Grenoble
Encyclopedia
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France
, at the foot of the French Alps
where the river Drac
joins the Isère
. Located in the Rhône-Alpes
region
, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère
. The proximity of the mountains has led to the city being known as the "Capital of the Alps."
Grenoble's history goes back more than 2,000 years, and it has been the capital of the Dauphiné
since the 11th century. It experienced a period of economic expansion in the nineteenth and 20th centuries, symbolized by the holding of the X Olympic Winter Games
in 1968. The city is now a significant scientific center in Europe.
The population of the city (commune) of Grenoble at the 2008 census was 156,659. The population of the Grenoble urban unit at the 2008 census was 495,429. The population of the Grenoble metropolitan area
(French: aire urbaine
de Grenoble) at the 2008 census was 664,832. The residents of the city are called "Grenoblois".
Among the numerous communes that make up Grenoble are the city's largest suburbs, Saint-Martin-d'Hères
, Échirolles
, and Fontaine
, each with a population exceeding 20,000.
, to the south and west the Vercors
, and to the east the Belledonne range
. Grenoble is regarded as the capital of the French Alps.
Grenoble is exclusively built on the alluvial plain of the Isère River and the Drac River
at an altitude of 214 metres (702.1 ft). Mountain sports are an important tourist attraction in summer and winter. Twenty large and small ski stations surround the city, the nearest being Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse, which is about 15 minutes' drive away.
Historically, both Grenoble and the surrounding areas were sites of mining and heavy industry. Abandoned mills and factories can be found in small towns and villages, such as the coal mine at La Mure
.
The Gare de Grenoble
is served by the TGV
rail network, with frequent high-speed services to and from Paris-Gare de Lyon
, often with a stop at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport. There are also less frequent trains to and from other destinations in France, such as Lille Europe and Nantes
. Local rail services connect Grenoble with Lyon
, Geneva, and destinations to the east. Valence
to the west provides connections with TGV services along the Rhone valley. Rail and road connections to the south are less well-developed.
Highways link Grenoble to all major cities in the area including the A48 autoroute
to the northwest toward Lyon
, the A49
to the southwest toward the Rhone valley via Valence
, the A41
to the northeast toward Chambéry
, the Alps and Italy.
The city also has a partial ring road around the south of the city, the Rocade Sud, which connects the motorway from the northwest (A48) with that from the northeast (A41). A project to complete the ring road has been suggested, with a tunnel under the Bastille being the likely route, but this has not been accepted by French authorities.
was at that time a little Gallic
village founded by the Allobroges
tribe near a bridge across the Isere River. A strong wall
was built around the small town in 286 AD.
The Emperor
Gratian
visited Cularo and, touched by the people's welcome, made the village a Roman city. In honour of this, Cularo was renamed Gratianopolis (“city of Gratian”) in 381 (leading to Graignovol during the Middle Age and then Grenoble).
Christianity spread to the region during the 4th century, and the diocese of Grenoble was founded in 377. From that time, the bishops exercised a significant political power over the city and, until the French Revolution, styled themselves the "bishops and princes of Grenoble".
After the collapse of the Roman Empire
, the city was part of the first Burgundian kingdom
in the 5th century and the second Burgundian Kingdom of Arles
until 1032, when it was integrated into the Holy Roman Empire
.
.
In spite of their status, the counts' authority was shared with the Bishop of Grenoble. One of the most famous Bishop was Saint Hugh
. Under his rule, the city's bridge was rebuilt, and a hospital was constructed along with a leper hospital.
The inhabitants of Grenoble took advantage of the division between the counts and the bishops and obtained the recognition of a Charter of Customs that guaranteed their rights. That charter was confirmed by Kings Louis XI in 1447 and Francis I
in 1541.
In 1336, the last Dauphin Humbert II
founded a court of justice, the Conseil delphinal, which settled at Grenoble in 1340. He also established the University of Grenoble
in 1339. Aging and heirless, Humbert sold his state to France in 1349 on the condition that the heir to the French crown used the title of Dauphin. The first one, the future Charles V
, spent nine months in Grenoble. The city remained the capital of the Dauphiné, henceforth a province of France
, and the Estates of Dauphiné
were created.
The only Dauphin who really governed his province was Louis XI, whose "reign" lasted from 1447 to 1456. It was only under his rule that Dauphiné properly joined the Kingdom of France. The Old Conseil Delphinal became a Parlement
(the third one in France after the Parliaments of Paris and Toulouse), strengthening the status of Grenoble as a Provincial capital. He also ordered the construction of the Palais du Parlement (finished under Francis I) and ensured that the Bishop pledged allegiance, thus forging the political union of the city.
At that time, Grenoble was a crossroads between Vienne
, Geneva, Italy, and Savoy
. It was the industrial centre of the Dauphiné and the biggest city of the province.
Due to Grenoble's geographical situation, French troops were garrisoned in the city and its region during the Italian Wars
. Charles VIII
, Louis XII, and Francis I
went several times to Grenoble. However, the people had to suffer from the exactions of the soldiers.
The nobility of the region took part in various battles (Marignano
, Pavia
) and in doing so gained an immense prestige. The best-known of its members was Bayard
, "the knight without fear and beyond reproach".
Grenoble suffered as a result of the French Wars of Religion
. The Dauphiné was indeed an important settlement for Protestants and therefore experienced several conflicts. The baron des Adrets
, the leader of the Huguenots, pillaged the Cathedral of Grenoble and destroyed the tombs of the former Dauphins.
In August 1575, Lesdiguières
became the new leader of the Protestants and, thanks to the accession of Henry IV
to the throne of France, allied himself with the governor and the lieutenant general of the Dauphiné. But this alliance did not bring an end to the conflicts. Indeed, a Catholic movement, the Ligue, which took Grenoble in December 1590, refused to make peace. After months of assaults, Lesdiguières defeated the Ligue and took back Grenoble. He became the leader of the entire province.
Lesdiguières became the lieutenant-general of the Dauphiné and administered the Province from 1591 to 1626. He began the construction of the Bastille
in order to protect the city and ordered the construction of new walls, increasing the city's size. He also constructed the Hôtel Lesdiguières, built new fountains, and dug sewers.
