Why is Villiers-sur-Orge called Villiers-sur-Orge? The origin of the name remains somewhat mysterious. The town came into being in 1793. It adopted the name Villiers-sur-Orge at that time.
Villiers-sur-Orge is a French commune. It is twenty-two kilometers southwest of Paris. Villiers-sur-Orge is in the Essonne department. It is also in the Île-de-France region. The inhabitants of Villiers-sur-Orge are called Villiérains.
Villiers-sur-Orge is the smallest commune in Essonne. It covers only 1.78 square kilometers. In 2022, the population was 4576. That equals a density of 2,571 inhabitants per square kilometer.
The Orge River flows through Villiers-sur-Orge. This river separates Villiers-sur-Orge from Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois.
The history of Villiers-sur-Orge is complex. Until the Revolution of 1789, the village was under different monastic and seigniorial dependencies. Initially, Villiers was under the tutelage of the abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. This was through Épinay-sur-Orge. From 1061, the priory of Longpont acquired part of Villiers’ territory. This became Villiers-sous-Longpont. The remaining part saw the establishment of the seigneurs of “Villiers-en-Partie”. They depended on the parish of Épinay-sur-Orge. Eventually, the independent seigneurs of Villiers-Sur-Orge were attached to the parish of Longpont.
Villiers-sur-Orge played a role during the Revolution of 1789. The municipal archives were not conserved. The first register of deliberations only appears in 1806. The archives of Versailles and Montlhèry survived. These give a fairly precise idea of the role of Villiers-sur-Orge during the Revolution.
King Louis XVI convened the Estates-General. Men gathered in each town and village. They drafted their list of grievances. The parish of Longpont drew up its list for the town and its hamlets including Villiers. The inhabitants of Villiers wanted to be separate from Longpont. They requested the transformation of their hamlet into a commune.
The National Assembly reorganized the territorial distribution in December. France was divided into departments, districts and cantons. Villiers-sur-Orge became part of the Seine-et-Oise department later Essonne.
Points of interest in Villiers-sur-Orge include the town hall and Saint-Claude chapel. The Saint-Claude chapel replaced an older building in 1978. Mgr Guy Herbulot blessed the new chapel. The chapel is part of a parish that includes Longpont-sur-Orge and Villiers.
Several public figures have lived in Villiers-sur-Orge. Joseph Ignace Guillotin lived here. Jeanne Bécu comtesse du Barry also resided here. Jean-Baptiste Huet lived in Villiers-sur-Orge. Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reynière died here. Sophie Gay stayed in her country house called the Maison Rouge. Honoré de Balzac also stayed here. Henri Gauthier-Villars known as Willy was born here.
Villiers-sur-Orge is a unique town. It has a rich history and interesting geography. Its story is one of evolution. From its complex past to its present-day community Villiers-sur-Orge offers a glimpse into French history.