Petit Couronne

Situated on the left bank of the Seine, 8 kilometres south of Rouen, Petit Couronne occupies the privileged position of being at the same time close to the city and a stones throw from the Normandy countryside.
The town belongs to the Seine Maritime Département and the Haute Normandie Region.
It is now part of 'La Metropole Rouen /Normandy'
A third of its 13 sq.km area is given over to forest and protected green areas and the 9200 inhabitants benefit from a wealth of sports and cultural structures in addition to an industrial and commercial base.
From the Neolithic until the late 19th century, Petit Couronne was a rural area whose fields provided hay for both Rouen and Paris and no less than 12 farms subsisted until the middle of the 20th century.
Until the 20th centrury the fishing industry was an important local activity. Using a draw net 200m long, several dozens of men fished up to 30 salmon a day along with trout, carp and cat fish, which wss mainly transported to the capital.
The industry suffered from growing polution in the area and severe dredging of the Seine, and by 1955 only two families were still involved in fishing while heavy industry took over, mainly with the installation of the Jupiter Refinery in 1928, which was taken over by Shell in 1948 the industry continued to grow and intensify with a large capacity for stocking petrol products.
The bankruptcy of the latest owner Petroplus in 2012 has recently put an end to the petrol industry with a huge blow to local employment with over 500 jobs lost.I
In spite of this recent set back, Petit Couronne continues to offer a rich environment for the inhabitants with services for both, the very young with its Maison de la petite enfance, 3 maternelle and primary school groups, a secondary school, a school of music, and an activity centre for the more elderly, plus a residencial centre for the over sixties and a care home for the more dependant.
Numerous clubs and activities are open to all, including theatre and a wide range of sports.
In the centre of the town an aquatic park and open air theatre provide a convivial area to relax, while the 17th century country house and gardens of Pierre Corneille, now a museum, and the town museum offer an oportunity to take a historic look at the town.

The current Mayor is Joel Bigot elected in 2020 for a period of 6 years.
For further information the town web site is
www.ville-petit-couronne.fr

and they have a facebook page too

"Les Amis du Jumelage" is the Twinning Association in Petit-Couronne and here is the link to their website: Les Amis du Jumelage

Petit Couronne is also twinned with Ahlem (Basse Saxe, Germany), and Vila Verde (Minho, Portugal).

 

Images of Petit Couronne