Valence, Drôme
Encyclopedia
Valence is a commune
in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme
department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône
, 65 miles (105 km) south of Lyon
on the railway to Marseilles.
Its inhabitants are called Valentinois. Valence was a part of the French Towns and Lands of Art and History
, and the city received four flowers in the Concours des villes et villages fleuris.
Formerly the duchy of Valentinois, it was ruled by the Duke of Valentinois
, a title which is still claimed by the Sovereign Prince of Monaco, though he has no actual administrative control over the area.
Valence lies at the northernmost band of olive
cultivation: the local saying à Valence le Midi commence, "at Valence the Midi begins" pays tribute to the city's southern culture.
, and was an important town of Viennensis Prima under Valentinian I
. It was the seat of a bishopric
perhaps as early as the 4th century.
In the 5th century, control of Valentia passed from the Romans to the Alans
and other barbarians: in 413, the Goths
under Ataulf
besieged and captured the usurper Jovinus
at Valentia on behalf of the emperor Honorius
. In 440, Alans
led by Sambida were given deserted lands in Valentia by the Romans. Three years later, Aetius
settled the Burgundians
in the region, which became part of their kingdom until 534. The city then fell successively under the power of the Franks
, the Arabs of Spain, the sovereigns of Arles
, the emperors of Germany, the counts of Valentinois, the counts of Toulouse
, as well as its own bishops, who struggled to retain the control of the city they had won in the fifth century. These bishops were often in conflict with the citizens and the counts of Valentinois and to strengthen their hands against the latter the pope in 1275 united their bishopric with that of Die
.
The citizens put themselves under the protection of the dauphin, and in 1456 had their rights and privileges confirmed by Louis XI
and put on an equal footing with those of the rest of Dauphiné
, the bishops consenting to recognize the suzerainty of the dauphin. In the 16th century Valence became the center of Protestantism for the province in 1563. The town was fortified by King Francois I
. It became the seat of a celebrated university in the middle of the 15th century; but the revocation of the Edict of Nantes
in 1685 struck a fatal blow at its industry, commerce and population.
, which has an interesting apse
, was rebuilt in the 11th century in the Romanesque
style of Auvergne
and consecrated in 1095 by pope Urban II
. It suffered extensive damage in the French Wars of Religion
, but it was restored in the first decade of the 17th century. The porch and the stone tower above it were rebuilt in 1861. The church contains the monument of Pius VI
, who died at Valence in 1799. The library and the museum containing Roman antiquities, sculptures, and a picture gallery are housed in the old ecclesiastical seminary.http://yadesphotos.free.fr/images/cathValence.jpghttp://perso.numericable.fr/~chretiens/cm.26/images/Cath006.jpg
The most notable of the monuments erected in this city to its natives include those to Émile Augier
the dramatist by the duchess of Uzès
(1897), and to General Championnet
.
Some of the big hi-tech companies settled here are leading in their domains like Thales
(Former Thomson-CSF
, electronic systems for avionics and defence), Crouzet
/Schneider
(Automatic systems), [SAGEM] (former Alcatel
space (Aerospatial systems)), Ascom
Monetel (Automatic paytax systems), etc.
The Maison Pic
is a world renowned three Michelin star restaurant and hotel, established in 1889.
, located just south of the town centre. The station offers connections to Lyon, Grenoble, Avignon, Gap and several regional destinations. In 2001 the Gare de Valence TGV
opened along with the LGV Méditerranée
, a high-speed rail
line extending south from Valence to Marseilles. The station is only 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) south of the end of the LGV Rhône-Alpes
, giving Valence much shorter journey times to northern destinations as well, with a journey to Paris taking 2h11. The TGV station is located 10 km northeast of the town.
A bikesharing scheme called Libélo started in March 2010, offering 200 bicycles for long-term hire and 180 for short-term hire, in 18 locations around the city. Charges are collected by smart card or credit card.
area with one INPG
engineering school (ESISAR
), one Institut universitaire de technologie
(IUT) and annexes of three universities (UPMF, UJF, Stendhal
). Many other and more specialized schools are also located in Valence.
