The population of thecommune of Grenoble was 158,198 as of 2019, while the population of theGrenoble metropolitan area (French:aire d'attraction de Grenoble oragglomération grenobloise) was 714,799 which makes it the largest metropolis in the Alps, ahead ofInnsbruck andBolzano.[3] A significant European scientific centre,[6][7] the city advertises itself as the "Capital of the Alps", due to its size and its proximity to the mountains. The many suburban communes that make up the rest of the metropolitan area include four with populations exceeding 20,000:Saint-Martin-d'Hères,Échirolles,Fontaine andVoiron.[8][9]
Grenoble's history goes back over 2,000 years, to a time when it was a village of theAllobrogesGallic tribe. It became the capital of theDauphiné in the 11th century.[10] This status, consolidated by the annexation toFrance, allowed it to develop its economy. Grenoble then became a parliamentary and military city, close to the border withSavoy, which at the time was part of theHoly Roman Empire. Industrial development increased the prominence of Grenoble through several periods of economic expansion over the last three centuries. This started with a boomingglove industry in the 18th and 19th centuries, continued with the development of a stronghydropower industry in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and ended with a post-World War II economic boom symbolized by the holding of theX Olympic Winter Games in 1968.
The city has grown to be one of Europe's most important research, technology and innovation centres, with one in five inhabitants working directly in these fields.[6][7][11] Grenoble is classified as aglobal city with the ranking of "sufficiency" by theGlobalization and World Cities Research Network. The city held the title of European Green Capital in 2022.[12]
The first references to what is now Grenoble date back to 43 BC.Cularo was at that time aGallic village of theAllobroges tribe, near a bridge across the Isère. Three centuries later and with insecurity rising in the lateRoman empire, a strongwall was built around the small town in 286 AD.[13]
TheEmperorGratian visited Cularo and, touched by the people's welcome, made the village a Roman city.[14] In honour of this, Cularo was renamedGratianopolis ("city of Gratian") in 381 (leading to Graignovol[15] during theMiddle Ages, and then Grenoble).
Christianity spread to the region during the 4th century, and thediocese of Grenoble was founded in 377 AD. From that time on, the bishops exercised significant political power over the city. Until theFrench Revolution, they styled themselves the "bishops and princes of Grenoble".[16]
Grenoble grew significantly in the 11th century when theCounts of Albon chose the city as the capital of their territories. Their possessions at the time were a patchwork of several territories sprawled across the region,[17] and the central position of Grenoble allowed the Counts to strengthen their authority. When they later adopted the title of "Dauphins", Grenoble became the capital of the State ofDauphiné.
Despite their status, the Counts had to share authority over the city with the Bishop of Grenoble. One of the most famous of those wasSaint Hugh. Under his rule, the city's bridge was rebuilt, and a regular andleper hospital was built.[18]
Coat of arms of the Dauphiné after becoming a province of France
The inhabitants of Grenoble took advantage of the conflicts between the Counts and the bishops and obtained the recognition of a Charter of Customs that guaranteed their rights.[19] That charter was confirmed by KingsLouis XI in 1447 andFrancis I in 1541.
In 1336, the last DauphinHumbert II founded a court of justice, theConseil delphinal [fr], which settled at Grenoble in 1340. He also established theUniversity of Grenoble in 1339. Without an heir and deep into debt, Humbert sold his state to France in 1349, on the condition that the heir to theFrench crown used the title ofDauphin. The first one, the futureCharles V, spent nine months in Grenoble. The city remained the capital of the Dauphiné,[10] henceforth aprovince of France, and theEstates of Dauphiné were created.
The only Dauphin who governed his province was the futureLouis 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 aParlement (the third 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 underFrancis I) and ensured that the Bishop pledged allegiance, thus unifying the political control of the city.[20]
At that time, Grenoble was a crossroads betweenVienne, Geneva, Italy, andSavoy. It was the industrial centre of the Dauphiné and the province's biggest city, but a rather small one.
