Boutigny-Prouais (French pronunciation: [butiɲi pʁuɛ]) is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.

Boutigny-Prouais
The church in Prouais
The church in Prouais
Coat of arms of Boutigny-Prouais
Location of Boutigny-Prouais
Map
Boutigny-Prouais is located in France
Boutigny-Prouais
Boutigny-Prouais
Boutigny-Prouais is located in Centre-Val de Loire
Boutigny-Prouais
Boutigny-Prouais
Coordinates: 48°44′44″N 1°35′14″E / 48.7456°N 1.5872°E / 48.7456; 1.5872
CountryFrance
RegionCentre-Val de Loire
DepartmentEure-et-Loir
ArrondissementDreux
CantonAnet
IntercommunalityPays houdanais
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Corine Le Roux[1]
Area
1
32.5 km2 (12.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
1,663
 • Density51/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
28056 /28410
Elevation109–173 m (358–568 ft)
(avg. 139 m or 456 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It consists of its two market towns, Boutigny-sur-Opton and Prouais, and its 14 hamlets, Allemant, Bauchêne, Beauterne, Bouchemont, Buchelet, Cloches, Dannemarie, La Musse, Le Bois-des-Près, Le Mesnil-sur-Opton, Les Joncs, Saint-Projet, Rosay and Saussay.

Geography edit

The commune is geographically situated on the crossroads between the ‘Ile de France’ region, Lower Normandie region and the Centre region, only 60 km westwards of Paris. It is located between the towns of Houdan and Dreux on the border between the departments of Eure-et-Loir and Yvelines.

History edit

The names Boutigny (Boteneium) and Prouais (Proeis) have been tracked back to the eleventh century in archives of the Eure-et-Loir department. However, tools that have been discovered on the banks of the Opton River and in the Musse hamlet dated back to prehistoric times confirm that the area has been occupied by men since ancient times.

The history of the two villages is linked to the vagaries of time with shared tragedies and destructions caused by invasions, epidemics, hunger, wars and climate conditions.

The wars did not spare the churches in Boutigny-sur-Opton and Prouais that were rebuilt or redesigned in the sixteenth century. Since those days, the tower of the church in Prouais has kept its charm as a military defence tower. The church in Boutigny-sur-Opton was devastated by a fire in 1947, but rebuilt to its glamour again in 1957.

From the nineteenth century, the boundaries of the commune have changed. In 1846, by order of King Louis Philippe, the commune of Saint-Project, with its hamlets Le Mesnil-sur-Opton and Dannemarie, was united with Boutigny. In 1972 the two communes Prouais and Boutigny were merged and became Boutigny-Proauis. Boutigny-Prouais joined in 1998 the communality of communes of the county of Houdan (Communauté de communes du pays houdanais).

Population edit

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1962766—    
1968785+2.5%
1975757−3.6%
19821,087+43.6%
19901,318+21.3%
19991,533+16.3%
20081,711+11.6%

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 9 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.

External links edit