Fontenay sous Bois

Name

The name Fontenay was recorded in the Middle Ages as Fontanetum, meaning "the springs", from Medieval Latin fontana ("natural spring").

The commune was known alternatively as Fontenay-les-Bois (meaning "Fontenay by the woods"), Fontenay-sur-le-Bois (meaning "Fontenay over the wood"), or Fontenay-sous-Bois (meaning "Fontenay under wood"), but eventually in the early 19th century the latter name of Fontenay-sous-Bois became the only name. The wood referred to in the name of the commune is the Bois de Vincennes.

History

In 1929, the commune of Fontenay-sous-Bois lost more than a third of its territory when the city of Paris annexed the Bois de Vincennes, a large part of which belonged to Fontenay-sous-Bois.

Fountain

The Rosettes fountain was lost during World War II. Years later, it was found by chance in a market in the South of France; the town of Fontenay-sous-Bois recovered it, and re-installed it in the place where it can be seen today.

Transport

Fontenay-sous-Bois is served by Fontenay-sous-Bois station on Paris RER line A.

It is also served by Val de Fontenay station, which is an interchange station on Paris RER line A and RER line E.

Education

The commune has eleven preschools, eleven elementary schools, one junior high school, two CES junior high schools, one senior high school/sixth-form college, and one LEP. Collège Victor Duruy and Lycée Pablo Picasso are the main secondary schools.

Personalities

Interesting facts

In 2015 a street in Brovary, Ukraine was named after its sister city Fontenay-sous-Bois.