The town of Ably is located in the Yvelines department, in the north-central part of France. Life in an area surrounded by agricultural land and woodlands flows slowly and unhurriedly. The commune appeared even before the Roman conquest, in the 1st century AD, when the Arnaut tribes settled at the crossroads of two roads. Gradually Ably became the main city of the canton, and today the number of inhabitants reaches 3.5 thousand people.
City Past
The growth and development of the city was aided by its advantageous location at the crossroads of two strategic roads: Chartres-Paris and Beauvais-Orleans. Ablis grew up and rebuilt under the influence of a number of events:
- the battle between the king of Neustria and Austria in 574;
- the possession of the territory by Lord Rochefort in the Middle Ages;
- erection of a wall around the city (in 1562), some elements of which have been preserved on the Ekoles embankment;
- Ablis became the main city of the canton between 1795 and 1799, but subsequently lost its status in favor of the neighboring commune of Durdan.
Walk the streets of Ablis
The city grew up at the crossroads of trade routes and was considered an economic center during the golden age of the Roman Empire. This is evidenced by archaeological finds dating back to the period of the Antonine dynasty. In memory of a prosperous period in the life of the city, Antoninsa Street is named. The city remembers other events as well:
- Abbot Holz Street, named after the priest who in 1932 founded a private school in Maison Saint-Gilles and created a parish hall;
- Atanas Barbier street, named after the hero of the war of 1870, who later became the mayor of the city;
- the place of Charles Peguy is a monument dedicated to the writer who often visited Ably and described this town in his works.
Tourists will be curious to take a walk from the Jaet de Paume, along Platan Avenue and to the Petite Croissant. The embankment clearly demonstrates the boundaries of the old city. The 1652 wall has disappeared, but some of the pillars have survived. The ancient ruins provide an insight into the difficult times experienced.
