Pontoise () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the "

new town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

" of Cergy-Pontoise.

Administration

Pontoise is the official ''

préfecture In France, a prefecture (french: préfecture) may be: * the ''chef-lieu de département'', the commune in which the administration of a department is located; * the ''chef-lieu de région'', the commune in which the administration of a region is ...

'' (capital) of the

Val-d'Oise Val-d'Oise (, "Vale of the Oise") is a department in the Île-de-France region, Northern France. It was created in 1968 following the split of the Seine-et-Oise department. In 2019, Val-d'Oise had a population of 1,249,674. ...

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'', although in reality the ''préfecture'' building and administration, as well as the department council (''conseil général''), are located in the neighboring commune of

Cergy Cergy () is a commune in the French department of Val-d'Oise, in northwestern suburbs of Paris. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the " new town" of Cergy-Pontoise, created in the 1960s, of which it is the central and most populated ...

, which is regarded as the ''de facto'' capital of Val-d'Oise. Pontoise is also the seat of the Arrondissement of Pontoise. The ''

sous-préfecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...

'' building and administration, unlike the ''préfecture'', are located inside the commune of Pontoise.

Sister cities

The city of Pontoise has three sister city relationships with: *

Böblingen Böblingen (; Swabian: ''Beblenga'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen District. Sindelfingen and Böblingen are contiguous. History Böblingen was founded by Count Wilhelm von Tübingen-Böblingen in 1253. Würt ...

, Germany since 1956 * Sevenoaks, United Kingdom since 1964 *

Geleen Geleen (; li, Gelaen ) is a city in the southern part of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. With 31,670 inhabitants in 2020, it is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. Geleen is situated along the river Geleenbeek, a right trib ...

, Netherlands since 1962

Security

Known for being a violent city in the late 20th century, with a criminal rate of 137.62 incidents per 1000 inhabitants, Cergy-Pontoise has enjoyed a significant decrease in violence in the first decade of the 21st century. By 2008, the rate had declined to 99.87, although this is still considered high. That rate has continued to decline in the second decade.

History

Pontoise is the historical capital of the

Vexin Vexin () is an historical county of northwestern France. It covers a verdant plateau on the right bank (north) of the Seine running roughly east to west between Pontoise and Romilly-sur-Andelle (about 20 km from Rouen), and north to south ...

français. Its foundation dates from

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

times (''Pontisara''). At that time, the rock peak overhanging the river Oise supported the defense of the fort which was on the

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

, the Chaussée Jules César, between ''

Lutetia The Gallo-Roman town of ''Lutetia'' (''Lutetia Parisiorum'' in Latin, in French ''Lutèce'') was the predecessor of the modern-day city of Paris. It was founded in about the middle of the 3rd century BCE by the Parisii, a Gallic tribe. Trac ...

'' (

) and ''Rotomagus'' (

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the region of Normandy and the department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, the population ...

). The road still exists and is now part of the N14 from Paris to Rouen. It is also known to many people as the birthplace of the alchemist Nicholas Flamel. With an over 2,000 year legacy, Pontoise still has vestiges of the past, such as medieval lanes, convents, churches and museums, and was awarded the "City of Art and History Label" in 2006. The impressionist painter Camille Pissarro made it famous through many paintings which are present nowadays in the most famous art galleries in the world.

Climate

Pontoise has a

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Pontoise is . The average annual rainfall is with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Pontoise was on 1 July 2015; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 1 January 1997.

Demographics

Immigration

Transport

Pontoise is served by Pontoise station, a terminus on Paris RER line C and an intermediate terminus for suburban trains originating from

Gare Saint-Lazare The Gare Saint-Lazare (English: St Lazarus station), officially Paris-Saint-Lazare, is one of the six large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. It serves train services toward Normandy, northwest of Paris, along the Paris–Le Hav ...

as well as a terminus for suburban trains from

Gare du Nord The Gare du Nord (; English: ''station of the North'' or ''Northern Station''), officially Paris-Nord, is one of the six large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. The station accommodates the trains that run between the capital ...

. Some trains originating at

continue onto Gisors. For bus services, Stivo (formerly Services des Transports de l'Agglomération Nouvelle) operates within the

of Cergy-Pontoise, and in and around Pontoise, with transport interchanges situated Place Charles de Gaulle and Parking Canrobert.

Pontoise – Cormeilles Aerodrome Pontoise Aerodrome or Pontoise – Cormeilles Aerodrome (french: Aérodrome de Pontoise - Cormeilles) is an airport located northwest of Pontoise in Boissy l'Aillerie near Cormeilles-en-Vexin, all communes of the Val-d'Oise department in the � ...

is the area airport.

