Orsay

For the museum in Paris, see Musée d'Orsay.

Orsay is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 20.7 km. (12.9 miles) from the center of Paris.

History

There has been a village called Orsay on this site since 999, and the first church there was consecrated in 1157. From the sixteenth century, the town and surrounding area were owned by the Boucher family, and it was in honour of this family that Louis XIV gave the quai d'Orsay its name. This is reason that the Musée d'Orsay is not in Orsay. In the eighteenth century, the family of Grimod du Fort bought the land and received the title of comte d'Orsay.

In 1957, largely due to the influence of Frédéric et Irène Joliot-Curie, the Institut de physique nucléaire (nuclear physics institute) was opened in the Chevreuse valley, and the region, especially Orsay, became an important scientific centre. Another development was the creation of the université de Paris-Sud, whose most important faculty is the faculty of science.

On February 19, 1977, a part of the territory of Orsay was detached and merged with a part of the territory of Bures-sur-Yvette to create the commune of Les Ulis.

Transportation

Orsay is served by two stations on Paris RER line B: Le Guichet and Orsay – Ville.

Neighborhoods of Orsay

Le Guichet
Mondétour
Le Petit Madagascar
Corbeville

Nearby towns

Places of worship

Orsay has only one Catholic church — Saint-Martin – Saint-Laurent, opposite the town hall.

Civil heritage

Forested areas

The Bois des Rames around the university campus
The Bois Persan

Architecture

la Grande Bouvêche
la Pacaterie
le Temple de la Gloire
le château de Corbeville

References

(in French)

External link

Orsay official website (in French)

999 establishments | Communes of Essonne

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