The revocation of the Edict of Nantes
by Louis XIV caused the departure of 2,000 Protestants from Grenoble, weakening the city's economy. However, it also weakened the glove industry of Grasse
, leaving the glove factories of Grenoble without any competition. This allowed a stronger economic development for the city during the 18th century. For example, at the beginning of that century, only 12 glovers made 15,000 dozen gloves each year; however, by 1787, 64 glovers madde 160,000 dozen gloves each year.
The city gained some notoriety on 7 June 1788 when the townspeople assaulted troops of Louis XVI in the "Day of the Tiles
". The people attacked the royal troops to prevent an expulsion of the notables of the city, which would have seriously endangered the economic prosperity of Grenoble. Following these events, the Assembly of Vizille
took place. Its members organized the meeting of the old Estates General
, thus beginning the Revolution. During the French Revolution
, Grenoble was highly represented in Paris by two illustrious notables, Jean Joseph Mounier
and Antoine Barnave
.
In 1790, the Dauphiné was divided into three departments, and Grenoble became the chef-lieu of the Isere department
. The city was renamed Grelibre and took back its real name only under Napoleon. Only two abbeys were executed at Grenoble during the Reign of Terror
. Pope
Pius VI, prisoner of France, spent three days at Grenoble in 1799 before going to Valence
where he died.
The approval of the establishment of the Empire
was clear and overwhelming (in Isère, the results showed 82,084 yes and only 12 no).
Grenoble welcomed for the second time a prisoner Pope in 1809. Pius VII spent 10 days in the city en route to his exile in Fontainebleau
.
In 1813, Grenoble was under threat from the Austrian army, which invaded Switzerland
and Savoy
. The city, well-defended, contained the Austrian attacks, and the French army defeated the Austrians, forcing them to withdraw at Geneva
. However, the invasion of France
in 1814 resulted in the capitulation of the troops and the occupation of the city.
During his return
from the island of Elba
in 1815, Napoleon took a road
that led him near Grenoble at Laffrey
. There he met the royalist fifth Infantry Regiment of Louis XVIII. Napoleon stepped towards the soldiers and said these famous words: "If there is among you a soldier who wants to kill his Emperor, here I am." The soldiers all joined his cause. After that, Napoleon was acclaimed at Grenoble and General Jean Gabriel Marchand
could not prevent Napoleon from entering the city through the door of Bonne. He said later: “From Cannes
to Grenoble, I still was an adventurer; in that last city, I came back a sovereign”. But after the defeat of Waterloo
, the region suffered from a new invasion of Austrian and Sardinian troops.
In the 19th century, there was a significant industrial development of Grenoble. The glove factories reached their Golden Age at that time, and their products were exported to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia
.
The Bastille
fortress was transformed between 1824 and 1848 by general Haxo
and took on its present-day aspect. During the Second Empire
, the region saw the construction of its railway network, and the first trains arrived at Grenoble in 1858. It was shortly after this, in 1859, that Grenoble experienced widespread destruction caused by extensive flooding
.
In 1869, the engineer Aristide Bergès played a major role in industrializing hydroelectricity production. With the development of his paper mills, he accelerated the economic development of the Grésivaudan valley and Grenoble.
On 4 August 1897, a stone and bronze fountain was inaugurated in Grenoble to commemorate the pre-revolutionary events of June 1788. Built by the sculptor Henri Ding
, the Fountain of the Three Orders, which represents three characters, is located on the Place Notre-Dame. People in Grenoble interpret these characters as follows: Is it raining? enquires the third estate; Please heaven it had rained, lament the clergy; and It will rain, proclaims the nobility.
The economic development of the city was highlighted by the organization of the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism
in 1925, which was visited by 1,050,000 people. The organization of this exhibition forced the military to remove the old city walls and allowed an expansion of the city to the south. This exhibition also allowed the highlighting of the city's hydropower industry and the region's tourist attractions.
The site of the exhibition has become an urban park in 1926, called Parc Paul Mistral since the death of the mayor in 1932. Today, the only building remaining of this exhibition in the park, is the Tour Perret
, closed to the public since 1960.
During World War II, at the Battle of the Alps, the Nazi invasion was stopped near Grenoble at Voreppe
by the forces of General Cartier in June 1940. The French forces resisted until the armistice. Grenoble was then part of the French State
before submitting to Italian occupation from 1942 to 1943. Their mercy towards the Jewish populations resulted in a significant increase of their number in the region.
Grenoble was extremely active in the Résistance
against the occupation. Its action was symbolized by figures such as Eugène Chavant
, Léon Martin, and Marie Reynoard. The University of Grenoble supported the clandestine operations and provided false documentation for young people to prevent them from being assigned to STO
.
In September 1943, German troops occupied Grenoble, escalating the conflict with the clandestine movements. On 11 November 1943 (the anniversary of the armistice of 1918
) massive strikes and demonstrations took place in front of the local collaboration offices. In response, the occupiers arrested 400 demonstrators in the streets. On 13 November, the resistance blew up the artillery at the Polygon, which was a psychological shock for an enemy who then intensified the repression. On 25 November, the occupiers killed 11 members of the Résistance organizations of Grenoble. This violent crackdown was nicknamed “Grenoble’s Saint-Bartholomew
”.
This event only intensified the activities of Grenoble’s resistance movements. The Germans could not prevent the destruction of their new arsenal on 2 December at the Bonne Barracks. After the Normandy landing, resistance operations reached their peak, with numerous attacks considerably hampering the activity of German troops. With the landing in Provence
, German troops evacuated the city on 22 August 1944. On 5 November 1944, General Charles de Gaulle
came to Grenoble and bestowed on the city the Compagnon de la Libération
in order to recognise a heroic city at the peak of the French resistance and combat for the liberation.
In 1955, physics Nobel prize laureate Louis Néel created the Grenoble Center for Nuclear Studies (CENG), resulting in the birth of the Grenoble model, a combination of research and industry. The first stone was laid in December 1956.
In 1968, Grenoble welcomed the Xth Olympic Winter Games
. This event helped modernize the city with the development of infrastructure such as an airport, motorways, and a town hall. It also helped develop new ski resorts like Chamrousse
, Les Deux Alpes
, and Villard de Lans.
, an ancient series of fortifications, sits on the mountainside overlooking Grenoble and is visible from many points in the city. The Bastille is one of Grenoble's most visited tourist attractions and is a good vantage point for viewing the town below and the surrounding mountains.
