Situated in the southwestern part of
Paris,
Asnières-sur-Seine is a commune that is considered to be one of the most populated in the whole of Europe. This region is nearly 8 kilometers from the heart of
Paris.
Once in
Paris,
Asnières-sur-Seine is an easy getaway for tourists. Other communes like
Clichy,
Puteaux, Sannois and Montmagny are located nearby. The city has two cantons, namely, the
Asnières-sur-Seine Nord and the
Asnières-sur-Seine Sud. While the former has a population of more than 43, 000 people, the latter is inhabited by nearly 33, 000 people.
In history,
Asnières-sur-Seine was not always known the way it is now. It was referred to by the name ‘Asnières’. Believed to have been derived from ‘asinaria’, a Medieval Latin word that translates to ‘donkey farm’, the first recorded evidence of the city dates back to the early 12th century. This was because of the poor fertility of soil in the area, where the only feasible commercial practice was donkey farming.
In 1968, the area had its name changed from ‘Asnières’ to ‘
Asnières-sur-Seine’. This was a deliberate political step to avoid confusion, because at the time, there were other regions in France with the same name.
Asnières-sur-Seine has a prominent identity of its own due to multiple reasons. The old chateau in the city is where the daughter of the Prince of Conde, Anne Marie Victoire de Bourbon, breathed her last.
Asnières-sur-Seine is also known to have figured in many Post-Impressionist works of art, including a famous painting by the well known and revered Georges-Pierre Seurat.
Asnières-sur-Seine is the birthplace of writer Henri Barbusse, author of the literary work Under Fire. The city is also home to the famous pet cemetery Cimetiere des Chiens. Established in1899, the cemetery is home to the graves of celebrity animals like Rin Tin Tin and the lion who belonged to the famous stage actress Marguerite Durand.