Owing to Grenoble's geographical situation, French troops were garrisoned in the city and its region during theItalian Wars.Charles VIII,Louis XII, andFrancis I went several times to Grenoble. Its people consequently 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 significant prestige.[21] The best-known of its members wasBayard, "the knight without fear and beyond reproach".
Grenoble suffered as a result of theFrench Wars of Religion. The Dauphiné was indeed an important settlement for Protestants and therefore experienced several conflicts. Thebaron des Adrets, the leader of theHuguenots, pillaged theCathedral 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 ofHenry 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, theLigue, 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.[22]
Lesdiguières became the lieutenant-general of the Dauphiné and administered the Province from 1591 to 1626. He began the construction of theBastille 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.[23]
The revocation of theEdict of Nantes byLouis XIV caused the departure of 2,000 Protestants from Grenoble, weakening the city's economy.[24] However, it also weakened the competing glove industry ofGrasse, leaving the glove factories of Grenoble without any competition.[25] This allowed a stronger economic development for the city during the 18th century. At the beginning of that century, only 12 glovers made 15,000 dozen gloves each year; by 1787, 64 glovers made 160,000 dozen gloves each year.[25]
The city gained some notoriety on 7 June 1788 when the townspeople assaulted troops ofLouis XVI in the "Day of the Tiles".[10] 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, theAssembly of Vizille took place. Its members organized the meeting of the oldEstates General, thus beginning theFrench Revolution. During the Revolution, Grenoble was represented in Paris by two illustrious notables,Jean Joseph Mounier andAntoine Barnave.
The establishment of theEmpire was overwhelmingly approved (in Isère, the results showed 82,084 yes and only 12 no).[28] Grenoble welcomed for the second time a prisoner Pope in 1809.Pius VII spent 10 days in the city en route to his exile inFontainebleau.
In 1813, Grenoble was under threat from the Austrian army, which invaded Switzerland andSavoy. The well-defended city contained the Austrian attacks, and the French army defeated the Austrians, forcing them to withdraw atGeneva. However, the laterinvasion of France in 1814 resulted in the capitulation of the troops and the occupation of the city.
During hisreturn from the island ofElba in 1815, Napoleon took aroad that led him near Grenoble atLaffrey. There he met the Royalist Régiment d'Angoulême (former 5th) ofLouis XVIII'sRoyal Army. Napoleon stepped toward 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 GeneralJean Gabriel Marchand could not prevent Napoleon from entering the city through the Bonne gate. He said later: "FromCannes to Grenoble, I still was an adventurer; in that last city, I came back a sovereign".[29] But after the defeat ofWaterloo, the region suffered from a new invasion of Austrian and Sardinian troops.
Fountain of the Three Orders (1897)
The 19th century saw significant industrial development of Grenoble. The glove factories reached their Golden Age, and their products were exported to theUnited States, theUnited Kingdom, andRussia.[30]
General Haxo transformed theBastille fortress, which took on its present aspect between 1824 and 1848. TheSecond Empire saw the construction of the French railway network, and the first trains arrived at Grenoble in 1858. Shortly thereafter Grenoble experienced widespread destruction byextensive flooding in 1859.
In 1869, engineerAristide 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.[citation needed]
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 sculptorHenri Ding, the Fountain of the Three Orders, which represents three characters, is located on Place Notre-Dame. People in Grenoble interpret these characters as follows: "Is it raining?" inquires thethird estate; "Please heaven it had rained", lament theclergy; and "It will rain", proclaims thenobility.[31]
World War I accelerated Grenoble's economic development.[32] To sustain the war effort, new hydroelectric industries developed along the various rivers of the region, and several existing companies moved into the armaments industry (for example inLivet-et-Gavet). Electrochemical factories were also established in the area surrounding Grenoble, initially to produce chemical weapons. This development resulted in significant immigration to Grenoble, particularly from Italian workers who settled in the Saint-Laurent neighborhood.