Although the Bastille was begun in the Middle Ages
, later years saw extensive additions, including a semi-underground defense network. The Bastille has been credited as the most extensive example of early 18th century fortifications in all of France and held an important strategic point on the Alpine
frontier.
The first cable transport system, installed on the Bastille
in 1875, was built by the world-famous Porte de France Cement Company. This cable transport system connected the Mount Jalla, just over the bastille, and Grenoble. It was abandoned in the early twentieth century
Since 1934, the Bastille
has been the destination of the "Grenoble-Bastille Cable Car". This system of egg-shaped cable cars
known to locals as "Les Bulles" provides the occupants with an excellent view over the Isère River
. At the top are located two restaurants and a museum of mountain troops (Musée des troupes de montagne).
of Dauphiné until the French Revolution
. It then became a courthouse until 2002. The left wing of the palace was extended in 1897.
The building now belongs to the Isère Council (Conseil Général de l'Isère). An ongoing renovation project will give this building a new life whilst preserving its patrimonial character and adding a modern touch.
( Musée de Grenoble), welcomes visitors a year. The Museum of Grenoble
is above all renowned for its collection of paintings that covers all the artistic evolutions, but it also presents Egyptian antiquities as well as Greek and Roman artifacts. In April 2010, the prophetess of Antinoe, a sixth-century mummy discovered in 1907 in a necropolis
Coptic
of Antinoe in Middle Egypt, returns to the Museum of Grenoble, after more than fifty years of absence.
, brother of the egyptologist Jean-François Champollion
, the church is one of the first monuments classified in France thanks to the intervention of Prosper Mérimée
, historic monument inspector. Since 1978, a systematic excavation has led Loud in the setting of a regional research program on the evolution of the churches during the Middle Ages. After eight years of work, the museum opened 6 May 2011.
(CSI Europole) was formerly situated downtown in the Lycée International Stendhal
across from the Maison du Tourisme
.
, Pope Benedict XII commissioned the establishment of the University of Grenoble
.
In 1968, the university was relocated to a campus outside of the city in Saint Martin d'Hères
(with some parts in Gières
). However, there are annexes inside the city proper, on the slopes of the Bastille, and in the northwestern part of the city known as the Polygone Scientifique ("Scientific Polygon").
The university consists of five separate institutions sharing the campus grounds and even some buildings and laboratories:
Grenoble is now an important university center with more than 60,000 students, including 16% from abroad.
Grenoble is also a major scientific center, especially in the fields of physics
, computer science
, and applied mathematics
: Joseph Fourier University (UJF) is one of the leading French scientific universities while the Grenoble Institute of Technology trains more than 5,000 engineers every year in key technology disciplines. Grenoble's high tech expertise is organized mainly around three domains: information technology, biotechnologies and new technologies of energy.
Many fundamental and applied scientific research laboratories are conjointly managed by Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble Institute of Technology, and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Numerous other scientific laboratories are managed independently or in collaboration with the CNRS and the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control
(INRIA).
Other research centers in or near Grenoble include the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
(ESRF), the Institut Laue-Langevin
(ILL), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory
(EMBL), and one of the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique
(Nuclear Energy Commission)(CEA) main research facilities.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, at the foot of the French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
where the river Drac
Drac River
The Drac is a 130 km long river in southeastern France, left tributary of the Isère. It is formed by the confluence of the Drac Noir and the Drac Blanc, that both rise in the southern part of the Massif des Écrins. It flows through several reservoirs, including the Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet....
joins the Isère
Isère River
The Isère is a 286 km long river in southeastern France, in the Rhône-Alpes région. Its source is in the Alps on the border with Italy, near the ski resort Val d'Isère. It flows into the Rhône River in Pont-de-l'Isère, a few km north of Valence...
. Located in the Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère
Isère
Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
. The proximity of the mountains has led to the city being known as the "Capital of the Alps."
Grenoble's history goes back more than 2,000 years, and it has been the capital of the Dauphiné
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
since the 11th century. It experienced a period of economic expansion in the nineteenth and 20th centuries, symbolized by the holding of the X Olympic Winter Games
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
in 1968. The city is now a significant scientific center in Europe.
The population of the city (commune) of Grenoble at the 2008 census was 156,659. The population of the Grenoble urban unit at the 2008 census was 495,429. The population of the Grenoble metropolitan area
Grenoble metropolitan area
Grenoble metropolitan area as defined by INSEE is a residential area near the city of Grenoble.It has 664,832 inhabitants and an area that covers a modest strip of territory from the city of Gresse-en-Vercors to Le Touvet and Voiron, including cities like Lans-en-Vercors and Chamrousse.With 197...
(French: aire urbaine
Aire urbaine
The aire urbaine is a statistical region created by the INSEE that comprises a commuter belt surrounding a contiguous urban core...
de Grenoble) at the 2008 census was 664,832. The residents of the city are called "Grenoblois".
Among the numerous communes that make up Grenoble are the city's largest suburbs, Saint-Martin-d'Hères
Saint-Martin-d'Hères
Saint-Martin-d'Hères is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.It is the largest suburb of the city of Grenoble, and is adjacent to it on the east.-Education:...
, Échirolles
Échirolles
Échirolles is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.It is the second-largest suburb of the city of Grenoble, and is adjacent to it on the south. In the 1999 census, Échirolles had a population of 35,383. Its inhabitants are called the Échirollois...
, and Fontaine
Fontaine, Isère
Fontaine is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Grenoble, and is adjacent to it on the west. In the 1999 census, Fontaine had a population of 23,323. The commune has a land area of 6.74 km² .-External links:*...
, each with a population exceeding 20,000.
Geography
Grenoble is surrounded by mountains. To the north lies the ChartreuseChartreuse Mountains
The Chartreuse Mountains is a mountain range in eastern France, stretching to the north from the city of Grenoble to the Lac du Bourget. It is the southernmost range in the Jura Mountains and belongs to the French Prealps....
, to the south and west the Vercors
Vercors Plateau
The Vercors is a range of plateaux and mountains in the départements of Isère and Drôme in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps, from which it is separated by the rivers Drac and Isère...
, and to the east the Belledonne range
Belledonne
Belledonne is a mountain range in the Dauphiné Alps in southeast France. The southern end of the range forms the eastern wall of the mountains that surround the city of Grenoble....
