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Coordinates: 45°11′16″N 5°54′11″E / 45.187778°N 5.903085°E
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Commune of Grenoble |
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| Grenoble | |
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| Grenoble with the Dauphiné Alps | |
| Location | |
  Grenoble
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Rhône-Alpes |
| Department | Isère |
| Arrondissement | Grenoble |
| Intercommunality | Agglomeration community of the Grenoble Alpes Métropole |
| Mayor | Michel Destot (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 204–500 m (669–1,640 ft) (avg. 212 m/696 ft) |
| Land area1 | 18.44 km2 (7.12 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 156,107 (2006) |
| - Density | 8,466 /km2 (21,930 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 38185/ 38000, 38100 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Grenoble (Arpitan: Grenoblo) is a city in south-eastern France situated 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 Alps". There is the biggest Italian community of France, specially peoples from the south of Italy.
The history of the city encompasses a period of more than 2,000 years. Grenoble has been the capital of the Dauphiné since the 11th century. The city experienced a period of economic expansion in the 19th and 20th centuries, symbolised by the holding of the X Olympic Winter Games in 1968. Grenoble is now a significant scientific centre in Europe[1].
The population of the city (commune) of Grenoble at the 2006 census was 156,107 inhabitants. The population of the urban unit of Grenoble was 427,659 inhabitants in 2006. The population of the Grenoble metropolitan area (French: aire urbaine de Grenoble) at the 2006 census was 531,440 inhabitants. 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 inhabitants[2].
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Grenoble is surrounded by mountains. To the north lies the Chartreuse, to the south and west the Vercors, and to the east the Belledonne range. For the French it is the capital of the Alps, and the Tour de France regularly passes through Grenoble.
The city is exclusively built on the alluvial plain of the Isère River and the Drac River, at an altitude of 214 metres (702 ft). Mountain sports are an important tourist attraction for the city, both in summer and in 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[3]. Abandoned mills and factories can be found in small towns and villages, such as the coal mine at La Mure.
Grenoble can be accessed by plane from Grenoble-Isère Airport, Saint-Exupéry International Airport near Lyon, and Geneva Cointrin International Airport. Within Grenoble there is a comprehensive bus and tram service. It operates 26 bus lines and 4 tram lines, serving all of greater Grenoble. Being essentially flat it is a bicycle friendly city.
Grenoble is served by the TGV network with frequent services to and from Paris-Gare de Lyon, often with a stop at Saint-Exupéry International Airport train station, and less frequent trains to and from other destinations in France such as Lille Europe and Nantes. TER 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.
Road links to the north and west are good, by autoroute, including to Lyon and the Rhone valley via Valence. A highway (in French: autoroute) runs east up the valley towards the Alps and Italy.
The city also has a partial beltway running around the south of the city, the Rocade Sud, which connects the autoroute arriving from the east (the A43), with the autoroute arriving from the north (the A48). There is a project to complete the ring road encircling the city, with a tunnel under the Bastille being the likely route [4].
The first references to Grenoble date back to 43 BC. Cularo was at that time a little Gallic village founded by the Allobroges tribe near a bridge across the Isere River. A strong walls was built around the small town in 286 AD[5].
The Emperor Gratian visited Cularo and, touched by the welcome of the people, he made this village a Roman City. In honour of this Cularo was renamed Gratianopolis (“city of Gratian”) in 381.
Christianity spread to the region during the 4th century. The diocese of Grenoble was founded in 377. The bishops exercised from that time a significant political power over the city and until the French Revolution styled themselves the “bishops and princes of Grenoble” [6].
After the collapse of the Roman Empire the city was part of the first Burgundian kingdom in the 5th Century, then the second Burgundian kingdom of Arles until 1032, when it was integrated into the Holy Roman Empire
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Grenoble grew significantly in the 11th century when the Counts of Albon chose this little city as the capital of their territories. At the time, their possessions were a patchwork of several territories sprawled across the region[7]. The central position of Grenoble allowed them to strengthen their authority. These counts later took the title of Dauphins. Grenoble then became the capital of the State of Dauphiné.
