Quiz: do you know Écouen like the back of your hand?

Located in Île-de-France, more precisely in the Val d'Oise, ÉCOUEN is an emblematic city of Greater Roissy ! Rich in impressive heritage and natural treasures, this small town is full of secrets... Do you think you know all about Écouen? Take the test!

👀 Psst : it could be that our article on the 6 must-sees of Écouen help you out a bit!

Ready ? Great, let's go! 🔥

Question 1 

What revolutionary means of communication was set up by Claude Chappe in the XNUMXth century?

1. The phone
2. The optical telegraph
3. the fax
4. The tablet

Question 2

A famous colony has settled in ÉCOUEN in the XNUMXth century. Who was she?

1. The Painters' Colony
2. Sculptor's Colony
3. The colony of clowns
4. The Writers' Colony

Question 3 

For which of these architectural elements is the Saint-Acceul d'Écouen church known?

1. His altar
2. its vaults
3. Its stained glass windows
4. Its facade

Question 4

Under Napoleon I, the castle of Ecouen has become a special place. Which ?

1. The first house of education for young girls
2. The first museum in France
3. The first experimental laboratory 
4. The first archive room

Question 5

Which political figure made Ecouen castle le National Renaissance Museum ? 

1. Jack Lang
2. Georges Pompidou
3. André Malraux
4. Jacques Chirac

✅ Do you think you have everything good? We check! 

Question 1 

🥁 Correct answer… b) The optical telegraph

👀 The little story : In 1793, Claude Chappe passed by the Butte d'Écouen. It was then that for the first time in the world, an aerial telegraph experiment was carried out between Ménilmontant and Saint-Martin-du-Tertre! What we call today the Chappe telegraph is still faster than messengers on horseback...

Question 2

🥁 Good answer… a) The painters’ colony

(I.e. art history : In the 19th century, a colony of painters left Paris for Écouen for its ideal geographical location. It must be said that with its castle and its forests, the town has everything of a muse! In all, Écouen would have hosted more than a hundred artists. Just that !

Question 3

🥁 Correct answer… c) Its stained glass windows

👀 The story : Saint-Acceul d'Écouen is the only church in the Val d'Oise department to have kept its original stained glass windows, dating from 1544! Renaissance style, they adorn the windows of the choir and the aisle nicely. 

Question 4

🥁 Correct answer… a) The first house of education for young girls

💡 An imperial idea : Napoleon I was avant-garde in terms of education! In 1806, a decree establishes that the castle of Écouen becomes the first house of education for young girls. And they are not educated by just anyone: the superintendent is none other than Madame Campan, who already had a prestigious school for young noble girls to her credit. 

Question 5

🥁 Good answer… c) André Malraux

🤔 A major problem : In 1962, the Minister of Culture André Malraux came up against a problem: finding a place spacious enough to house the national collections of the Renaissance. Indeed, the David and Bathsheba tapestries are no less than 75 meters long... The Château d'Écouen then became obvious, since it was the only heritage site benefiting from the necessary conditions: large and available !