. Grenoble is regarded as the capital of the French Alps.
Grenoble is exclusively built on the alluvial plain of the Isère River and the Drac River
Drac River
The Drac is a 130 km long river in southeastern France, left tributary of the Isère. It is formed by the confluence of the Drac Noir and the Drac Blanc, that both rise in the southern part of the Massif des Écrins. It flows through several reservoirs, including the Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet....
at an altitude of 214 metres (702.1 ft). Mountain sports are an important tourist attraction in summer and winter. Twenty large and small ski stations surround the city, the nearest being Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse, which is about 15 minutes' drive away.
Historically, both Grenoble and the surrounding areas were sites of mining and heavy industry. Abandoned mills and factories can be found in small towns and villages, such as the coal mine at La Mure
La Mure
La Mure is a commune in the Isère département in south-eastern France.It is located south of Grenoble on the plateau Matheysin.-Neighbour communes:* Prunières* Sousville* Susville* Ponsonnas* Pierre-Châtel* Saint-Honoré-Main sights:...
.
Transport
Grenoble can be accessed by air from Grenoble-Isère Airport, Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport and Geneva International Airport. Within Grenoble, there is a comprehensive bus and tram service that operates 26 bus routes and four tram lines and serves all of greater Grenoble. Being essentially flat, Grenoble is a bicycle-friendly city.The Gare de Grenoble
Gare de Grenoble
Gare de Grenoble is a railway station serving the city Grenoble, Isère department, southeastern France.-Services:-References:*...
is served by the TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
rail network, with frequent high-speed services to and from Paris-Gare de Lyon
Paris-Gare de Lyon
Paris Lyon is one of the six large railway termini in Paris, France. It is the northern terminus of the Paris–Marseille railway. It is named after the city of Lyon, a stop for many long-distance trains departing here, most en route to the south of France. In general the station's SNCF services run...
, often with a stop at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport. There are also less frequent trains to and from other destinations in France, such as Lille Europe and Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
. Local rail services connect Grenoble with Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, Geneva, and destinations to the east. Valence
Valence, Drôme
Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...
to the west provides connections with TGV services along the Rhone valley. Rail and road connections to the south are less well-developed.
Highways link Grenoble to all major cities in the area including the A48 autoroute
A48 autoroute
The A48 autoroute is a motorway in France connecting the A43 with Grenoble. An extension north to Ambérieu is proposed in the medium term. It is also called Autoroute de le Dauphiné.-Characteristics:* 2x2 lanes...
to the northwest toward Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, the A49
A49 autoroute
The A49 autoroute is a motorway in France. It was completed in 1991. It connects Romans with Grenoble.- History :The first section was opened in 1991 between the junction with the A48 towards Voreppe and the junction at Tullins...
to the southwest toward the Rhone valley via Valence
Valence, Drôme
Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...
, the A41
A41 autoroute
The A41 autoroute is a motorway in the French Alps. Also known as the L'Alpine. It opened in 1981. The road connects Grenoble and the A40...
to the northeast toward Chambéry
Chambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
, the Alps and Italy.
The city also has a partial ring road around the south of the city, the Rocade Sud, which connects the motorway from the northwest (A48) with that from the northeast (A41). A project to complete the ring road has been suggested, with a tunnel under the Bastille being the likely route, but this has not been accepted by French authorities.
History
- For the ecclesiastical history, see Bishopric of Grenoble.
Antiquity
The first references to Grenoble date back to 43 BC. CularoCularo
Cularo was the name of the Gallic city of Grenoble until 381. From this date it will be called Gratianopolis.The first reference to Grenoble dates back to July 43 BC. At that time the market town...
was at that time a little Gallic
Gallia
Gallia may refer to:*Gaul , the region of Western Europe occupied by present-day France, Belgium and other neighbouring countries...
village founded by the Allobroges
Allobroges
The Allobroges were a Celtic tribe of ancient Gaul, located between the Rhône River and the Lake of Geneva in what later became Savoy, Dauphiné, and Vivarais. Their cities were in the areas of modern-day Annecy, Chambéry and Grenoble, the modern of Isère, and modern Switzerland...
tribe near a bridge across the Isere River. A strong wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
was built around the small town in 286 AD.
The Emperor
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
Gratian
Gratian
Gratian was Roman Emperor from 375 to 383.The eldest son of Valentinian I, during his youth Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian's brother Valentinian II was declared emperor by his father's soldiers...
visited Cularo and, touched by the people's welcome, made the village a Roman city. In honour of this, Cularo was renamed Gratianopolis (“city of Gratian”) in 381 (leading to Graignovol during the Middle Age and then Grenoble).
Christianity spread to the region during the 4th century, and the diocese of Grenoble was founded in 377. From that time, the bishops exercised a significant political power over the city and, until the French Revolution, styled themselves the "bishops and princes of Grenoble".
After the collapse of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, the city was part of the first Burgundian kingdom
Kingdom of Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region in Western Europe that has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 6th century, the second around the 11th century - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very...
in the 5th century and the second Burgundian Kingdom of Arles
Kingdom of Arles
The Kingdom of Arles or Second Kingdom of Burgundy of the High Middle Ages was a Frankish dominion established in 933 from lands of the early medieval Kingdom of Burgundy at Arles...
until 1032, when it was integrated into the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
Middle Ages
Grenoble grew significantly in the 11th century when the Counts of Albon chose the city as the capital of their territories. At the time, their possessions were a patchwork of several territories sprawled across the region. The central position of Grenoble allowed the counts to strengthen their authority. When these counts later took the title of "Dauphins", Grenoble became the capital of the State of DauphinéDauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
.
In spite of their status, the counts' authority was shared with the Bishop of Grenoble. One of the most famous Bishop was Saint Hugh
Hugh of Châteauneuf
Saint Hugh of Châteauneuf was the Bishop of Grenoble from 1080 to his death. He was a partisan of the Gregorian reform and opposed to Guy of Burgundy, Archbishop of Vienne, later Pope as Callistus II....
. Under his rule, the city's bridge was rebuilt, and a hospital was constructed along with a leper hospital.
The inhabitants of Grenoble took advantage of the division between the counts and the bishops and obtained the recognition of a Charter of Customs that guaranteed their rights. That charter was confirmed by Kings Louis XI in 1447 and Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
in 1541.
