Essonne: Paris-Saclay, Tech Research, and Southern Suburbs
Essonne, created in 1968 from the old Seine-et-Oise, lies south of Paris. Evry-Courcouronnes, the prefecture, is a new town built in the 1970s with a cathedral designed by Mario Botta (consecrated in 1995, it is the only cathedral built in France in the twentieth century). The department includes the Paris-Saclay technology cluster, which brings together Ecole Polytechnique, CentraleSupelec, and research laboratories in an effort to create a French equivalent of Silicon Valley.
Massy, connected to the TGV network, is a transport hub. Corbeil-Essonnes and Etampes are older towns. The southern portion of the department retains agricultural character, particularly the Beauce and Hurepoix areas. The population exceeds 1.32 million. Dourdan has a well-preserved thirteenth-century castle, and the Domaine de Courances has one of the finest water gardens in France.
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Essonne, created in 1968 from the old Seine-et-Oise, lies south of Paris. Evry-Courcouronnes, the prefecture, is a new town built in the 1970s with a cathedral designed by Mario Botta (consecrated in 1995, it is the only cathedral built in France in the twentieth century). The department includes the Paris-Saclay technology cluster, which brings together Ecole Polytechnique, CentraleSupelec, and research laboratories in an effort to create a French equivalent of Silicon Valley.
Massy, connected to the TGV network, is a transport hub. Corbeil-Essonnes and Etampes are older towns. The southern portion of the department retains agricultural character, particularly the Beauce and Hurepoix areas. The population exceeds 1.32 million. Dourdan has a well-preserved thirteenth-century castle, and the Domaine de Courances has one of the finest water gardens in France.
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