, Italy, since 1966 Biberach an der Riß
, Germany, since 1967 Clacton-on-Sea
, United Kingdom, since 1969 Ijevan
, Armenia, since 1996 Gedera
, Israel, since 1997
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme
Drôme
Drôme , a department in southeastern France, takes its name from the Drôme River.-History:The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution...
department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
, 65 miles (105 km) south of 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....
on the railway to Marseilles.
Its inhabitants are called Valentinois. Valence was a part of the French Towns and Lands of Art and History
French towns and lands of Art and History
Since 1985, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication has pursued a policy of preserving and promoting France's heritage. Historic towns and districts have been designated Villes et Pays d'Art et d'Histoire ....
, and the city received four flowers in the Concours des villes et villages fleuris.
Formerly the duchy of Valentinois, it was ruled by the Duke of Valentinois
Duke of Valentinois
Duke of Valentinois , formerly Count of Valentinois, is a title of nobility, originally in the French peerage. It is currently one of the many hereditary titles claimed by the Prince of Monaco despite its extinction in French law in 1949...
, a title which is still claimed by the Sovereign Prince of Monaco, though he has no actual administrative control over the area.
Valence lies at the northernmost band of olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
cultivation: the local saying à Valence le Midi commence, "at Valence the Midi begins" pays tribute to the city's southern culture.
History
The word "valence" comes from Latin valentia, meaning "strength, capacity". Known in Roman times as Valentia Julia, the city had been the capital of the Segalauni, and the seat of a celebrated school prior to the Roman conquest. It became a colony under AugustusAugustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
, and was an important town of Viennensis Prima under Valentinian I
Valentinian I
Valentinian I , also known as Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces while Valentinian retained the west....
. It was the seat of a bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
perhaps as early as the 4th century.
In the 5th century, control of Valentia passed from the Romans to the Alans
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
and other barbarians: in 413, the Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
under Ataulf
Ataulf
Ataulf was king of the Visigoths from 410 to 415...
besieged and captured the usurper Jovinus
Jovinus
Jovinus was a Gallo-Roman senator and claimed to be Roman Emperor .Following the defeat of the usurper known with the name of Constantine III, Jovinus was proclaimed emperor at Mainz in 411, a puppet supported by Gundahar, king of the Burgundians, and Goar, king of the Alans...
at Valentia on behalf of the emperor Honorius
Honorius (emperor)
Honorius , was Western Roman Emperor from 395 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the eastern emperor Arcadius....
. In 440, Alans
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
led by Sambida were given deserted lands in Valentia by the Romans. Three years later, Aetius
Flavius Aëtius
Flavius Aëtius , dux et patricius, was a Roman general of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire. He was an able military commander and the most influential man in the Western Roman Empire for two decades . He managed policy in regard to the attacks of barbarian peoples pressing on the Empire...
settled the Burgundians
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe...
in the region, which became part of their kingdom until 534. The city then fell successively under the power of the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
, the Arabs of Spain, the sovereigns of Arles
Arles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
, the emperors of Germany, the counts of Valentinois, the counts of Toulouse
Counts of Toulouse
The first Counts of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians. No succession of such royal appointees is known, though a few names survive to the present...
, as well as its own bishops, who struggled to retain the control of the city they had won in the fifth century. These bishops were often in conflict with the citizens and the counts of Valentinois and to strengthen their hands against the latter the pope in 1275 united their bishopric with that of Die
Die, Drôme
Die is a commune, former episcopal see, and sub-prefecture of the Drôme department in southeastern France.Die is best known for the Clairette de Die, a sparkling wine. It was a county in the High Middle Ages.-Population:-External links:*...
.
The citizens put themselves under the protection of the dauphin, and in 1456 had their rights and privileges confirmed by Louis XI
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
and put on an equal footing with those of the rest of 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....
, the bishops consenting to recognize the suzerainty of the dauphin. In the 16th century Valence became the center of Protestantism for the province in 1563. The town was fortified by King Francois 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...
. It became the seat of a celebrated university in the middle of the 15th century; but the revocation of the Edict of Nantes
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...
in 1685 struck a fatal blow at its industry, commerce and population.
Population
Sights
The Cathedral of St. ApollinarisValence Cathedral
Valence Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Valence, Drôme, dedicated to Saint Apollinaris of Valence.It is the seat of the Bishop of Valence....
