Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 10.6 km (6.6 mi) from the centre of Paris. In 2012, Colombes was the 53rd largest city in France.

Name

The name Colombes comes from Latin columna (Old French colombe), meaning “column”. This is interpreted as referring either to a megalithic column used in ancient times by a druidic cult which stood in Colombes until its destruction during the French Revolution, or to the columns of an atrium in a ruined Gallo-Roman villa that also stood in Colombes.

History

On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes (literally “Colombes Woods”).

On 2 May 1910, 19% of the (reduced) territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of La Garenne-Colombes.

Thus, the commune of Colombes is now only two-thirds the size of its territory before 1896.

Economic

Colombes is an attractive and developing economic territory; this is reflected in the regular reception of the headquarters of large groups attracted by its proximity to La Défense and by the high-quality office property offer.

The particularity of Colombes lies in the reception of very diversified activities and the coexistence of two poles which assert themselves: one in the field of gastronomy with renowned players (pastry chefs, caterers, chocolate makers) and in the sector Energy.

Thus, alongside historic companies such as Snecma, whose ancestor Gnome (rotary engine intended for aviation) was founded in 1905, and Hispano-Suiza (SAFRAN group), many companies supporting the tertiarization process initiated in the 1980s chose to set up in Colombes; let us quote for example: Oracle, Shell, Areva, Engie, Arkema, etc.

Transport

Colombes is served by four stations on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line at Colombes, Le Stade, La Garenne-Colombes and Gare Les Vallées.

Education

The commune has 21 preschools and 19 elementary schools.

Secondary schools:

• Junior high schools: Robert Paparemborde, Marguerite Duras, Gay Lussac, Moulin Joly , Jean-Baptiste Clément, Lakanal
• Senior high schools: Lycée Guy de Maupassant, Lycee Polyvalent Claude Garamont, Lycee Polyvalent Anatole de France

Sport

The stadium was built in 1907. Officially named the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, the Olympic Stadium of Colombes was the site of the opening ceremony and several events of the 1924 Summer Olympics. The arena’s capacity was increased to 60,000 for the 1938 World Cup. The stadium lost its importance after the restoration in 1972 of Paris’ 49,000-seat Parc des Princes. In the 1990s, three of the four grandstands were torn down due to decay and the stadium’s capacity was down to 7,000; later renovations have brought the current capacity to 14,000.

Through November 2017, it had been home to the Racing 92 rugby club, currently playing in France’s Top 14, but Racing has since moved to the new U Arena in Nanterre. The RCF Paris football club, which plays in the fourth division, remains at Yves-du-Manoir. The stadium will be the field hockey venue at the 2024 Summer Olympics.