In 1336, the last Dauphin Humbert II
Humbert II of Viennois
Humbert II de la Tour-du-Pin was the Dauphin of the Viennois from 1333 to 16 July 1349. He was a son of the Dauphin John II and Beatrice of Hungary...
founded a court of justice, the Conseil delphinal, which settled at Grenoble in 1340. He also established the University of Grenoble
University of Grenoble
University of Grenoble or Grenoble University was a university in Grenoble, France until 1970, when it was split into several different institutions:...
in 1339. Aging and heirless, Humbert sold his state to France in 1349 on the condition that the heir to the French crown used the title of Dauphin. The first one, the future Charles V
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
, spent nine months in Grenoble. The city remained the capital of the Dauphiné, henceforth a province of France
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
, and the Estates of Dauphiné
States Provincial (France)
In France under the Ancien Régime, an estate provincial was an assembly of the three estates of a province, "regularly constituted, periodically convoked and possessing certain political and administrative functions, of which the main one was to vote on the impôt"...
were created.
The only Dauphin who really governed his province was Louis XI, whose "reign" lasted from 1447 to 1456. It was only under his rule that Dauphiné properly joined the Kingdom of France. The Old Conseil Delphinal became a Parlement
Parlement
Parlements were regional legislative bodies in Ancien Régime France.The political institutions of the Parlement in Ancien Régime France developed out of the previous council of the king, the Conseil du roi or curia regis, and consequently had ancient and customary rights of consultation and...
(the third one in France after the Parliaments of Paris and Toulouse), strengthening the status of Grenoble as a Provincial capital. He also ordered the construction of the Palais du Parlement (finished under Francis I) and ensured that the Bishop pledged allegiance, thus forging the political union of the city.
At that time, Grenoble was a crossroads between Vienne
Vienne, Isère
Vienne is a commune in south-eastern France, located south of Lyon, on the Rhône River. It is the second largest city after Grenoble in the Isère department, of which it is a subprefecture. The city's population was of 29,400 as of the 2001 census....
, Geneva, Italy, and Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
. It was the industrial centre of the Dauphiné and the biggest city of the province.
Renaissance
Italian Wars
The Italian Wars, often referred to as the Great Italian Wars or the Great Wars of Italy and sometimes as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western...
. Charles VIII
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, Louis XII, and Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
went several times to Grenoble. However, the people had to suffer from the exactions of the soldiers.
The nobility of the region took part in various battles (Marignano
Battle of Marignano
The Battle of Marignano was fought during the phase of the Italian Wars called the War of the League of Cambrai, between France and the Old Swiss Confederacy. It took place on September 13 and 15, 1515, near the town today called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan...
, Pavia
Battle of Pavia
The Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.A Spanish-Imperial army under the nominal command of Charles de Lannoy attacked the French army under the personal command of Francis I of France in the great hunting preserve...
) and in doing so gained an immense prestige. The best-known of its members was Bayard
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard
Pierre Terrail LeVieux, seigneur de Bayard was a French soldier, generally known as the Chevalier de Bayard. Throughout the centuries since his death, he has been known as "the knight without fear and beyond reproach"...
, "the knight without fear and beyond reproach".
Grenoble suffered as a result of the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
. The Dauphiné was indeed an important settlement for Protestants and therefore experienced several conflicts. The baron des Adrets
François de Beaumont, baron des Adrets
François de Beaumont, baron des Adrets was a Huguenot leader, notorious for his cruelty; he died a Catholic.He was born in 1512 or 1513 at the château of La Frette . During the reign of Henry II of France he served with distinction in the royal army and became colonel of the legions of Dauphiné,...
, the leader of the Huguenots, pillaged the Cathedral of Grenoble and destroyed the tombs of the former Dauphins.
In August 1575, Lesdiguières
François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières
François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières was soldier of the French Wars of Religion and Constable of France.- Early life :He was born at Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur, to a family of notaries with pretensions to nobility...
became the new leader of the Protestants and, thanks to the accession of Henry IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
to the throne of France, allied himself with the governor and the lieutenant general of the Dauphiné. But this alliance did not bring an end to the conflicts. Indeed, a Catholic movement, the Ligue, which took Grenoble in December 1590, refused to make peace. After months of assaults, Lesdiguières defeated the Ligue and took back Grenoble. He became the leader of the entire province.
Lesdiguières became the lieutenant-general of the Dauphiné and administered the Province from 1591 to 1626. He began the construction of the Bastille
Bastille (Grenoble)
The Bastille is the name of a fortress culminating at 476 m above sea level, at the south end of the Chartreuse mountain range, overlooking the city of Grenoble, France...
in order to protect the city and ordered the construction of new walls, increasing the city's size. He also constructed the Hôtel Lesdiguières, built new fountains, and dug sewers.
From Louis XIV to the French Revolution
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes, issued on 13 April 1598, by Henry IV of France, granted the Calvinist Protestants of France substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic. In the Edict, Henry aimed primarily to promote civil unity...
by Louis XIV caused the departure of 2,000 Protestants from Grenoble, weakening the city's economy. However, it also weakened the glove industry of Grasse
Grasse
-See also:*Route Napoléon*Ancient Diocese of Grasse*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department-External links:*...
, leaving the glove factories of Grenoble without any competition. This allowed a stronger economic development for the city during the 18th century. For example, at the beginning of that century, only 12 glovers made 15,000 dozen gloves each year; however, by 1787, 64 glovers madde 160,000 dozen gloves each year.
The city gained some notoriety on 7 June 1788 when the townspeople assaulted troops of Louis XVI in the "Day of the Tiles
Day of the Tiles
The Day of the Tiles is an event that took place in the French town of Grenoble on 7 June 1788. It was among the first of the revolts which preceded the French Revolution, and is credited by some historians as being the start of it.-Background:...
". The people attacked the royal troops to prevent an expulsion of the notables of the city, which would have seriously endangered the economic prosperity of Grenoble. Following these events, the Assembly of Vizille
Assembly of Vizille
The Assembly of Vizille was the result of a meeting of various representatives in Grenoble, which took place on 7 June 1788. Its purpose was to discuss the events of The Day Of The Tiles, one of the first revolts preceding the French Revolution....
took place. Its members organized the meeting of the old Estates General
Estates-General of 1789
The Estates-General of 1789 was the first meeting since 1614 of the French Estates-General, a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the nobility, the Church, and the common people...