Education

Public preschool through elementary schools include:Les établissements scolaires
" Pontoise. Retrieved on6 September 2016. *Seven preschools (maternelles''): des Cordeliers, Eugène-Ducher, de l'Hermitage, Laris, Ludovic-Piette, Jean-Moulin, Parc-aux-Charettes *Two primary schools: École primaire Gustave-Loiseau and École primaire des Maradas *Seven elementary schools (''élémentaires''): Paul-Cézanne, Eugène-Ducher, de l'Hermitage, des Larris, Jean-Moulin, Ludovic-Piette, Parc-aux-Charrettes Public senior high schools/sixth-form colleges: * Lycée Camille Pissarro Pontoise * Lycée Alfred Kastler de Cergy-Pontoise, in Pontoise, also serves

Collèges et lycées
"

. Retrieved 6 September 2016. "Lycée polyvalent A. Kastler ..6 avenue de la Palette, sur la commune de Pontoise " There are also six private schools: École Saint-Martin-de-France (up to senior high school), École "Ella", École Saint-Louis, Établissement Vauban, Notre-Dame-de-la-Compassion (junior and senior high school)

Culture

Pontoise is one of the capitals of the

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passag ...

movement. Many painters took as a starting point the city and its area for the creation of landscapes.

Camille Pissarro Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro ( , ; 10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of St Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but then in the Danish West Indies). ...

lived there for seventeen years. Other artists lived or worked in the area such as

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

(

Auvers-sur-Oise Auvers-sur-Oise (, literally ''Auvers on Oise'') is a commune in the department of Val-d'Oise, on the northwestern outskirts of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is associated with several famous artists, the most promin ...

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically d ...

Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...

Charles-François Daubigny Charles-François Daubigny ( , , ; 15 February 181719 February 1878) was a French painter, one of the members of the Barbizon school, and is considered an important precursor of impressionism. He was also a prolific printmaker, mostly in etch ...

Gustave Caillebotte Gustave Caillebotte (; 19 August 1848 – 21 February 1894) was a French painter who was a member and patron of the Impressionists, although he painted in a more realistic manner than many others in the group. Caillebotte was known for his early ...

, Gustave Loiseau, etc.

Main sights

* Cathédrale Saint-Maclou de Pontoise. It was built in the 12th century and reconstructed and enlarged in the 15th and 16th centuries. The tower, as well as the central portal, is in

flamboyant Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...

style. The central body is flanked by

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

additions. The remaining 12th century part of the cathedral is to the back. To the North of the building is a

portal. * Musée de Pontoise (Musée Tavet-Delacour). The museum houses sculptures from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, manuscripts from the seventeenth century and paintings from the twentieth century * Musée Pissarro (

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passag ...

collections) and garden of the five senses. The Museum is situated in a bourgeoise house at the entrance of the old castle.

Parks and recreation

Parks: *Le Jardin de la Ville *Le Parc des Larris *Le jardin partagé de Marcouville *Le Jardin des Cinq Sens *Le Parc du Château de Marcouville *Les jardins et la terrasse basse du Dôme *Le Jardin des Lavandières *Plaines de jeux

Notable people

* Sébastien Carole (b. 1982), footballer * Yarouba Cissako, footballer * Koumba Cisse handball player *

Nicolas Flamel Nicolas Flamel (; 1330 – 22 March 1418) was a French scribe and manuscript-seller. After his death, Flamel developed a reputation as an alchemist believed to have created and discovered the philosopher's stone and to have thereby achieved im ...

(c. 1340-1418), reputed alchemist, probably born here *

Jérémy Labor Jérémy Labor (born 19 March 1992) is a French professional footballer who plays for Championnat National 2 club Toulon. Traditionally a centre-back, he can also be utilized on the side. He is a former France youth international, having repre ...

(b. 1992), footballer * Christophe Lebon (b. 1982), swimmer * Luc Loubaki, basketball player *

Édouard-Alfred Martel Édouard-Alfred Martel (1 July 1859, Pontoise, Val-d'Oise – 3 June 1938, Montbrison), the 'father of modern speleology', was a world pioneer of cave exploration, study, and documentation. Martel explored thousands of caves in his native Fra ...

(1859-1938), Father of modern speleology * Guiday Mendy (b. 1986), basketball player * Aly Ndom, footballer *

, painter *

Yoann Rapinier Yoann Rapinier (born 29 September 1989 in Pontoise, France) is a French triple jumper of Martinique, Martiniquan descent. Achievements References * 1989 births Living people French male triple jumpers French people of Martini ...

, athlete * Jacques Vallée, author, ufologist and former astronomer *

Jean-Éric Vergne Jean-Éric Vergne (born 25 April 1990), also known as JEV, is a French racing driver who competes in the FIA Formula E Championship with Dragon Racing. He became the 2017–18 ABB Formula E Champion, after clinching fifth in the New York ePrix ...

, former Formula One driver currently competing in Formula E * St William of Pontoise, hermit * Rabbi Moses of Pontoise, 12th-century disciple of Rabbeinu Tam and mentioned in several

Tosafot The Tosafot, Tosafos or Tosfot ( he, תוספות) are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes. The auth ...

. * Moussa Dembélé (French footballer), footballer * Liza del Sierra, pornographic actress. * A famous religious sister, Blessed Marie de l'Incarnation (1566-1618), formerly known as Madame Acarie, the foundress of the Reformed Carmelites in France, lived, died and was buried here in the Carmelite Monastery. * William of Pontoise (d. 1192), medieval Benedictine *

Yacine Qasmi Yacine Qasmi ( ar, ياسين قاسمي; born 3 January 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish club CD Leganés. Born in France, he represented Morocco at youth international level. After one substitute appeara ...

, moroccan footballer