Ordinances of Saint-Cloud

Saint-Cloud

Saint-Cloud is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 9.6 kilometres (6 mi) from the center of Paris.

History

The town is named after Clodoald, grandson of Clovis, who is supposed to have sought refuge in the hamlet of Novigentum. Canonized after his death, the village where his tomb was located took the name of Sanctus Clodoaldus.

A park contains the ruins of the Château de Saint-Cloud, built in 1572 and destroyed by fire in 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War. The château was the residence of several French rulers, and served as the main country residence of the cadet Orléans line prior to the French Revolution. The palace was also the site of the coup d'état led by Napoleon Bonaparte that overthrew the French Directory in 1799.

The town is also famous for the so-called Saint-Cloud porcelain produced there from 1693 to 1766.

From 1966, the Headquarters of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) was located at 22 Rue Armengaud until 1989 when it moved to Lyon.

Main sights

The main landmarks are the park of the demolished Château de Saint-Cloud and the Pavillon de Breteuil. The Saint-Cloud Racecourse, a race track for Thoroughbred flat racing, was built by Edmond Blanc in 1901 and is host to a number of important races including the annual Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Transport

Saint-Cloud is served by two stations on the Transilien La Défense and Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail lines: Le Val d'Or and Saint-Cloud.

The town is also served by a number of stops on the T2 Tramway, which runs along the side of the Seine.

Central Saint-Cloud, known as Le Village, is also served by the metro station 'Boulogne-Pont de Saint-Cloud' (line 10), located across the Seine river on the Boulogne-Billancourt side of the Pont de Saint Cloud.