, thus beginning the Revolution. During the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Grenoble was highly represented in Paris by two illustrious notables, Jean Joseph Mounier
Jean Joseph Mounier
Jean Joseph Mounier was a French politician and judge.He was born at Grenoble . He studied law, and in 1783 obtained a judgeship at Grenoble. He took part in the struggle between the parlements and the court in 1788, and promoted the meeting of the estates of Dauphiné at Vizille , on the eve of...
and Antoine Barnave
Antoine Barnave
Antoine Pierre Joseph Marie Barnave was a French politician, and, together with Honoré Mirabeau, one of the most influential orators of the early part of the French Revolution...
.
In 1790, the Dauphiné was divided into three departments, and Grenoble became the chef-lieu of the Isere department
Isère
Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
. The city was renamed Grelibre and took back its real name only under Napoleon. Only two abbeys were executed at Grenoble during the Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
. Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Pius VI, prisoner of France, spent three days at Grenoble in 1799 before going to Valence
Valence, Drôme
Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...
where he died.
19th century
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
was clear and overwhelming (in Isère, the results showed 82,084 yes and only 12 no).
Grenoble welcomed for the second time a prisoner Pope in 1809. Pius VII spent 10 days in the city en route to his exile in Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
.
In 1813, Grenoble was under threat from the Austrian army, which invaded Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
. The city, well-defended, contained the Austrian attacks, and the French army defeated the Austrians, forcing them to withdraw at Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. However, the invasion of France
Six Days Campaign
The Six Days Campaign was a final series of victories by the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte as the Sixth Coalition closed in on Paris....
in 1814 resulted in the capitulation of the troops and the occupation of the city.
During his return
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
from the island of Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
in 1815, Napoleon took a road
Route Napoléon
Route Napoléon is the route taken by Napoléon in 1815 on his return from Elba. It is now a 325-kilometre section of the Route nationale 85.The route begins at Golfe-Juan, where Napoleon disembarked 1 March 1815, beginning the Hundred Days that ended at Waterloo. The road was inaugurated in 1932; it...
that led him near Grenoble at Laffrey
Laffrey
Laffrey is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.- See also :* Communes of the Isère department* Rampe de Laffrey* Grand lac de Laffrey* Route Napoléon...
. There he met the royalist fifth Infantry Regiment of Louis XVIII. Napoleon stepped towards the soldiers and said these famous words: "If there is among you a soldier who wants to kill his Emperor, here I am." The soldiers all joined his cause. After that, Napoleon was acclaimed at Grenoble and General Jean Gabriel Marchand
Jean Gabriel Marchand
Jean Gabriel Marchand, 1st Count Marchand went from being an attorney to a company commander in the army of the First French Republic in 1791. He fought almost exclusively in Italy throughout the French Revolutionary Wars and served on the staffs of a number of generals...
could not prevent Napoleon from entering the city through the door of Bonne. He said later: “From Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
to Grenoble, I still was an adventurer; in that last city, I came back a sovereign”. But after the defeat of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, the region suffered from a new invasion of Austrian and Sardinian troops.
In the 19th century, there was a significant industrial development of Grenoble. The glove factories reached their Golden Age at that time, and their products were exported to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
The Bastille
Bastille (Grenoble)
The Bastille is the name of a fortress culminating at 476 m above sea level, at the south end of the Chartreuse mountain range, overlooking the city of Grenoble, France...
fortress was transformed between 1824 and 1848 by general Haxo
François Nicolas Benoît, Baron Haxo
François Nicolas Benoît, Baron Haxo was a French Army general and military engineer.-Biography:He was born at Lunéville and entered the Engineers in 1793....
and took on its present-day aspect. During the Second Empire
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
, the region saw the construction of its railway network, and the first trains arrived at Grenoble in 1858. It was shortly after this, in 1859, that Grenoble experienced widespread destruction caused by extensive flooding
Grenoble flood 1859
Historically, centenarian floods did extensive damage in the Isere Valley. In October 1859, it rained continuously for five days. A warm wind melted the snow, and the temperature suddenly increased from 12 to 19 degrees on November 2. The simultaneity of those two events resulted in an exceptional...
.
In 1869, the engineer Aristide Bergès played a major role in industrializing hydroelectricity production. With the development of his paper mills, he accelerated the economic development of the Grésivaudan valley and Grenoble.
On 4 August 1897, a stone and bronze fountain was inaugurated in Grenoble to commemorate the pre-revolutionary events of June 1788. Built by the sculptor Henri Ding
Henri Ding
Henri Ding was a French sculptor.Ding's most famous work is the Fontaine des trois ordres on the place Notre-Dame in Grenoble...
, the Fountain of the Three Orders, which represents three characters, is located on the Place Notre-Dame. People in Grenoble interpret these characters as follows: Is it raining? enquires the third estate; Please heaven it had rained, lament the clergy; and It will rain, proclaims the nobility.
20th century
World War I continued the acceleration of Grenoble's economic development. In order to sustain the effort of war, new hydroelectric industries grew up alongside the various rivers of the region, and several other enterprises moved into the armaments industry. Chemicals factories were also established in the area surrounding Grenoble. This development resulted in significant immigration to Grenoble, particularly from Italian workers who settled in Saint-Laurent quarter.The economic development of the city was highlighted by the organization of the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism
International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism
The International exhibition of hydropower and tourism was an exhibition which ran from May 21 to October 25, 1925 in the city of Grenoble in France, in order to dedicate the city, the capital of "white coal".In 1925, Grenoble was the site of an international exhibition on hydroelectric power and...
in 1925, which was visited by 1,050,000 people. The organization of this exhibition forced the military to remove the old city walls and allowed an expansion of the city to the south. This exhibition also allowed the highlighting of the city's hydropower industry and the region's tourist attractions.
The site of the exhibition has become an urban park in 1926, called Parc Paul Mistral since the death of the mayor in 1932. Today, the only building remaining of this exhibition in the park, is the Tour Perret
Tour Perret
The Tour Perret is# a highrise building in Amiens, France.# a 95 metre tall observation tower at Grenoble, France, built in 1925 for the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism, also called Tour d'Orientation.-External links:...
, closed to the public since 1960.
