Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 6.7 km (4.2 mi) from the centre of Paris.
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Île-de-France |
| Department | Val-de-Marne |
| Canton | Vincennes and Fontenay-sous-Bois |
| Government | |
| Mayor (2020–2026) | Charlotte Libert-Albanel (UDI) |
| Area1 | 1.91 km2 (0.74 sq mi) |
| Population (2017-01-01) | 49,891 |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
History
The Marquis de Sade was imprisoned in Vincennes fortress in 1777, where he remained until February 1784 although he escaped for a little over a month in 1778. Thereafter Vincennes fortress was closed and de Sade transferred to the Bastille.
A test was conducted in 1849 on Claude-Étienne Minié’s invention the Minié ball which would prove successful and years later be adopted by the French army.
In 1929, the commune of Vincennes lost about half of its territory when the city of Paris annexed the Bois de Vincennes, a large part of which belonged to the commune of Vincennes.
Vincennes was also the site of some famous European colonial expositions in the 20th century in which fairs were held to showcase artifacts from former European colonies.
Education
The commune has eight public preschools, six public elementary schools, and three private schools contracted by the state.
- Public elementary schools: Est-Passeleu, Est-Libération, Roland-Vernaudon, Sud, Ouest, Jean-Monnet
- Private elementary schools: Externat Saint-Joseph, Notre-Dame de la Providence, Ohel-Barouch
There are three public junior high schools, Collège Hector-Berlioz, Collège Saint-Exupéry, and Collège Françoise-Giroud; as well as a contracted private junior high school, Notre-Dame de la Providence.
Public senior high schools/sixth-form colleges:
- Lycée général et technologique Hector-Berlioz
- Lycée professionnel Jean-Moulin
Private senior high schools/sixth-form colleges:
- Notre-Dame de la Providence
- Lycée Grégor-Mendel
- Lycée Claude-Nicolas Ledoux
Vincennes University
In 1970 the “University of Paris VIII” was established in Vincennes as France’s first major experiment in open admissions education, as a result of the academic reforms which followed the student risings of 1968. Intended to lessen the French university system’s traditional emphasis on formal and elitist schooling, the school (generally known simply as Vincennes) admitted students without the usual entrance requirement of the baccalaureat degree and introduced courses such as the History of Cinema, Sexology, and Third World Economics.
Transport
Vincennes is served by two stations on Paris Métro Line 1: Bérault and Château de Vincennes.
Vincennes is also served by Vincennes station on Paris RER line A.
The public transport network also includes 11 bus lines : 46, 56, 112, 114, 115, 118, 124, 210, 215, 318 and 325.
Sights
The city is famous for its castle, the Château de Vincennes, and its park, the Bois de Vincennes hosting the only larger zoo in Paris, Paris Zoological Park (though these two are now within the limits of the City of Paris). It also features a large military fort, now housing various army services. This fort and an adjoining plain known as the “Polygon” has historically been an important proving ground for French armaments.
The city is also home to the Service Historique de la Défense (SHD), which holds the archival records of the French Armed Forces.
Porcelain
In the old royal château, a porcelain manufactory was established in 1740, specializing in imitations of Meissen porcelain and naturalistic flowers, which were incorporated into bouquets under the direction of Parisian marchands-merciers. The Vincennes porcelain factory continued until 1756, when the production was transferred to new buildings at Sèvres, initiating the career of world-famous Sèvres porcelain.
Sports
The city’s Sports department manages all of the town’s sports facilities. Every day it ensures the reception of thousands of sportsmen and the weekends of numerous competitions. It draws up equipment use schedules with more than 45 partners.
The sports department organizes and takes part in major events (Foulées de Vincennes, Fête du sport, Grand prix cycliste, Podiums des sports…).
Interlocutor of the Departmental Directorate of Youth and Sports and the Departmental Inspectorate of National Education, the Sports Department contributes to the dynamism of sports players in Vincennes. Sport centers:
- Municipal sports park
- Louis-Georges-Serre sports platform
- Horse career
- Aquatic Center
- Georges-Pompidou Sports Center
- Hector-Berlioz Sports Center
- Parc-du-Château gymnasium
