Gif-sur-Yvette (, "Gif-on-

Yvette Yvette (, ) is a feminine given name, the French feminine form of Yves (given name), Yves, which means Taxus, yew or archery, archer in some cases. Variations * Catalan language, Catalan: Ivet * Czech language, Czech: Yveta * Dutch language, ...

") is a commune in southwestern

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

, France. It is located in the

Vallée de Chevreuse Vallée de Chevreuse (, ''Chevreuse Valley'') is the valley of the Yvette River in the Yvelines and Essonne departments. It encompasses the communes around Chevreuse (Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, Choisel, Dampierre-en-Yvelines, Dampierre, etc.) w ...

, from the centre of Paris (at Notre-Dame), in the

Essonne Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659, across 194 communes.department on the departmental border with

Yvelines Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.Yvette Yvette (, ) is a feminine given name, the French feminine form of Yves (given name), Yves, which means Taxus, yew or archery, archer in some cases. Variations * Catalan language, Catalan: Ivet * Czech language, Czech: Yveta * Dutch language, ...

. The total area is and is green spaces and woods.

Place names

The commune of Gif-sur-Yvette is composed of three main parts: * In the valley: Rougemonts, Mérantaise, Mairie, Féverie, Coupières, Damiette, Courcelle, L'Abbaye, Les Coudraies; * On the Moulon Plateau: Moulon (uninhabited, aside from a research and educational institute); * On the Hurepoix Plateau: Hacquinière, Belleville and Chevry. The commune includes a number of woods such as the Hacquinière wood and the D'Aigrefoin wood.

Neighbouring communes

The neighbouring communes are Villiers-le-Bâcle, Saint-Aubin,

Saclay Saclay () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is best known for the large scientific facility CEA Saclay, mostly dealing with nuclear and particle physics. Population Inhabit ...

Orsay Orsay () is a Communes of France, commune in the Essonne Departments of France, department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France, from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. A fortifie ...

Bures-sur-Yvette Bures-sur-Yvette (, "Bures-on- Yvette") is a commune in the Essonne department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is a southern Parisian outer suburb in the Vallée de Chevreuse, with a population of 9,254 as of 2021. Geograp ...

Gometz-le-Châtel Gometz-le-Châtel () is a commune in the Essonne department of France. It is a southern suburb of Paris, 25 km from the center of Paris. Geography This village is near Les Ulis, Bures-sur-Yvette, Gif-sur-Yvette and Gometz-la-Ville, alon ...

Gometz-la-Ville Gometz-la-Ville () is a French communes in the Essonne department in the southern suburbs of Paris (25 km) from the center of Paris. Inhabitants of Gometz-la-Ville are named ''Gometziens''. Geography The village is near Les Ulis, Limours, ...

and

Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (, ) is a commune in the Yvelines department, in the Île-de-France region of north-central France. Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse station is the southwestern endpoint of the RER B line from Paris.Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

times. Agriculture was developed, notably during the

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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

era. Between the 12th and the 18th century, an important Benedictine abbey was housed in Gif. In the 19th century, amid the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

, Gif remained largely agricultural, with operating mills in particular. In the 1770s, the Château de Button by architect Pierre Desmaisons was completed in Gif. In 1946, the

French National Centre for Scientific Research The French National Centre for Scientific Research (, , CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,637 staff, including 11,137 tenured researchers, 13,415 engi ...

(CNRS) installed an office and research facility on the property. In 1867, the town was linked to Paris by train with the

Ligne de Sceaux The Ligne de Sceaux (, ''Sceaux Line)'' was a railway line in France running from Paris, which initially linked the Place Denfert-Rochereau (then called the ''Place d'Enfer'', in Paris, to the town of Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, Sceaux. The line ori ...

in the valley, which would later become the southern branch of the current-day

RER B RER B is one of the five lines in the Réseau Express Régional (English: Regional Express Network), a hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system serving Paris, France and its Île-de-France suburbs. The RER B line crosses the region from no ...

line.