During World War II, at the Battle of the Alps, the Nazi invasion was stopped near Grenoble at Voreppe
Voreppe
Voreppe is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
by the forces of General Cartier in June 1940. The French forces resisted until the armistice. Grenoble was then part of the French State
French state
The French state may refer to:*The Republic of France *Vichy France, 'French state' was the official name of the regime first directed by Philippe Pétain, explicitly opposed to the French Republic...
before submitting to Italian occupation from 1942 to 1943. Their mercy towards the Jewish populations resulted in a significant increase of their number in the region.
Grenoble was extremely active in the Résistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
against the occupation. Its action was symbolized by figures such as Eugène Chavant
Eugène Chavant
Eugène Chavant was the founder of the French resistance organisation France Combat in 1942 and a prominent member of the French resistance. His nom de guerre was Clement, hence the "dit Clement" on the memorial to him in Grenoble. He was a member of the CDLN for the département of Isère during the...
, Léon Martin, and Marie Reynoard. The University of Grenoble supported the clandestine operations and provided false documentation for young people to prevent them from being assigned to STO
Service du travail obligatoire
The Service du travail obligatoire was the forced enlistment and deportation of hundreds of thousands of French workers to Nazi Germany in order to work as forced labour for the German war effort during World War II....
.
In September 1943, German troops occupied Grenoble, escalating the conflict with the clandestine movements. On 11 November 1943 (the anniversary of the armistice of 1918
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
) massive strikes and demonstrations took place in front of the local collaboration offices. In response, the occupiers arrested 400 demonstrators in the streets. On 13 November, the resistance blew up the artillery at the Polygon, which was a psychological shock for an enemy who then intensified the repression. On 25 November, the occupiers killed 11 members of the Résistance organizations of Grenoble. This violent crackdown was nicknamed “Grenoble’s Saint-Bartholomew
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots , during the French Wars of Religion...
”.
This event only intensified the activities of Grenoble’s resistance movements. The Germans could not prevent the destruction of their new arsenal on 2 December at the Bonne Barracks. After the Normandy landing, resistance operations reached their peak, with numerous attacks considerably hampering the activity of German troops. With the landing in Provence
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, German troops evacuated the city on 22 August 1944. On 5 November 1944, General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
came to Grenoble and bestowed on the city the Compagnon de la Libération
Ordre de la Libération
The Ordre de la Libération is a French Order awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is an exceptional honor, the second highest after the Légion d’Honneur and only a small number of people and military units have received it, exclusively for deeds accomplished...
in order to recognise a heroic city at the peak of the French resistance and combat for the liberation.
In 1955, physics Nobel prize laureate Louis Néel created the Grenoble Center for Nuclear Studies (CENG), resulting in the birth of the Grenoble model, a combination of research and industry. The first stone was laid in December 1956.
In 1968, Grenoble welcomed the Xth Olympic Winter Games
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
. This event helped modernize the city with the development of infrastructure such as an airport, motorways, and a town hall. It also helped develop new ski resorts like Chamrousse
Chamrousse
Chamrousse is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.The majestic mountain scenery towering above Grenoble is, for the most part, formed by the Belledonne range...
, Les Deux Alpes
Les Deux Alpes
Les Deux Alpes is a ski resort in the French Isère département. The village sits at 1650m and lifts run to 3600m . It has the largest skiable glacier in Europe and is France's second oldest ski resort behind Chamonix, where the largest mountain in western Europe is located, Mont Blanc...
, and Villard de Lans.
La Bastille
The BastilleBastille (Grenoble)
The Bastille is the name of a fortress culminating at 476 m above sea level, at the south end of the Chartreuse mountain range, overlooking the city of Grenoble, France...
, an ancient series of fortifications, sits on the mountainside overlooking Grenoble and is visible from many points in the city. The Bastille is one of Grenoble's most visited tourist attractions and is a good vantage point for viewing the town below and the surrounding mountains.
Although the Bastille was begun in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, later years saw extensive additions, including a semi-underground defense network. The Bastille has been credited as the most extensive example of early 18th century fortifications in all of France and held an important strategic point on the Alpine
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
frontier.
The first cable transport system, installed on the Bastille
Bastille (Grenoble)
The Bastille is the name of a fortress culminating at 476 m above sea level, at the south end of the Chartreuse mountain range, overlooking the city of Grenoble, France...
in 1875, was built by the world-famous Porte de France Cement Company. This cable transport system connected the Mount Jalla, just over the bastille, and Grenoble. It was abandoned in the early twentieth century
Since 1934, the Bastille
Bastille (Grenoble)
The Bastille is the name of a fortress culminating at 476 m above sea level, at the south end of the Chartreuse mountain range, overlooking the city of Grenoble, France...
has been the destination of the "Grenoble-Bastille Cable Car". This system of egg-shaped cable cars
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
known to locals as "Les Bulles" provides the occupants with an excellent view over the Isère River
Isère River
The Isère is a 286 km long river in southeastern France, in the Rhône-Alpes région. Its source is in the Alps on the border with Italy, near the ski resort Val d'Isère. It flows into the Rhône River in Pont-de-l'Isère, a few km north of Valence...
. At the top are located two restaurants and a museum of mountain troops (Musée des troupes de montagne).
Palace of the Parliament of Dauphiné
This palace was constructed Place Saint Andre, around 1500 and extended in 1539. It was the location of the ParlementParlement
Parlements were regional legislative bodies in Ancien Régime France.The political institutions of the Parlement in Ancien Régime France developed out of the previous council of the king, the Conseil du roi or curia regis, and consequently had ancient and customary rights of consultation and...
of Dauphiné until the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. It then became a courthouse until 2002. The left wing of the palace was extended in 1897.
The building now belongs to the Isère Council (Conseil Général de l'Isère). An ongoing renovation project will give this building a new life whilst preserving its patrimonial character and adding a modern touch.
Museum of Grenoble
The city's most prized museum, the Museum of GrenobleMuseum of Grenoble
The Museum of Grenoble is a city museum of Fine Arts and antiques in the city of Grenoble in France.Located on the left bank of the Isère, place Lavalette, it is known both for its collections of ancient art for its collections of modern and contemporary art..-History:The Museum of Grenoble was...
