Philippe-Jean Vallot, a history buff and member of the Historical and Archaeological Society of Rambouillet and Yveline (SHARY), digs into the past by contributing to the making of local history. The sub-prefecture of Yvelines, known for its forest, is one of the stops in the “Topo” series which invites you to rediscover the history behind the names of towns in Île-de-France.
In Rambouillet, a human presence is attested from prehistoric times, but the history of the city does not begin before the Middle Ages. The town is famous for its forest of almost 200 hectares, former hunting ground of the kings of France, and its castle. Moreover, the oldest living inhabitant of Rambouillet is a 550-year-old oak tree, labeled “remarkable tree”. Younger, but still the oldest association in the town, the Historical and Archaeological Society of Rambouillet and Yveline (SHARY) brings together since 1836 the Rambolitans passionate about the history of their commune. Philippe-Jean Vallota young retiree converted into a local historian, is one of the faithful members of this learned society.
“I first tried in the 1980s to understand the toponym which remained unexplained”
Philippe-Jean Vallotlocal historian, member of the Board of the Historical and Archaeological Society of Rambouillet and Yveline
Passionate about history, and above all, that of his commune, this child of Rambouillet immersed himself in the archives as soon as he was “dissatisfied“ of the history which was raised from it, particularly on its ancient and medieval origins. “I said to myself, I live in Rambouillet, but I didn’t even know what the name of my city meant”. Philippe-Jean Vallot then tried in the 1980s “to understand the toponym which remained unexplained” by a first article published in a local history journal which has since disappeared. It develops a particular interest in toponymy and goes in search of the original documents revealing the first mentions of the name of the city. “From there, it all went downhill.”.
“To read these archival documents, I started transcribing which is mainly a matter of practice”
Philippe-Jean Vallotlocal historian, member of the Board of the Historical and Archaeological Society of Rambouillet and Yveline
He fell in love with the history of Rambouillet in Middle Ages. “After retirement, it became my favorite hobby.“Before his retirement in 2014, Philippe-Jean Vallot faithfully visited for lunch”handmade sandwich” at the Departmental Archives of Yvelines.
“At the time, I was lucky enough to work right next to the archives“. He then assiduously travels the twenty-nine linear kilometers of public and private documents of the Departmental Archives located in Montigny-le-Bretonneux (78). “To read them, I started transcribing which is mainly a matter of practice.“, assures this self-taught, provided with guides and manuals. “I have a huge library and a ton of books.”
“It takes time and a lot of patience. I am known as the white wolf of the Departmental Archives!”
Philippe-Jean Vallotlocal historian, member of the Board of the Historical and Archaeological Society of Rambouillet and Yveline
For this local historian, studying and recounting the history of the region must first and foremost be akin to a method of scientific research. “It must be factual with a return to the sources through original documentshe insists, cross-checking of these, in a cautious but progressive method“. Nevertheless, he adds an indispensable “physical link” through encounters and exchanges with botanists, archaeologists or farmers in his territory who brought him “more than book knowledge“ of his region.
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Throughout his research, Philippe-Jean Vallot observes that the historian is constantly “prisoner of its sources which often give incomplete answers“. The origin of the name Rambouillet is the perfect illustration of this. “We still don’t have the full explanation of what the name means.“. The name of the city takes its origin from the Latin Rumbelittoattested in 768. With its suffix -itto, of Latin origin, Rambouillet would then mean “little Rambeuil”a small natural clearing and or cleareda meaning confirmed by the toponymists and celticists » according to the researcher in anthroponymy and toponymy Pierre-Henri Billy, in his Dictionary of place names in France.
“Even the best celticians with whom I have exchanged do not have the explanation for the moment”
Philippe-Jean Vallotlocal historian, member of the Board of the Historical and Archaeological Society of Rambouillet and Yveline
Philippe-Jean Vallot notes that according to medieval acts, “Rambeuil“ would then be a place name located near Rambouillet and would be the origin. On the other hand, the root heading- remains an enigma. “Even the best celticians with whom I have exchanged do not have the explanation for the moment“. Philippe-Jean Vallot sought to find the location of this place “Rambeuil”having disappeared from maps, even the oldest ones.
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The mention of the place is nevertheless found in documents until the XVIth century which attest to an isolated location of Rambouillet. “To put it very simply, it would be located not far from the current English garden” in the domain of the castle of Rambouillet, he indicates. Philippe-Jean Vallot also took part in Archaeological excavations and contributed to INRAP operations reports – the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research – as a consultant. “It was very interesting for me to be able to work with archaeologists, to see how they act in the field“.
According to Didier Guyvarc’h and Alain Lacroix in their Local history guidethis area of research is still regularly the subject of debateby criticisms of it such as the lack of hindsight, not very exhaustive bibliographies or a equivocal historical methodology. While university historians, known as professionals, are trained in the practice of historical science, which is not the case for local historians, sometimes qualified”of amateurs“.
video duration: 00h01mn13s
With “Topo”, Mathilde Morin revisits the toponymy and history of several towns in our region. In this episode, Rambouillet, in the Yvelines, is to be discovered with a tone that is as playful as it is educational.
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©France 3 Paris Ile-de-France
Besides Rambouillet, Melun, Malakoff, Bagnolet, Issy les Moulineaux, teal or Versailles are other cities with a unique history to discover with Mathilde Morin in “Topo“, a series as playful as it is educational, to see now on france.tv/idf.