Following the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the Gif commune experienced an important demographic change, with an increasing population. The town took the name of Gif-sur-Yvette in 1930. Just after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Gif-sur-Yvette acquired an international scientific reputation, with the CNRS and

Atomic Energy Commission Many countries have or have had an Atomic Energy Commission. These include: * National Atomic Energy Commission, Argentina (1950–present) * Australian Atomic Energy Commission (1952–1987) * Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (1973–present) * ...

(CEA) moving there. The CEA discovered

radioactive contamination Radioactive contamination, also called radiological pollution, is the deposition of, or presence of Radioactive decay, radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where their presence is uni ...

in a private home in Gif-sur-Yvette in 1974; the home had been built upon a site where needles containing

radon Radon is a chemical element; it has symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive noble gas and is colorless and odorless. Of the three naturally occurring radon isotopes, only Rn has a sufficiently long half-life (3.825 days) for it to b ...

gas were once manufactured, starting in 1915. The needles were used to sterilise infected tissue—an idea developed by

Marie Curie Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was List of female ...

. The town was extended in 1975, with the creation of the Chevry neighbourhood, from areas ceded by the

and

communes.

Main sights

The Église Saint-Rémi (Saint Rémi church), a structure of Romanesque and

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

, was built in the 12th century. It was registered as a

historic monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

in 1938. Some ruins remain of a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

which was built in the 12th century and became a national property in 1789 amid the French Revolution. It was officially registered in 1963.

Demographics

Inhabitants of Gif-sur-Yvette are known as ''Giffois'' (masculine) and ''Giffoises'' (feminine) in French.

Economy

Gif-sur-Yvette is situated in the "Science Valley" of the

Yvette River The Yvette () is a small river in southern Île-de-France (France), left tributary of the Orge, which is a tributary of the Seine. It is long. Its source is in Les Essarts-le-Roi, north of Rambouillet, in the Yvelines department. Various communes ...

. Numerous research organisations exist in the area, such as the

(, CNRS), the

French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, or CEA ( French: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives), is a French public government-funded research organisation in the areas of energy, defense and sec ...

(''Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives'', CEA),

Supélec École supérieure d'électricité (, ), commonly known as Supélec (), was a French graduate school of engineering. It was one of the most prestigious grande écoles in France in the field of electrical engineering, energy and information scien ...

(''École supérieure d'électricité''), the LGEP (''Laboratoire de génie électrique de Paris'', associated with Supélec),

SOLEIL SOLEIL ("Sun" in French) is a synchrotron facility near Paris, France. It performed its first acceleration of electrons on May 14, 2006. The name ''SOLEIL'' is a backronym for ''Source Optimisée de Lumière d’Énergie Intermédiaire du LURE'' ...

Synchrotron (Source Optimisée de Lumière d'Energie Intermediaire du LURE) and the Institute of Plant Biotechnology. Further, Gif-sur-Yvette is home to the former ''Centre national d'étude et de formation'' of the National Police.Loisy, Florian
"Le centre de formation de la police de Gif, si grand, si vide et si joli"
''

Le Parisien ''Le Parisien'' (; ) is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of ...

'' , 2 March 2016. The General Confederation of Labour (CGT) operates, since 1950, a "permanent central college" in Gif-sur-Yvette, the

Benoît Frachon Benoît Frachon (; 13 May 1893 – 1 August 1975), a French metalworker and trade union leader, was one of the leaders of the French Communist Party (''Parti communiste français'', PCF) and of the French Resistance during World War II (1939–45 ...

Centre, situated along the Yvette River.