, which has an interesting apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
, was rebuilt in the 11th century in the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style of Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
and consecrated in 1095 by pope Urban II
Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II , born Otho de Lagery , was Pope from 12 March 1088 until his death on July 29 1099...
. It suffered extensive damage in 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...
, but it was restored in the first decade of the 17th century. The porch and the stone tower above it were rebuilt in 1861. The church contains the monument of Pius VI
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI , born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, was Pope from 1775 to 1799.-Early years:Braschi was born in Cesena...
, who died at Valence in 1799. The library and the museum containing Roman antiquities, sculptures, and a picture gallery are housed in the old ecclesiastical seminary.http://yadesphotos.free.fr/images/cathValence.jpghttp://perso.numericable.fr/~chretiens/cm.26/images/Cath006.jpg
The most notable of the monuments erected in this city to its natives include those to Émile Augier
Émile Augier
Guillaume Victor Émile Augier was a French dramatist. He was the thirteenth member to occupy seat 1 of the Académie française on 31 March 1857.-Biography:...
the dramatist by the duchess of Uzès
Uzès
Uzès is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.It lies about 25 km north-northeast of Nîmes.-History:Originally Ucetia, Uzès was a small Gallo-Roman oppidum, or administrative settlement. The town lies at the source of the Eure, from where a Roman aqueduct was built in the first...
(1897), and to General Championnet
Jean Étienne Championnet
Jean Étienne Vachier, called Championnet , French general, enlisted in the army at an early age and served in the Great Siege of Gibraltar....
.
Economy
The industries of the city include metallurgical products, textiles, leather goods, jewelry and munitions, and it also serves as a processing and trade center for the surrounding agricultural region.Some of the big hi-tech companies settled here are leading in their domains like Thales
Thales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
(Former Thomson-CSF
Thomson-CSF
Thomson-CSF was a major electronics and defence contractor. In December 2000 it was renamed Thales Group.-History:In 1879 Elihu Thomson and Edwin Houston formed the Thomson-Houston Electric Company in the United States....
, electronic systems for avionics and defence), Crouzet
Crouzet
Crouzet is a brand of Custom Sensors and Technologies . The company was founded in 1921, and is involved in the field of electronic, electromechanical and magnetic technologies, Crouzet addresses the full spectrum of automation functions, including sensing, monitoring, actuating, processing and...
/Schneider
Schneider
Schneider is a surname, common in Germany, it may also refer to:Companies and organizations* G. Schneider & Sohn, Bavarian brewery company* Schneider Rundfunkwerke AG, former owner of the Dual brand record players...
(Automatic systems), [SAGEM] (former Alcatel
Alcatel
Alcatel Mobile Phones is a brand of mobile handsets. It was established in 2004 as a joint venture between Alcatel-Lucent of France and TCL Communication of China....
space (Aerospatial systems)), Ascom
Ascom (company)
Ascom Holding AG is a Telecommunications company specializing in "Mission-Critical Communication". The company focuses on the areas of Wireless Solutions , Network Testing as well as Security Communication Ascom Holding AG is a Telecommunications company specializing in "Mission-Critical...
Monetel (Automatic paytax systems), etc.
The Maison Pic
Maison Pic
Maison Pic is a top five star hotel and restaurant located in Valence, Drôme, France. It was established in 1889 and under André and Jacques Pic, the restaurant was awarded the prestigious 3 Michelin stars between 1934 and 1994 and regained it under Anne-Sophie Pic in 2007...
is a world renowned three Michelin star restaurant and hotel, established in 1889.
Transport
The central railway station of Valence is the Gare de Valence-VilleGare de Valence-Ville
Gare de Valence-Ville is a railway station serving the town Valence, Drôme department, southeastern France. It is situated on the Paris–Marseille railway, and is the southern terminus of a branch line to Grenoble.-Services:...
, located just south of the town centre. The station offers connections to Lyon, Grenoble, Avignon, Gap and several regional destinations. In 2001 the Gare de Valence TGV
Gare de Valence TGV
Gare de Valence TGV is a railway station in Valence, France which offers regular TGV services. The station, located in eastern Valence , is about ten kilometres north-east from the town centre, allowing through trains to pass at full speed...
opened along with the LGV Méditerranée
LGV Méditerranée
The LGV Méditerranée is a French high speed railway line of approximately 250 km length, which entered service in June, 2001. Running between Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence and Marseille, it connects the regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Languedoc-Roussillon to the LGV Rhône-Alpes, and from...
