Brief history of the domain
The State commits not to build on the grounds, to the maintenance of the buildings, and its grounds and gardens, also engaging to hire the staff previously dedicated to serving the family.
Today, the CNRS receives its guests and organises conferences and other events on the castle.
Since 1991, the park has been officially classified as a "Refuge for birds" by the League for the Protection of Birds. The fauna and flora are also protected.
Gif-sur-Yvette and its history
The human presence on the Moulon Plateau originates in Neolithic times. Agriculture was developed, notably during the Roman era. Between the 12th and the 18th century, an important Benedictine abbey was built in Gif. In the 19th century, Gif remained very agricultural (in particular, operating mills). In 1867, Gif was linked to the path of the Sceaux train (which would later become the south branch of the RER B line).
Following the First World War, Gif went through an important demographic change. In 1930 the town adopted the name of "Gif-sur-Yvette". Just after the Second World War, Gif-sur-Yvette acquired an international scientific reputation, which has steadily increased over the years. Numerous research organizations exist in this area, such as the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), the CEA (Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique), Supélec (École Supérieure d'Électricité), the LGEP (Laboratoire de Génie Électrique de Paris, associated with Supélec) and the Institute of Plant Biotechnology. Also, Gif is home to the Centre National d'Études.