Travel Guide Dourdan

Former capital of Hurepoix, Dourdan was owned by the Crown from the 6th century and was a place of struggle between the first Capetians and the great feudals of the Paris region. Set in a natural basin, bordered by plateaus, Dourdan has developed over the centuries around its historic heart and its 13th century castle. Also located on the wheat road linking the vast cereal plateau of Beauce to Paris, the commune has long been a centre of exchange and trade as evidenced by the former Place du Marché-aux-Grains and its halls. Its location on the banks of the Barley River has also made Dourdan a pottery production centre from the Gallo-Roman period to the end of the Middle Ages. A rich collection of archaeological pottery is now kept in the castle museum. After a few years marked by various conflicts, Henri IV re-conquered the city in 1591. The city then began to rebuild itself. Woolen industries and mills brought it a new prosperity.The history of Dourdan was also marked by the life of the Hôtel-Dieu, run by the Sisters of Charity, and supported by Marie de Médicis and then Anne of Austria. We finally live in the city to stay with Émile Zola: his mother is from there. It was here that he wrote his novel The Earth in 1887. Today, Dourdan has a little over 10,700 inhabitants, and is connected to Paris by RER C.