Transport

Gif-sur-Yvette is served by two stations on Paris RER line B:

Gif-sur-Yvette Gif-sur-Yvette (, "Gif-on- Yvette") is a commune in southwestern Île-de-France, France. It is located in the Vallée de Chevreuse, from the centre of Paris (at Notre-Dame), in the Essonne department on the departmental border with Yvelin ...

and Courcelle-sur-Yvette. Like all the train stations on this line, one train goes towards/past Paris (

Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV Aéroport () is the place of Gustaf III Airport, in ''quartier'' Saint-Jean of Saint Barthélemy in the Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, ...

or Mitry-Claye) and the other goes towards the other end of the line :

Juliette Adam Juliette Adam (; Lambert; 4 October 1836 – 23 August 1936) was a French author and feminist. Life and career Juliette Adam was born in Verberie (Oise). She gave an account of her childhood, rendered unhappy by the dissensions of her pa ...

(1836–1936), founder of the Nouvelle Revue (1879) and operator of a famous literary club during the Third Republic. * The

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

and

Duchess of Windsor Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Spencer and then Simpson; June 19, 1896 – April 24, 1986) was an American socialite and the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (former King Edward VIII). Their intenti ...

's former country home, ''Le Moulin de la Tuilerie'', a sprawling dwelling created from an old mill and a number of barns, is located on the outskirts of town. The couple bought the buildings in 1952 from the artist Drian, and were weekend residents for some 20 years. It was the only home they owned together. It has been restored as three individual holiday homes which are available to rent through the

Landmark Trust The Landmark Trust is a British architectural conservation, building conservation charitable organization, charity, founded in 1965 by John Smith (Conservative politician), Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or ...

and Owners Direct in the UK. Among the Windsors' famous guests at the house were

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

and

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as costume designer and set designer for stage and screen. His accolades ...

and

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

. * The artist

Fernand Léger Joseph Fernand Henri Léger (; February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955) was a French painting, painter, sculpture, sculptor, and film director, filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism (known as "tubism") which he gradually ...

died on 17 August 1955 in the house where, in 1972, negotiations were held between

Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 56th United States secretary of state from 1973 to 1977 and the 7th National Security Advisor (United States), natio ...

and Le Duc Tho which led to the end of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. * The actor

Richard Bohringer Richard Bohringer () is a French actor, singer, writer, and film director. He is the father of actresses Romane Bohringer and . Early life Bohringer was born in Moulins, Allier, France, to a French mother, Huguette Foucault and a German fathe ...

lives in the town. His daughter, actress

Romane Bohringer Romane Bohringer (; born 14 August 1973) is a French actress, film director, screenwriter, and costume designer. She is the daughter of Richard Bohringer and sister of Lou Bohringer. Her parents named her after Roman Polanski. She won the C� ...

pursued her university studies here. * The actress and super-model

Noémie Lenoir Noémie Lenoir (born 19 September 1979) is a French model and actress. She is known for her work with Gucci, L'Oréal, Next (clothing), Next, Gap (clothing retailer), Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria's Secret, Balmain (fashion house)#Recent history, ...

is from Gif-sur-Yvette, in the l'Abbaye section. * Well-known British chemists who have been working at the

Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles The Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles ("Institute for the chemistry of natural substances"), or ICSN, is part of the Centre national de la recherche scientifique, France's most prominent public research organization. Located at Gif-s ...

at Gif include:

Derek Barton Sir Derek Harold Richard Barton (8 September 1918 – 16 March 1998) was an English organic chemist and Nobel Prize laureate for 1969. Education and early life Barton was born in Gravesend, Kent, to William Thomas and Maude Henrietta Barton ...

Hugh Felkin Hugh Felkin (1922–2001) was a research chemist in France from 1950 to 1990 and a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 1967, he proposed a model to predict the stereochemical outcome of the addition of nucleophiles to carbonylic compound ...

, Bob Crabtree and Steve Davies. * The famous astrophysicist

Hubert Reeves Hubert Reeves (July 13, 1932 – October 13, 2023) was a Canadian astrophysicist and popularizer of science. Early life and education Reeves was born in Montreal on July 13, 1932, and as a child lived in Léry. Reeves attended Collège Jean- ...

lived in La Hacquinière.

Twin towns

* Olpe, Germany, since 2001