, a high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
line extending south from Valence to Marseilles. The station is only 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) south of the end of the LGV Rhône-Alpes
LGV Rhône-Alpes
The LGV Rhône-Alpes is a 115 km-long French high-speed rail line situated in the Rhône-Alpes region which extends the LGV Sud-Est southwards. Opening to service in 1994, this line bypasses the built-up Lyon area towards the east, and in addition serves Satolas station, now renamed...
, giving Valence much shorter journey times to northern destinations as well, with a journey to Paris taking 2h11. The TGV station is located 10 km northeast of the town.
A bikesharing scheme called Libélo started in March 2010, offering 200 bicycles for long-term hire and 180 for short-term hire, in 18 locations around the city. Charges are collected by smart card or credit card.
Colleges and universities
Valence is now developing its high level educational role in the Drôme/ArdècheArdèche
Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
area with one INPG
Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble
The Grenoble Institute of Technology is a French technological university system consisting of six engineering schools....
engineering school (ESISAR
ESISAR
ESISAR is an engineering school of the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble.- Higher Institute of Engineering in Advanced Systems and Networks :...
), one Institut universitaire de technologie
Institut universitaire de technologie
The Instituts universitaires de technologie or IUT are part of the university system in France. The IUT were created in 1966...
(IUT) and annexes of three universities (UPMF, UJF, Stendhal
Stendhal
Marie-Henri Beyle , better known by his pen name Stendhal, was a 19th-century French writer. Known for his acute analysis of his characters' psychology, he is considered one of the earliest and foremost practitioners of realism in his two novels Le Rouge et le Noir and La Chartreuse de Parme...
). Many other and more specialized schools are also located in Valence.
International relations
Valence is twinned with: AstiAsti
Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
, Italy, since 1966 Biberach an der Riß
Biberach an der Riß
Biberach is a town in the south of Germany. It is the capital of Biberach district, in the Upper Swabia region of the German state of Baden-Württemberg...
, Germany, since 1967 Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is the largest town on the Tendring peninsula, in Essex, England and was founded in 1871. It is a seaside resort that attracted many tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s, but which like many other British sea-side resorts went into decline as a holiday...
, United Kingdom, since 1969 Ijevan
Ijevan
Ijevan now is a city in Armenia and the capital of Tavush region. It is located in the northern part of the region, on the foot of Ijevan ridge and Nal'teket ridge on both banks of Aghstev River. The city's current name, Ijevan, and its former name Karavansara both mean "inn" , in Armenian and...
, Armenia, since 1996 Gedera
Gedera
-External links:** *...
, Israel, since 1997
Personalities
- Sébastien ChabalSebastien ChabalSébastien Chabal, born 8 December 1977 in Valence, Drôme, is a French rugby union rugby player. He has played number eight and lock professionally for the French team Bourgoin ; the English team Sale Sharks ; the French team Racing Métro 92 Paris ; and the French national side. He earned his first...
(born 8 December 1977), rugby union playerRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, number eight for the Racing Métro and FranceFrance national rugby union teamThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
. - Bertrand Gille (born 24 March 1978), handball player, for HSV Hamburg, Germany and France national handball teamFrance national handball teamFrance national handball team is the handball team, supervised by the French Handball Federation, that represents France in the international matches....
. - Guillaume GilleGuillaume GilleGuillaume Alain Gille , is a handball player from France. He is the winner of the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Together with his brother, Bertrand Gille, he plays in the German Bundesliga for HSV Hamburg.-Career:Gille's career as a handball player began early...
(born 12 July 1976), handball player, for HSV Hamburg, Germany and France national handball teamFrance national handball teamFrance national handball team is the handball team, supervised by the French Handball Federation, that represents France in the international matches....
. - Jacques TardiJacques TardiJacques Tardi is a French comics artist, born 30 August 1946 in Valence, Drôme. He is often credited solely as Tardi.-Biography:After graduating from the École nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris, he started writing comics in 1969, at the...
(born 30 August 1946), author of various bandes dessinées including Les Aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec.