Levallois-Perret
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Commune of Levallois-Perret | |
| Location | |
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| Paris and inner ring départements | |
| Coordinates | |
| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Région | Île-de-France |
| Département | Hauts-de-Seine |
| Arrondissement | Nanterre |
| Intercommunality | none as of 2005 |
| Statistics | |
| Land area¹ | 2.41 km² |
| Population² (July 1, 2004 estimate) (March 8, 1999 census) |
62,500 54,700 |
| - Density (2004) | 25,934/km² |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 92044/ 92300 |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| ² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel). | |
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Levallois-Perret is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 6.4 km. (4 miles) from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.
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[edit] Name
The name Levallois-Perret comes from two housing developments (Village Levallois and Champerret) started by landowner Jean-Jacques Perret in 1822 (Champerret) and developer Nicolas-Eugène Levallois in 1845 (Village Levallois), and which resulted in the incorporation of the commune (see history section below).
[edit] History
On the territory of what is now Levallois-Perret there existed before the French Revolution the village of Villiers and the hamlet of Courcelles (aka La Planchette), which left their names to two Paris Métro stations. At the time of the creation of French communes during the French Revolution, these were annexed by the commune of Clichy, while the commune of Neuilly-sur-Seine extended over what is now the southwestern part of Levallois-Perret.
Landowner Jean-Jacques Perret started some housing developments in 1822 in the northeast of the commune of Neuilly-sur-Seine, in a place soon called Champerret ("champ perret" meaning "field of Perret"), which gave its name to one station of the Paris Métro. Later in 1845 Nicolas-Eugène Levallois started some housing developments for landowner André Noël on his land near La Planchette (in the commune of Clichy). The land developed by Nicolas-Eugène Levallois soon became know as the Village Levallois.
In the 1860s the Village Levallois and Champerret had grown to the point of forming a single built-up area. Several demands were made to the authorities for the incorporation of the area as a commune.
On June 30, 1866 the commune of Levallois-Perret was eventually created by detaching that part of the territory of Clichy where the Village Levallois stood and merging it with that part of the territory of Neuilly-sur-Seine where stood Champerret.
Levallois-Perret became an important center of the early French automotive industry with the implantation of companies such as Clément-Bayard, Delage or the coachbuilder Chapron. Citroën purchased the Clément-Bayard factory and the famous Citroën 2CV was produced in Levallois for nearly forty years. Levallois-Perret was also an important centre of cosmetics industry in the early 20th century.
The Northern part of famous Ile de la Jatte in river Seine where French impressionist painters created many of their master pieces, is part of the commune of Levallois-Perret.
[edit] Twin cities
- Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (Belgium)
- the Schöneberg district, Berlin (Germany)
[edit] Nearest municipalities
[edit] Administration
Levallois-Perret is divided in two cantons:
- Levallois-Perret-Nord (North), includes a part of Levallois-Perret and Clichy (pop: 40,400)
- Levallois-Perret-Sud (South), a part of (pop: 36,532)
[edit] Transport
Levallois-Perret is served by three stations on Paris Metro line 3: Louise Michel, Anatole France, and Pont de Levallois – Bécon.
It is also served by Clichy – Levallois station on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line.
The municipality of Levallois-Perret operates two free bus lines circulating the town.
[edit] Miscellaneous
[edit] The City's Coat of Arms
The traditional coat of arms for the city puts emphasis on the importance of industry in the city's history. The centre of the arms consists of a shield with red background; a yellow gear in the bottom left and a yellow perfume diffuser in the top right represent the mechanical and perfume industries.
Three yellow bees, are depicted on a white bend sable from the top left to bottom right of the shield, these are another symbol of work in the city, beekeeping taking place at the île de la Jatte. The coat of arms also has a wreath at the bottom around the shield and three castles topping the shield; both in yellow. VILLE DE / LEVALLOIS - PERRET, is inscribed in black letters above the coat of arms.
A cartoon stylised bee is maintained in the modern logo of the city.
[edit] Births
Levallois-Perret was the birthplace of:
- Louis Trousselier (1881-1939), cyclist
- Danièle Delorme (born 1926), actress and film producer
- Pascal Lamy (born 1947), director-general of the World Trade Organization
- Her Royal Highness Clotilde, Princess of Venize and Piedmont (born as Clotilde Courau in 1969), actress
- Olivier Besancenot (born 1974), politician
[edit] See also
- (French) Optique & Précision de Levallois
[edit] External links
- (French) Levallois-Perret Official Website
