Prochain point : lat="49.065742" lon="1.871554"
A panorama of the agricultural plateau of the French Vexin
A village nestling between hillock and plateau
The village of Frémainville takes its name from a combination of the Germanic word fradmar or frammier and the Latin word villa. It stands at the edge of the Galluis Wood, on the eastern slope of the Buttes d'Arthies, facing on to the agricultural plateau. The old built-up part of the village consisted of little farms and rural houses facing south-east, agglomerating around the Saint-Clair Church. Having undergone frequent remodelling, the church was completely rebuilt in 1902 by Count Vitali, who then owned the château which can be seen in background, to the right of the church.
The distillery
The distillery in Frémainville was built in 1929 to manufacture alcohol and stock beet pulp. Its water supply came from the Saint-Clair Pond. After harvesting in October, the beets were taken to the distillery to be washed, cut and cooked. The juice was extracted for distilling and to make the alcohol, which was then stored in vats. The waste and rejected beets were sent to Fond du Mesnil. At that time, 50 tonnes of beet would arrive at the distillery every day. In 1954, Pierre Mendès France implemented a series of decrees aimed at combating alcoholism, resulting in the gradual closure of the beet distilleries. After operations ceased and the factory closed in 1963, it was left derelict and gradually fell into ruin until it was restored in 2011. With its tall brick chimney, it can be seen from afar from anywhere on the plateau. It was used as a set for several well-known films, including Diaboliquement Vôtre (Diabolically Yours) (1967), directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Alain Delon, Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob (The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob) (1973), starring Louis de Funès, and more recently the 2004 Olivier Marchal film 36 Quai des Orfèvres, starring Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu.
