Coordinates: 48°59′27″N 1°43′02″E / 48.9908333333°N 1.71722222222°E / 48.9908333333; 1.71722222222
Mantes-la-Jolie (often informally called Mantes) is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris 48.4 km (30.1 mi). (30.1 miles) from the center. Mantes-la-Jolie is a sub-prefecture department.
[edit] History
Mantes was half way between the centres of power of the dukes of Normandy at Rouen and the Kings of France at Paris. Along with most of northern France, it changed hands frequently in the Hundred Years' War. Philip Augustus died at Mantes, 14 July 1223.
Louis XIV instituted the manufacture of musical instruments in Mantes, and it was chosen as the centre of brass and woodwind instrument manufacture. In the 19th century, painters were attracted to the town, particularly Corot, whose paintings of the bridge and the cathedral are celebrated. Prokofiev spent the summer of 1920 there orchestrating the ballet Chout.
Originally officially called Mantes-sur-Seine (meaning "Mantes upon Seine"), Mantes merged with the commune of Gassicourt in 1930 and the commune born of the merger was called Mantes-Gassicourt.
Mantes was the location of the first allied bridgehead across the Seine on 9 August 1944, by General Patton's 3rd Army. Major rebuilding was needed after the war.
On 7 May 1953, the commune of Mantes-Gassicourt was officially renamed Mantes-la-Jolie (meaning "Mantes the pretty"), allegedly in reference to a letter of King Henry IV addressed to his mistress Gabrielle d'Estrées who resided in Mantes: "I am on my way to Mantes, my pretty".
[edit] Population
Inhabitants are called Mantais.
Le Val-Fourré, the biggest housing project in the world is the most recent quarter of Mantes-la-Jolie, where 28,000 of the city's total 45,000 inhabitants live.
[edit] Sights
The chief building in Mantes is the church of Notre-Dame, which dates from the end of the 12th century. A previous church was burnt down by William the Conqueror together with the rest of the town, at the capture of which he lost his life in 1087. Modern bridges link Mantes with the town of Limay on the other side of the river.
[edit] Economy
Mantes today has light industry, focussed on cement and chemicals, but is inevitably drawn into the economic orbit of nearby Paris.
It is historically and at present a center of musical instrument manufacture. The famous Selmer woodwind factory is located in the adjacent and smaller community of Mantes-la-Ville.
[edit] Transport
Mantes-la-Jolie is served by two stations on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare and Transilien Paris – Montparnasse suburban rail lines: Mantes – Station and Mantes-la-Jolie.
[edit] Culture
It is the birthplace of Beur singer Faudel, who has a song entitled "Mantes-La-Jolie" in his album "Samra" (2001) [1].
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
 Communes in the metropolitan area of Paris | | | Population over 2 million | | | | Population over 75,000 | | | | Population over 50,000 | | | | Population over 25,000 | | | | Population under 25,000 | 1,459 other communes | |
