Palaiseau

Palaiseau is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France, 17 kilometres from the centre of Paris. It is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Palaiseau. It was a royal domain in the 6th century and again in the 18th century on the important road from Chartres to Paris, and its population grew from the 19th century after the railway connected it to Paris, when it became a holiday spot where writers such as George Sand, Alexandre Dumas and Charles Péguy built villas near the stations. Its Hôtel de Ville was commissioned as a private house in 1770. The town hosts several Grandes écoles, among them the École Polytechnique, the Institut d'optique Graduate School, ENSTA ParisTech and AgroParisTech, and research centres such as Onera. Its inhabitants are known as Palaisiens.