Maisons-Laffitte

Maisons-Laffitte

Chateau-de-maison-lafitte.jpg
Château de Maisons-Laffitte
Location (in red) within Paris inner and outer suburbs
Administration
Country France
Region Île-de-France
Department Yvelines
Arrondissement Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Canton Maisons-Laffitte
Mayor Jacques Myard
(2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation 22–57 m (72–187 ft)
(avg. 38 m/125 ft)
Land area1 6.75 km2 (2.61 sq mi)
Population2 23,014  (2006)
 - Density 3,409 /km2 (8,830 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 78358/ 78600
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Maisons-Laffitte is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris 18.2 km (11.3 mi) from the center.

Maisons-Laffitte is famous for the Château de Maisons-Laffitte, built by architect François Mansart in the 17th century. Maisons-Laffitte is also known for its horse racing track, the Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse, which is why the town is known as the "cité du cheval" and is compared with Newmarket in the UK.

Contents

History

Originally called Maisons-sur-Seine (meaning "Maisons upon Seine"), the commune was officially renamed Maisons-Laffitte in 1882 in honor of banker Jacques Laffitte who financed the housing developments on the estate of the Château de Maisons-Laffitte.

The Château de Maisons-Laffitte has a secret passage to what once used to be part of the Château de Maisons-Laffitte but which is now a school - Collège de l'Ermitage.

Transport

Maisons-Laffitte is served by Maisons-Laffitte station on Paris RER line A and on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line.

Notable residents

See also

References

External links