Travel Guide Chelles

It was Gregory of Tours, in 580, who first mentioned the town under the name of Cala, which became Chiele in the 14th century, then Chelles from the 16th century onwards. With the discovery in 1874 by Le Roy and Coquet of an elephant bone and carved flint tools, it was established that the town's history dates back to the pre-glacial Paleolithic, around 300,000 years ago. The famous "chelléens coups de poing", similar to those of Saint-Acheul - Acheulean - are at the origin of the Lower Paleolithic period known as "chelléenne". Excavations have also uncovered evidence of the more recent Mousterian - Middle Paleolithic - period. In the 6th century, Clovis established the city as a Merovingian capital by building a simple hunting lodge, which was soon transformed into a royal palace. Clotilde, his wife, founded the first oratory here, which was the foundation of the abbey built by Saint Bathilde, wife of Clovis II, attracting the sisters of Jouarre, including Saint Bertille, who became the first titular abbess. During the French Revolution, the abbey was pillaged - in 1790 - sold as national property in 1796, and finally demolished. Only the remains of the abbey dwelling, miraculously saved from the revolutionary fury, are now visible, and form the foundation of today's town hall. Clotilde also commissioned the construction of Saint-Georges church, which later became a center for contemporary art.