Creil

▪ France

      town, Oise département, Picardy région, northern France, on the Oise River, north of Paris. Its Gothic church of Saint-Médard has a 13th-century interior and a 16th-century tower. A great château (now demolished) was built at Creil by King Charles V in the 14th century, and Charles VI lived there for a number of years. The Maison Galle-Juillet, a museum in the château court, contains 19th-century provincial furniture, pottery, and paintings. An active industrial centre linked to both Paris and the northwest of France by road, rail, and inland waterway, Creil has metalworks as well as engineering, chemical, and transport industries. Recent development has favoured small and medium-sized firms and the growth of services. Pop. (1999) 30,675; (2005 est.) 31,200.

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