Chantilly, Oise
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Chantilly is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.
It is in the metropolitan area of Paris 38.4 km. (23.9 miles) north-northeast from the centre of Paris.
Chantilly and six neighbouring communes form an urban area of 36,474 inhabitants (1999 census).
The Château de Chantilly was home of the princes of Condé, cousins of the kings of France. Chantilly is also known for its horse racing track, the Chantilly Racecourse, and the Living Museum of the Horse, with stables built by the Princes of Condé. In 1995 Chantilly twinned with the racing town of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England.
Chantilly gave its name to Chantilly cream, popularised by the "maître d'hôtel"of the princes of Condé, François Vatel.
Contents |
Thomas Muir Connection
The Scottish political reformer Thomas Muir had been banished to Botany Bay for 14 years for the crime of Sedition in 1793. He managed to escape having only spent 13 months there. An adventurous journey followed that eventullually brought Muir as a Citizen of France to Paris.
Muir became in time the principal intermediary between the Directory and the various republican refugees in Paris. He was aware that his movements were under scrutiny by Pitt’s agents. Accordingly, in his last known communication with the Directory in October 1798, he requested permission to leave Paris for somewhere less conspicuous, where his crucial negotiations with the Scots emissaries could be conducted in safety.
Thus it was that sometime in the middle of November 1798, Muir moved incognito to the little Île-de-France village of Chantilly to await the arrival of his Scots compatriots. There on 26 January 1799 he died, suddenly and alone, with only a small child for company. So close had his efforts for security been that not even the local official knew of his presence or identity. No identifying documents or papers were found on his person and his name was discovered only when the postman remembered delivering newspapers to him addressed to ‘Citoyen Thomas Muir’. When several days later the news of Muir’s passing finally reached Paris, a brief obituary notice was inserted in Le Moniteur to the effect that he had died from a recurrence of his old wounds.
"We have achieved a great duty in these critical times. After the destruction of so many years, we have been the first to revive the spirit of our country and give it a National Existence."
Thomas Muir 1798.
Economy
The local economy is mostly tourism.
Transport
Chantilly is served by Chantilly – Gouvieux station on Paris RER line D and on regional rail lines.
Places of interest
- The surrounding Chantilly Forest
- The Château de Chantilly
- The Chantilly Racecourse
- The Musée Condé
See also
