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Vincennes[vaNsen´] Pronunciation Key, town (1990 pop. 42,651), Val-de-Marne dept., N central France, an industrial and residential suburb E of Paris. Radio, electrical, and photographic equipment, machinery, and machine tools are produced. A royal residence since the 12th cent., Vincennes was a favorite of Louis IX, who liked to administer justice sitting under an oak tree in the forest. The huge castle dates in part from the 14th cent. Its interior fortress, the keep, in which many famous prisoners were held, has been converted into a museum. Among the many kings of France who lived at Vincennes were Charles V, Charles IX, and Francis I; Henry V of England and Cardinal Mazarin died in the castle. Vincennes also has a race course, a sports arena, and one of the most famous zoos in Europe.
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