Ukraine.