Châtillon () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The town was formerly named ''Châtillon-sous-Bagneux'', and a relic of this denomination remains in at least one road sign in

Vanves Vanves () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe and the tenth in France History On 1 January 1860, the city of Paris ...

(located at the junction Boulevard du Lycée and Avenue Charles de Gaulle, and written as ''Châtillon s/ B''). The TGV trains are maintained at the "Établissement Industriel de Maintenance du TGV de Châtillon" (EIM TGV de Châtillon).

History

The name of the town is first documented in 1192 in the archives of St-Martin-des-Champs Priory in

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functione ...

as "Castellio" ("little castle"). It is not known where this castle was located. Two possible locations are the heights of Châtillon (to the southwest) or in the former

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

on the manor. This manor was owned by the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés until 1600, when it was sold to Richard Tardieu. The small town grew slowly. During the 14th century a chapel dedicated to a Saint Eutropius was built and a parish established. In addition to agriculture, the exploitation of a rock quarry provided an economic basis for the town. In 1417, during the

Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War The Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War was a conflict between two cadet branches of the French royal family – the House of Orléans ( Armagnac faction) and the House of Burgundy ( Burgundian faction) from 1407 to 1435. It began during a lull in th ...

John the Fearless John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs durin ...

, Duke of Burgundy, camped at Châtillon for eight days while his army pillaged the surrounding villages before laying siege to Montlhéry. From 1790 to 1795 Châtillon was a canton of the district of Bourg-de-l'Égalité. In 1815 the British, who had crossed the Seine at

Sèvres Sèvres (, ) is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. The commune, which had a population of 23,251 as of 2018, is known for ...

, occupied the heights of Châtillon and pillaged the village. The Tour des Anglais, located in southwest part of the town, was built on the ruins of a former tower that was part of the fortifications of the area, and was later used as a windmill. During that year a quick and lively engagement with enemy English and Prussian troops took place near the tower. During the Siege of Paris, Châtillon was the site of two battles: the First Battle of Châtillon (17–19 September 1870) as the Prussian army invested Paris, and the Second Battle of Châtillon (13 October 1870), in which the II Bavarian Corps was driven from Châtillon, although ultimately the French were forced to retire in face of Prussian artillery.

Population

Adjacent communes

* Bagneux *

Clamart Clamart () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. The town is divided into two parts, separated by a forest: ''bas Clamart'', the historical centre, and ''petit Clamart'' with urbaniz ...

* Fontenay-aux-Roses *

Malakoff Malakoff () is a suburban commune in the Hauts-de-Seine department southwest of Paris, France. Located from the centre of the city, it had a population of 30,286 in 2016. The European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE) is base ...

Montrouge Montrouge () is a commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. After a long period of decline, the population has increased again in recent years. ...

Transport

Châtillon is served by Châtillon – Montrouge station on

Paris Métro Line 13 Paris Métro Line 13 (opened as Line B; French: ''Ligne 13 du métro de Paris'') is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro. It was built by the Nord-Sud Company before becoming Line 13 when the Nord-Sud was merged into the Compagnie du ch ...

. Châtillon enjoys a well connected bus service: from Paris, the 68 comes all the way from the Place de Clichy to the metro station. Buses 194, 195 and 295 all leave

Porte d'Orléans The Porte d'Orléans is one of 17 ''portes'' (city gates of Paris) in the Thiers wall, a defensive wall constructed in the mid-nineteenth century to protect Paris. The wall was demolished after the First World War, creating an open space that wa ...

and pass by the Châtillon – Montrouge metro station from where they continue mostly in different directions. The 162 running east and west of Châtillon can take you to the RER station in

Meudon Meudon () is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris. The city is known for many historic monuments and some extraordinary trees. One of t ...

, or the shopping centre to the east. The 394 which passes by the market is ideal for Clamart, Vanves, and Issy-les-Moulineaux. If you need to get to Issy from the metro, then take the 126.

Twin towns – sister cities

Châtillon is twinned with: * Aywaille, Belgium * Genzano di Roma, Italy *

Merseburg Merseburg () is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a dioces ...

, Germany

References

External links

Official website

Châtillon town council website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatillon Communes of Hauts-de-Seine