Gate of the exposition in 1925
The economic development of the city was highlighted by the organization of theInternational Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism in 1925, which was visited by more than 1 million people.[33][circular reference] The organization of this exhibition forced the military to remove the old city walls and allowed the expansion of the city to the south. This exhibition also highlighted the city's hydropower industry and the region's tourist attractions.
The site of the exhibition became an urban park in 1926, namedParc Paul Mistral after the death of the mayor in 1932. The only building of this exhibition remaining in the park is the crumblingTour Perret, which has been closed to the public since 1960 due to its very poor state of maintenance.
During World War II, at theBattle of France, the German invasion was stopped near Grenoble atVoreppe by the forces ofGeneral Cartier. The French forces resisted until the armistice, after which Grenoble was part of theFrench State before an Italian occupation from 1942 to 1943. The relative tolerance of the Italian occupiers towards the Jewish populations resulted in a significant number moving to the region from the German-occupied parts of France.[34]
Grenoble was extremely active in theRésistance against the occupation. Its action was symbolized by figures such asEugène Chavant, Léon Martin, andMarie Reynoard.[35] The University of Grenoble supported the clandestine operations and provided false documentation for young people to prevent them from being assigned toSTO.
In September 1943, German troops occupied Grenoble, escalating the conflict with the clandestine movements. On 11 November 1943 (the anniversary of thearmistice 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".[36] From these events, Grenoble was styled by theFree French Forces the title ofCapital of theMaquis on the antennas of theBBC.[37]
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 theNormandy landing, resistance operations reached their peak, with numerous attacks considerably hampering the activity of German troops. With thelanding in Provence, German troops evacuated the city on 22 August 1944. On 5 November 1944, GeneralCharles de Gaulle came to Grenoble and bestowed on the city theCompagnon de la Libération to recognise "a heroic city at the peak of the French resistance and combat for the liberation".[35]
In 1955, futurephysics Nobel Prize laureateLouis 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.
Grenoble is surrounded by mountains. To the north lies theChartreuse, to the south and west theVercors, and to the east theBelledonne range. Grenoble is regarded as the capital of the French Alps. It is the centre of theGrenoble urban unit (agglomeration).[40]
Except for a few dozen houses on the slopes of theBastille hill of Chartreuse, Grenoble is exclusively built on the alluvial plain of the riversIsère andDrac at an altitude of 214 metres (702 ft). As a result, the city itself is extremely flat. Mountain sports are an important tourist attraction in summer and winter. Twenty large and small ski resorts surround the city, the nearest beingLe Sappey-en-Chartreuse, which is about 15 minutes away by car.
Historically, Grenoble and the surrounding areas were heavy industry and mining sites.[41] Abandoned mills and factories can be found in small towns and villages, and a few have been converted to tourist attractions, such as the coal mine atLa Mure.
The climate in Grenoble depends on the data from the chosen weather station.Grenoble Airport, located40 km northwest of the city has a range fromtemperate continental climate tooceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb,Trewartha: Dc, Do) depending on the chosen classifications. The area contains significant seasonal differences between warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. Both temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) for the summer months and winterair frosts are common.
In addition, the climate is much gloomier than in the Mediterranean region, although less so than in Northern France. Rainfall is quite heavy by French standards, although the number of rainy days is relatively moderate.
As a result of winter lows averaging below freezing, snowfall also occurs, although the Grenoble Airport area itself is too mild to sustain a snowpack all winter, unlike the surrounding mountains. The record low of −27.1 °C (−16.8 °F) decisively indicates the continental influence, being colder than records in typical maritime climates. Winter nights are also colder than in all other French lowland areas.
The Grenoble metropolitan area experiences two different microclimates: one more windy and cold to the west, the other, on the contrary, not very windy and warmer to the east.
However, the city of Grenoble features ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) with no dry season. Although the record is incomplete, the newer station will meet the humid subtropical classification if maintained for the required 30-year period.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found onPhabricator and onMediaWiki.org.
