Éragny or Éragny-sur-Oise (Postal code 95610) is a town and commune with 15,000 inhabitants (see "population" below) on the Oise river about 30 km (20 miles) NW of Paris, France.

It is a member of the communauté d'agglomeration of Cergy-Pontoise, just like these other towns:

• Cergy
• Courdimanche
• Jouy-le-Moutier
• Menucourt
• Neuville-sur-Oise
• Osny
• Pontoise
• Puiseux-Pontoise
• Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône
• Vauréal

Population

15,568 (1999), named the Éragniens and the Éragniennes

History

• 1968: 3,638
• 1975: 3,638
• 1982: 15,034
• 1990: 16,939

Data INSEE

It noted a very light inflecting of the growth the 10 last years, proof that one reached the nominal size, after the very strong growth of 1975/1982. On the contrary, Cergy-Pontoise, over the same period a growth of 16.16 % posted (1,049,598 into 90, 1,105,464 into 99), showing that the area is still in fast progression. The current density (of 1999) is of 3,588 inhabitants by km². It very in a decade of that of Paris (of less than 10,000 hab/km² in the 1^st with more than 40,000 hab/km² in the 11^th, given in 1999), and with the top of the average density of Île-de-France (900 hab/km²), which is normal for an urban zone.

Buildings

History

• 1968: 1,056
• 1975: 1,289
• 1982: 5,138
• 1990: 5,664
• 1999: 5,682

The distribution and approximately of 50/50 for the area, the proportion collectif/individuel is also 50/50, which shows a balance in the distribution. The evolution of the quantity of residences followed and absorbed the peak of growth of the population between 1975 and 1982, for quasi stagnating today (18 in 9 years). This weak current rate of construction of residences shows that the demand report is more correct, especially within sight of the average density, still low for an urban area (12 residences/building per hectare).

Geography

• Area: 1.82 mile² (4.7 km²)
• Altitude: 52 m

History

Sited on the Oise river, Éragny sur Oise remained a very little village until the 20th century. The original inhabitants probably have settled around the fountain during the Roman period and named the place Heriniacus or Areniacus. Later, this site's name has been Eraisgny, Eraigny, Erargny, and finally Éragny by the 10th century.

It's in 1564 that Jean d'Alessa came from Italy with Saint François of Paule to buy the seigniory of Éragny. Their family blazon, "d'azur au sautoir d'or cantonné de quatre limaçons d'argent", became the base for the town's one today. His heirs have spread his initial possessions and have kept them until the French Revolution when they were confiscated as "emigrated possession".

During the 19th century, a famous writer settled in 1804: Bernardin de Saint-Pierre , famous author of Paul and Virginie, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. After his death in 1814, the village remained relatively unknown. At that time, the town had less that 500 inhabitants, mainly farmers.

In 1884, famous painter Camille Pissarro came in. He remained until his death in 1903. He painted very beautiful impressionist and pointillist paintings "Le Pré à Eragny" (1894) and "Soleil de Printemps dans le pré à Eragny" (1887), now in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris. This time is called the "Eragny period" in his life.

With the arrival of the railroad started the exploitation of careers used until then to the local needs.

The beautiful 14th church was destroyed by the crash of a Canadian plane in 1944 during World War II.

The rise of the ville nouvelle of Cergy-Pontoise, at the end of the 1960s, made the village's major evolution. Many streets were born on what is called "le plateau" and Éragny took today's aspect with about 16,000 inhabitants loving their good living town.

External link

• Éragny/Oise (in French)