Gif-sur-Yvette (, literally Gif on Yvette) is a commune in south-western Ile de France, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Geography The town is crossed by and named after the river Yvette. The total area is and is green spaces and woods. Place names The town of Gif-sur-Yvette is composed of sections: in the valley: The Rougemonts, The Mérantaise, The Mairie, The Féverie, Coupières, Damiette, Courcelle, l'Abbaye, les Coudraies; on the Moulon Plateau: The Moulon (uninhabited, aside from a research and educational institute); on the Hurepoix Plateau: The Hacquinière, Belleville (created before the war) and Chevry (created in the 1970s, and equipped with infrastructure). Also, the commune's territory includes many forests such as the Hacquinière Wood and the d'Aigrefoin Wood. Commune's neighbors The neighboring communes of Gif-sur-Yvette are Villiers-le-Bâcle, Saint-Aubin, Saclay, Orsay, Bures-sur-Yvette, Gometz-le-Châtel, Gometz-la-Ville, and Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse. 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 later became the south branch of the RER B). After the First World War, the Gif commune experienced an important demographic change. The town took the name Gif-sur-Yvette in 1930. Just after the Second World War, Gif-sur-Yvette acquired an international scientific reputation, with the construction of the CNRS and of the CEA. The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission discovered radioactive contamination in a private home in 1974. The home had been built upon a site where needles containing radon gas were once manufactured, starting in 1915. The needles were used to sterilize infected tissue—an idea developed by Marie Curie. The town was extended in 1975, with the creation of the Chevry section, from areas ceded by the Gometz-la-Ville and Gometz-le-Châtel communes. Main sights The Saint-Rémi Church, a structure of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, was constructed in the 12th century and remained until the 15th century. It was registered as a historic monument in 1938. Some ruins remain of a Benedictine abbey which was built in the 12th century and became a national property in 1789. It was officially registered in 1963. Population Inhabitants of Gif-sur-Yvette are known as Giffois. Economy Gif-sur-Yvette is situated in the "Science Valley" of