In spite of that status, the authority of the counts was shared with the Bishop of Grenoble. One of the most famous of them was Saint Hugh. Under his rule, the bridge of the city was rebuilt, and a hospital was constructed along with a leper hospital[8].
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[9]. That charter was confirmed by Kings Louis XI in 1447 and Francis I in 1541.
In 1336 the last Dauphin Humbert II founded the Conseil Delphinal which settled at Grenoble in 1340. He also established the University of Grenoble in 1339. Nevertheless, aging and heirless, Humbert sold his state to France in 1349 on condition that the heir to the French crown uses 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. The Estates of Dauphiné were created.
The only Dauphin who really governed his province was Louis XI, whose “reign” lasted nine years, 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[10].
At that time, Grenoble was a crossroad between Vienne, Geneva, Italy and Savoy. It was the industrial centre of the Dauphiné and the biggest city of the province.
Due to its geographical situation, French troops were garrisoned in Grenoble and its region during the Italian Wars. Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I went several times to Grenoble. But 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 so doing gained an immense prestige[11]. 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 1575, Lesdiguières became the new leader of the Protestants and thanks to the accession of Henry IV to the throne of France, he 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 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[12].
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. He also ordered the construction of new walls, increasing the size of the city. Lastly he constructed the Hôtel Lesdiguières, built new fountains and dug sewers[13].
The revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV caused the departure of 2,000 Protestants from Grenoble, weakening the economy of the city[14].
But it also weakened the glove industry of Grasse, leaving the glove factories of Grenoble without any competition[15]. It allowed a stronger economic development for the city during the 18th century. There were at the beginning of that century only 12 glovers who made each year 15 000 dozen gloves; in 1787, they were 64 and they made 160 000 dozen gloves[15].
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 (that would have seriously endangered the economic prosperity of Grenoble). Following these events the Assembly of Vizille took place. Its members organised 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)[16].
Grenoble welcomed for the second time a prisoner Pope in 1809. Pius VII spends ten days in the city on the way 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. But 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 5th Infantry Regiment of Louis XVIII. Napoleon stepped towards the soldiers and said those 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. He said later: “From Cannes to Grenoble, I still was an adventurer; in that last city, I came back a sovereign” [17]. 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, with their products exported to the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia [18].
The Bastille fortress was transformed between 1824 and 1848 by general Haxo and took 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.
In 1869, Aristide Berges 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.
World War I accelerated that trend[19]. Indeed, in order to sustain the effort of war, new hydroelectric industries grew up alongside the various rivers of the region. Several other enterprises moved into the armaments industry. Chemicals factories were also established in the area surrounding Grenoble. This development resulted in a 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 Exposition of the “Houille Blanche” in 1925, visited by one million people.[20]
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. 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[21].
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[22]. 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 November 11, 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 five hundred members of the Résistance organizations of Grenoble. This violent crackdown was nicknamed “Grenoble’s Saint- Bartholomew”[23].
But this event only intensified the activities of Grenoble’s resistance movements. On November 13, they blew up the artillery at the Polygon, which was a psychological shock for an enemy who then intensified the repression. But this did not prevent the destruction of their new arsenal on December 2 at the Bonne Barracks. After the Normandy landing, resistance operations reached their peak, with numerous attacks which considerably hampered the activity of German troops. On November 5, 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[22].
In 1968, Grenoble welcomed the Xth Olympic Winter Games. This event modernized the city, with the development of infrastructure (airport, motorways) and the creation of new neighborhoods.[citation needed] It also developed new ski resorts (Chamrousse, Les Deux Alpes, Villard de Lans).
The Bastille, 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.[24]
Since 1934, the Bastille has been the destination of the "Téléphérique de Grenoble Bastille". 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: Le Restaurant du Téléphérique ( with one of the most beautiful views of Grenoble) and Chez Le Pèr'Gras.
This palace was constructed between 1478 and 1539. It was the location of the Parlement of Dauphiné until the French Revolution. It then became a courthouse until 2002, (Place Saint Andre). The palace was extended at the end of the 19th century.
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 at the same time.[citation needed]
On display are Egyptian antiquities as well as Greek and Roman artifacts. The Museum of Grenoble ((French)Musée de Grenoble) is above all renowned for its collection of paintings that covers all the artistic evolutions.