( Musée de Grenoble), welcomes visitors a year. The Museum of Grenoble
Museum of Grenoble
The Museum of Grenoble is a city museum of Fine Arts and antiques in the city of Grenoble in France.Located on the left bank of the Isère, place Lavalette, it is known both for its collections of ancient art for its collections of modern and contemporary art..-History:The Museum of Grenoble was...
is above all renowned for its collection of paintings that covers all the artistic evolutions, but it also presents Egyptian antiquities as well as Greek and Roman artifacts. In April 2010, the prophetess of Antinoe, a sixth-century mummy discovered in 1907 in a necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
Coptic
Coptic
Coptic may refer to:*The Copts: were a major ethnic group in Egypt. This term described all the people living in Egypt under Roman rule during the 4th to 6th centuries A.D., and until the Muslims took over....
of Antinoe in Middle Egypt, returns to the Museum of Grenoble, after more than fifty years of absence.
Archaeological museum of Saint-Laurent
Located in the Place Saint-Laurent, the collections come from the archaeological excavations done on the site and are dated throughout the 3rd century AD. Situated on the right bank of the Isère, the museum presents the vestiges permitting to carry up the time until the origins of Christianity. The museum is situated in a Benedictine church of the 12th century. Discovered in 1803 by Jacques Joseph Champollion-FigeacJacques Joseph Champollion-Figeac
Jacques Joseph Champollion-Figeac was a French archaeologist, elder brother of Jean-François Champollion .-Biography:He was born at Figeac in the département of Lot...
, brother of the egyptologist Jean-François Champollion
Jean-François Champollion
Jean-François Champollion was a French classical scholar, philologist and orientalist, decipherer of the Egyptian hieroglyphs....
, the church is one of the first monuments classified in France thanks to the intervention of Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen.-Life:...
, historic monument inspector. Since 1978, a systematic excavation has led Loud in the setting of a regional research program on the evolution of the churches during the Middle Ages. After eight years of work, the museum opened 6 May 2011.
Secondary level
The presence of a large international community of both foreign students and foreign researchers prompted the creation of an international school more than a decade ago. The Cité Scolaire Internationale EuropoleCité Scolaire Internationale de Grenoble
CSI Grenoble , is a French public secondary school that houses a collège and lycée located in Grenoble, France, situated in close proximity to the Grenoble train station.Although it has the word "international" in its name, it is not an international...
(CSI Europole) was formerly situated downtown in the Lycée International Stendhal
Lycée Stendhal
The lycée Stendhal, formerly Lycée International Stendhal, is a secondary and higher education establishment in Grenoble. It is the oldest lycée in Grenoble, and its pupils have included Stendhal and Champollion...
across from the Maison du Tourisme
Maison du Tourisme
A Maison du Tourisme is usually the municipal French regulatory body of tourism; i.e., Maison du Tourisme de Grenoble.-External links:**, in English...
.
Tertiary level
In a 1339 pontific bullPapal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
, Pope Benedict XII commissioned the establishment of the University of Grenoble
University of Grenoble
University of Grenoble or Grenoble University was a university in Grenoble, France until 1970, when it was split into several different institutions:...
.
In 1968, the university was relocated to a campus outside of the city in Saint Martin d'Hères
Saint-Martin-d'Hères
Saint-Martin-d'Hères is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.It is the largest suburb of the city of Grenoble, and is adjacent to it on the east.-Education:...
(with some parts in Gières
Gières
Gières is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-See also:* Urban unit of Grenoble* Gare de Grenoble-Universités-Gières...
). However, there are annexes inside the city proper, on the slopes of the Bastille, and in the northwestern part of the city known as the Polygone Scientifique ("Scientific Polygon").
The university consists of five separate institutions sharing the campus grounds and even some buildings and laboratories:
- Grenoble I – Joseph Fourier UniversityJoseph Fourier UniversityUniversité Joseph Fourier , often known as UJF, is a French university situated in the city of Grenoble and focused on the fields of sciences, technologies and health...
(sciences, health, technologies) - Grenoble II – Pierre Mendès-France UniversityPierre Mendès-France UniversityPierre Mendès-France University is a French university, based in Grenoble, focusing on social sciences. It is named after the late French politician Pierre Mendès-France. It is under the Academy of Grenoble....
(social sciences)- with attached the Institute of political studiesInstitut d'études politiques de GrenobleThe Grenoble Institute of Political Studies , also known as Sciences Po Grenoble, is a political science grande école located in the campus of the University of Grenoble in Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France...
- with attached the Institute of political studies
- Grenoble III – Stendhal University (humanities)
- Grenoble École de ManagementGrenoble école de managementGrenoble Ecole de Management also known as Grenoble EM or Grenoble School of Management, was founded in 1984 by the local chamber of commerce...
(management and business administration) - École D'Architecture de Grenoble ( School of Architecture of Grenoble)
- Grenoble Institute of Technology (INPG or Grenoble-INP) is a federation of engineering colleges.
Grenoble is now an important university center with more than 60,000 students, including 16% from abroad.
Science and engineering
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, and applied mathematics
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
: Joseph Fourier University (UJF) is one of the leading French scientific universities while the Grenoble Institute of Technology trains more than 5,000 engineers every year in key technology disciplines. Grenoble's high tech expertise is organized mainly around three domains: information technology, biotechnologies and new technologies of energy.
Many fundamental and applied scientific research laboratories are conjointly managed by Joseph Fourier University, Grenoble Institute of Technology, and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Numerous other scientific laboratories are managed independently or in collaboration with the CNRS and the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control
Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique
The National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control is a French national research institution focusing on computer science, control theory and applied mathematics.It was created in 1967 at Rocquencourt near Paris, part of Plan Calcul...
(INRIA).
Other research centers in or near Grenoble include the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility is a joint research facility supported by 19 countries situated in Grenoble, France...
(ESRF), the Institut Laue-Langevin
Institut Laue-Langevin
The Institut Laue–Langevin, or ILL, is an internationally-financed scientific facility, situated in Grenoble, France. It is one of the world centres for research using neutrons...
(ILL), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a molecular biology research institution supported by 20 European countries and Australia as associate member state. EMBL was created in 1974 and is an intergovernmental organisation funded by public research money from its member states...
(EMBL), and one of the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique
Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique
The Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives or CEA, is a French “public establishment related to industrial and commercial activities” whose mission is to develop all applications of nuclear power, both civilian and military...
(Nuclear Energy Commission)(CEA) main research facilities.