recognition. In 1587, it made build a vault with Villebon under the invocation of Saints Cosmas and Damian. In 1793, the Court of Appeal of Paris decided to separate Yvette from the two communities of Villebon and Palaiseau. The introduction of a rail-link to Paris at the beginning of the 20th century allowed Villebon, like its neighbors, to develop its industry and reputation as a tourist destination for Parisians. On 23 June 1920, the real estate company the School of Île-de-France, represented by Mr. Hawkins, a former pupil of the University of Cambridge acquired the castle, its dependences and the surrounding 100 hectares of forest and meadows for one million francs. In 1922, in order to avoid confusion with the commune of Villebon in the département of Eure-et-Loir, the commune adopted the name of Villebon-on-Yvette, in reference to the nearby river. Population The inhabitants of Villebon-sur-Yvette are known as Villebonnais. Twin towns – sister cities Villebon-sur-Yvette is twinned with: Liederbach am Taunus, Germany Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain Saldus, Latvia Whitnash, England, United Kingdom References External links Official website Mayors of Essonne Association Communes of Essonne Whitnash