Histoire d’Issy

Issy-les-Moulineaux is nestling in a loop of the Seine in Ile-de-France.
This "village close to Paris" - as its inhabitants like to call it - testifies of a rich past while being strongly attached to the present..

Patrimony is associated to a real economic and technologic dynamism. It is enhanced by the service of various bus lines, subway, tramway and the RER.
Thanks to this will of expansion, the city has increased its employment and population over a few years : it has risen from 46 000 in the 1980's to 63000 in 2006

The most ancient trace of life goes back to the Roman times. According to one of the various hypothesis regarding ots name, the city would have been called Iscianum after Iscius, a rich proprietary.

During the Middle-Ages, the "Hameau d'Issy" was part of the domain if the Abbaye of Saint-Germain des Prés" this took part a few years before the settling of religious communities who favoured vineyards planting and created the "Coteaux d'Issy" still a famous wine today.

The XVIIth century brought magnificence : the nobles progressively replaced the monks. Various and majestic "maisons des champs" were built. It is now part of the city's patrimony. Marguerite de Valois, (Henri IV's wife) ot the Princes de Conti count among the famous people who inhabited Issy.The first Opera in French language, "La Pastorale d'Issy" was representated in the city.

Issy-les-Moulineaux's face mostly evolved in the second half of XIXth century.

Its number of inhabitants hugely increased with the industrialisation of Paris. It grew over the years until the beginning of the XXth century, when many factories settled along the Seine.

The former military field witnessed the Henri Farman's exploits, making the city the cradle of modern aviation. This field is now the Heliport of Paris/Issy-les-Moulineaux.

The city owes much of its interest and atmosphere to this rich history. Walking along the streets, you are likely to discover majestic spiritual places, such as the Saint-Sulpice Seminary, Saint-Etienne Church or the Armenian Churches.
It can also be the occasion to discover the bucolic charms of Issy and the Saint-Germain Islan, to stroll in front of the Tour aux Figures or visit the Halle Saint-Germain...

You can also also get inside the Henri Barbusse Park, former park of the domain of the princes de Conti, which has kept the huge and magnificent alleys of the time. Walking along, you may glimpse romantic statues lost in greenery...

These are not the only witnesses of Issy's sumptuous times, the city hall is the former holiday residence of a rich financier, The manufacture de Tabacs used to be a state factory. The French Museum of Playing Cards embodies the city's face, both respectful of the mansions of the past and contemporary: part of its building is made of glass and steel, associating elegantly the different ages...

The Issean city is also marked by the Thirties, which left a few buildings in Art Deco style around the town : The Colonnes building, the Maisons Saines of the Palais des Arts et des Congrès d'Issy date back to this time. it is the occasion to make a thematic tour inside the city, looking for testimonies of the past.

Your trip into time with the Tourist Office guides may also take you to the future and the buildings of American Street. According to the city's will to welcome business companies on its territory, it has rehabilited the whole Val de Seine area.

From now on, you can observe and admire the contemporary architecture of these buildings. It welcomes companies dealing with new technologies and media.

This district really embodies the city's endeavour to create jobs as well a dense economic ground.

Issy-les-Moulineaux intends to create harmony between cultural and technological dynamism.
A few structures were created to this end : Le Cube welcomes artists ans teaches public how to use new technologies. Cyber Cribs allow parents to see their children while they are playing with their friends... We cannot speak of multimedia in Issy without mentionning the Cyber Democracy concept : thanks to numeric equipment, the inhabitants can assist and participate to municipal council.
Local pride, the city welcomes regularly the international forum dedicated to this theme.

Issy-les-Moulineaux is also part of the community of agglomeration Arc de Seine, with Meudon,Vanves, Ville d'Avray and Chaville. The towns decided to associate themselves to mutualise resources and offer the inhabitants better living conditions.

Being part of this also a way to look forward to the future, to an ever richer patrimony...