French

Noun

colombes

1. Plural of colombe

Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 10.6 km. (6.6 miles) from the center of Paris.

Name

The name Colombes comes from Latin columna (Old French colombe), meaning "column". This is interpreted as referring either to a megalithic column used in ancient times for druidic cult which stood in Colombes until its destruction during the French Revolution, or to the columns of an atrium in a ruined Gallo-Roman villa that also stood in Colombes.

History

On March 13, 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes (literally "Colombes Woods").

On May 2, 1910, 19% of the (reduced) territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of La Garenne-Colombes.

Thus, the commune of Colombes is now only two-third the size of its territory before 1896.

Demographics

Immigration

Administration

The city is divided into three cantons:

• Colombes-Nord-Est (northeast): 24,425 (31.82% of the total population)
• Colombes-Nord-Ouest (northwest): 24,606 (32.06% of the total population)
• Colombes-Sud (south): 27,726 (36.12% of the total population)

Transport

Colombes is served by three stations on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line: Colombes, Le Stade, and La Garenne-Colombes.

Twin town

Sport

The stadium was built in 1907. Officially named the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, the Olympic Stadium of Colombes was the site of the opening ceremony and several events of the 1924 Summer Olympics. The arena's capacity was increased to 60,000 for the 1938 World Cup. The stadium lost its importance after the restoration in 1972 of Paris' 49,000-seat Parc des Princes. In the 1990s, three of the four grandstands were torn down due to decay and the stadium's capacity is now down to 7,000.

External links

• Official website
• Colombes in postal card (Colombes philatelic society)
• History of the Olympic Stadium
• Article: Chariots of Fire stadium reprieved