Located in the Place Saint Laurent, the collections come from the archaeological excavations done on the site and are dated throughout the 3rd century A.D. 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-Figeac, 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[25]. Since 1978, a systematic excavation is led Loud in the setting of a regional research program on the evolution of the churches during the Middle Ages. The museum is closed for works until September 2010.
The presence of a large international community through both foreign students and foreign researchers has prompted the creation of an international school more than a decade ago. The Cité Scolaire Internationale Europole (CSI Europole) was formerly situated downtown in the Lycée International Stendhal, across from the Maison du Tourisme.
In a 1339 pontific bull, Pope Benedict XII commissioned the establishment of the University of Grenoble. In 1968 the university was relocated in a unique campus outside of the city in Saint Martin d'Hères.
It was also sub-divided into separate universities as part of educational reforms.
Grenoble Institute of Technology (INPG) is also considered as part of the University.
Grenoble is now an important university center, with more than 60,000 students including 16% from abroad[26].
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.
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.
The recent development of Minatec, a centre for innovation in micro & nanotechnology only increases the position of Grenoble as one of the European scientific centers.[27]
The city benefits from the highest concentration of strategic jobs after Paris in France (14% of the employments, 35,186 jobs, 45% of which specialized in design and research)[28]. Grenoble is also the largest research center of France after Paris with 21,000 jobs[29].
An IEP is located here, the Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble, as well as an internationally ranked business school, the Grenoble École de Management (Grenoble-EM) and Wesford Graduate Business School.
Grenoble is one of co-location centres of Knowledge and Innovation Community (Sustainable Energy) of The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) [30]
Grenoble is one of the leading European cities in term of high-tech especially bio and nano-technologies. World-renowned enterprises have settled in Grenoble and in the surrounding area.
| Enterprise, location | Number of employees |
Sector |
|---|---|---|
| STMicroelectronics, Grenoble and Crolles | 5,947 | Semiconductor manufacturing, R&D |
| Schneider Electric, Grenoble agglomeration | 5,140 | Electrical equipment, R&D |
| Caterpillar France, Grenoble and Echirolles | 2,640 | Construction of heavy equipment |
| Hewlett Packard France, Eybens | 2,000 | Computer science |
| BD, Pont-de-Claix | 1,667 | Conception and production of advanced systems for drugs administration |
| Sémitag, Eybens | 1,450 | Public Transport |
| Crédit agricole Sud Rhône-Alpes, Grenoble | 978 | Bank |
| Groupe Casino, Grenoble agglomeration | 929 | Supermarkets |
| Soitec, Bernin | 915 | Microelectronics - SOI technology |
| Siemens Transmission & Distribution, Grenoble | 800 | Electrical material |
The presence of enterprises such as HP or Caterpillar in the city results in the settlement of many American and British workers in Grenoble, especially in surrounding mountain villages. The region has the second largest English speaking community in France after Paris.[33] This community has an English speaking Church and supported the International School.[citation needed]
Grenoble hosted the 1968 Winter Olympics. The city is famous for many nearby ski resorts nestled in the surrounding mountains.
It is the home of a rugby union team FC Grenoble, a football team Grenoble Foot 38, and an ice hockey team Brûleurs de loups.
Grenoble hosts several festivals : the Grenoble Jazz Festival in March, the Open Air Short Film Festival early July and the Cabaret Frappé music festival end of July.
The Summum is the biggest concert hall in Grenoble, the most famous artists produce there, another big hall is nearby in Voiron and called Le grand angle. Smaller ones in the city include the Salle Olivier Messiaen.
The main cultural center of the city is the MC2 (Maison de la culture) that hosts music, theater and dance performances.
There are several theater in Grenoble, the main one being Grenoble Municipal Theater (Théatre de Grenoble). Others are the Théâtre de Création, the Théâtre Prémol and the Théâtre 145.
There are two main art center in Grenoble, the Centre national d'Art contemporain also called Le Magasin and the Centre d'art Bastille.
Grenoble is famous for its walnuts, for which it enjoys an appellation of controlled origin[34].
The town hosts an important Comics publisher, Glénat.
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