Milly-la-Forêt () is a commune in the Essonne department in the

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 ...

region in northern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Geology

The Forest of Fontainebleau, in the western end of which Milly-la-Forêt lies, is composed of the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

Fontainebleau sands, which are a marine deposit, laid down in an intertidal zone.

History

Milly-la-Forêt is the probable birthplace of Wulfram of Sens, Saint Wulfram; in about 640.

Origin of the place name

The first name of this domaine was called Maurillac in Gaul, Mauriliaco on a Merovingien coin, became Maureliacum, Melliacum in 667, Milliacum in Latin. The place name Milly is relatively current; it refers to an antic presence of a villa rustica owned during the Gallo-Romaine era by a certain Milius or Emilius. Hereby, the name was imported in 1080 by the knight Adam de Milly, originally from Milly-en-Beauvaisis and first lord of the place. But a charter dated from 651 mentioned already the name Melliacus. In the 13th century more accuracy was added to the place, Miliacum in Gastineto in 1267, which gave the name Milly-en-Gâtinais without being official. Upon a request from the municipal council and by a statutory order from 6 February 1948, the name was replaced by Milly-la-Forêt, considered at that time as the most touristic place and to differentiate it from its homonym Milly in Normandy.

Population

The village

Milly contains several facilities: such as the Collège Jean Rostand, the Conservatoire des Deux Vallées, a gymnasium and sports ground complex, a multimedia library, a swimming pool, a bus station, dealers in craft products and so on. There is a market every Thursday in the very impressive late medieval market hall, built in 1479. The yearly calendar includes attic-clearing sales; at the opening of the summer holiday period, the town celebrates ''la Saint-Pierre'', a fair is organised and there are several fairground rides and other attractions, as well as cultural stands for the sale of specialist food and craft products.

Economy

* Milly produces many culinary and medicinal herbs. The firm of Daregal is a world leader and began in 1887 under the leadership of the Darbonne family who still run the enterprise. * The Conservatoire National des Plantes à Parfum, Médicinales, Aromatiques et Industrielles is a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

situated in a former farm.

Culture

* Christian Dior and

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

have made their homes here. Cocteau died in 1963.
Towards the end of the 1950s Jean Cocteau decorated the chapelle Saint-Blaise, which dates from the twelfth century. His theme was those medicinal and culinary herbs on which the renown of Milly rests. He is now buried in the chapel. * ''Le Cyclop'', a monumental sculpture in the forest of Milly-la-Forêt, constructed by

Jean Tinguely Jean Tinguely (22 May 1925 – 30 August 1991) was a Swiss sculptor best known for his kinetic art sculptural machines (known officially as Métamatics) that extended the Dada tradition into the later part of the 20th century.Chilvers, Ian; Gl ...

in collaboration with Niki de Saint Phalle * the 15th century covered market

Twin towns

Milly-la-Forêt is twinned with the German town of Morsbach, situated in the valley of the Sieg to the east of

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

and with Forest Row in East Sussex,

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Famous people

Many popular characters are born, died or lived in Milly-la-Forêt: * Dagobert I (v.602–638 or 639), King of the Franks was crowned in Milly. * Wulfram of Sens (647–703), archbishop of Sens and Saint was born there. * Louis IX (1214–1270), King of France lived there * Hugues II de Bouville (1240–1304), chamberlain of Philip the Fair and lord of Bouville. * Hugues III de Bouville (1275–1331), his son, chamberlain of Philip the Fair who owned the castle. * Jean de Clisson (died 1346), owner of the castle of Milly through his mother, Blanche de Bouville. * Olivier V de Clisson (1336–1407), owner of the castle of Milly. * Charles VI (1368–1422), King of France lived there. * Louis XI (1423–1483), King of France lived there. * Henri IV (1553–1610), King of France lived there. * Jacques Nicolas Bellavène (1770–1826), General of division he did there. * Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821), Emperor of French lived there. *

(1889–1963), poet and graphist he lived and died there. * Christian Dior (1905–1957), dressmaker, he lived there. * Jean Marais (1913–1998), actor, he lived there. *

(1925–1991), artist, worked there. * Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio (1940– ), writer and awarded from the Nobel Prize in Literature, lived there.

References

*Dercourt, J. ''Géologie et Géodynamique de la France Outre-mer et Européenne'' 3rd edition (2002) *Anon ''Carte géologique de la France à l'échelle du millionème'' 6th edition (2003)

External links

All these links are in French (except for the second link which offers English, Spanish, German and French).
Milly-la-Forêt official websiteThe CyclopPictures of the townMilly 1900 (postcards & text)
*
Mayors of Essonne Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Millylaforet Communes of Essonne