Colombes

For the commune in Isère department in south-eastern France, see Colombe.
This article is about the French commune named Colombes. For a definition of the word "colombes", see the Wiktionary entry colombes.
Colombes

The town hall of Colombes

Coat of arms

Paris and inner ring départements
Coordinates: 48°55′25″N 2°15′08″E / 48.9236°N 2.2522°E / 48.9236; 2.2522Coordinates: 48°55′25″N 2°15′08″E / 48.9236°N 2.2522°E / 48.9236; 2.2522
Country France
Region Île-de-France
Department Hauts-de-Seine
Arrondissement Nanterre
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Philippe Sarre
Area1 7.81 km2 (3.02 sq mi)
Population (2006)2 83,220
 • Density 11,000/km2 (28,000/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 92025 / 92700
Elevation 23–44 m (75–144 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Colombes (French pronunciation: ​[kɔ.lɔ̃b]) is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 10.6 km (6.6 mi) from the centre of Paris.

Name

The name Colombes comes from Latin columna (Old French colombe), meaning "column". This is interpreted as referring either to a megalithic column used in ancient times by a druidic cult which stood in Colombes until its destruction during the French Revolution, or to the columns of an atrium in a ruined Gallo-Roman villa that also stood in Colombes.

History

On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes (literally "Colombes Woods").

On 2 May 1910, 19% of the (reduced) territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of La Garenne-Colombes.

Thus, the commune of Colombes is now only two-thirds the size of its territory before 1896.

Administration

The city is divided into three cantons:

Transport

Colombes is served by four stations on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line at Colombes, Le Stade, La Garenne-Colombes and Gare Les Vallées.

Personalities

Sport

The stadium was built in 1907. Officially named the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, the Olympic Stadium of Colombes was the site of the opening ceremony and several events of the 1924 Summer Olympics. The arena's capacity was increased to 60,000 for the 1938 World Cup. The stadium lost its importance after the restoration in 1972 of Paris' 49,000-seat Parc des Princes. In the 1990s, three of the four grandstands were torn down due to decay and the stadium's capacity was down to 7,000; later renovations have brought the current capacity to 14,000.

It is home to the Racing 92 rugby club, currently playing in France's Top 14, and to RCF Paris football club, which plays in the fourth division. Both clubs play in the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir. However, Racing 92 currently plans to leave Colombes in 2016, when it expects to move to a new stadium in Nanterre.

Twin towns

See also

References

  1. ↑ Rama Yade: The political star who's eclipsing Sarko, The Independent, 14 April 2009

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colombes.
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