The Bouchayer-Viallet site is a powerful symbol of Grenoble's industrial past.[48] This former factory is now converted into a dual-purpose area more closely linked to the Berriat neighbourhood. Innovative business activities asApple Inc.[49] co-exist with housing, sporting facilities, contemporary music venue and arts centres asLe Magasin. At the entrance to the Bouchayer-Viallet site, Square des Fusillés has been redeveloped and extended taking over an old car park, to facilitate access from the tramway stop and Cours Berriat.
Redevelopment of the former De Bonne barracks was an important step in the drive to launchsustainable housing in France. In 2009, the site of De Bonne was distinguished as the best eco-neighborhood in France.[50] A shopping mall contains 53 shops arranged around an inner concourse, with one side opening onto the park and the other connecting to the town.
TheBastille, an ancient series of fortifications on the mountainside, overlooks Grenoble on the northern side and is visible from many points in the city. The Bastille is one of Grenoble's most visited tourist attractions and provides a good vantage point over both the town below and the surrounding mountains.
"Les Bulles": the cable cars
The Bastille fort was begun in theMiddle Ages, and later centuries 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. It then held an important strategic point on the FrenchAlpine frontier with theKingdom of Sardinia.[51]
The first cable transport system, installed on the Bastille in 1875, was built by the Porte de France Cement Company for freight. This cable transport system connected a quarry on Mount Jalla, just over the Bastille, and Grenoble. It was abandoned in the early 20th century.
Since 1934, the Bastille has been the destination of the "Grenoble-Bastille cable car". This system of mostly transparent egg-shapedcable cars known to locals as "Les Bulles" (the bubbles) provides the occupants with an excellent view over theIsère. At the top are two restaurants and installed in the casemates of the fort itself since June 2006, the Bastille Art Centre allows visitors to see contemporary art exhibitions. There is also a small military museum on mountain troops (Musée des troupes de montagne) and, since 2000, a memorial to the mountain troops (Mémorial national des troupes de montagne) further along the road, on top of the hill.
This renaissance palace was constructed at the Place Saint André around 1500 and extended in 1539. It was the location of theParlement ofDauphiné until theFrench Revolution. It then became the Grenoble courthouse, until the courts were moved to a modern building in 2002. The left wing of the palace was extended in 1897. The front of the former seat of the nearby Dauphiné Parlement combines elements from a gothic chapel and a Renaissance façade.[52]
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.[53]
The city's most prized museum, theMuseum of Grenoble (Musée de Grenoble), welcomes 200,000 visitors a year. It is primarily renowned for its extensive paintings collection, which covers Western paintings from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. In the early 20th century, the Museum of Grenoble became the first French museum to open its collections to modern art, and its collection of modern and contemporary art has grown to become one of the largest in Europe. The painting holdings include works by painters such asVeronese,Rubens,Zurbarán,Ingres,Delacroix,Renoir,Gauguin,Signac,Monet,Matisse,Picasso,Kandinsky,Joan Miró,Paul Klee,Giorgio de Chirico andAndy Warhol. The museum also presents a few Egyptian antiquities as well as Greek and Roman artifacts. The Sculpture collection features works byAuguste Rodin,Matisse,Alberto Giacometti andAlexander Calder. In April 2010, theprophetess of Antinoe, a 6th-century mummy discovered in 1907 in theCopticnecropolis ofAntinoe in Middle Egypt, returned to the Museum of Grenoble, after more than fifty years of absence and extensive restoration.
Archaeological museum with the vestiges protected by a new cover of glass and metal (Place Saint-Laurent)
Situated on the right bank of the Isère, on Place Saint-Laurent, theGrenoble Archaeological Museum presents the archaeological excavations done on its location. The vestiges date back to the 3rd century AD and provide a timeline of the history of Christianity in the region. The museum is situated below a 12th-century Benedictine church, under whichJacques Joseph Champollion-Figeac, brother of famed egyptologistJean-François Champollion, discovered a 6th-century AD church in 1803. It was one of the first classified monuments in France thanks to the intervention ofProsper Mérimée, historic monument inspector.[54] Systematic excavations were conducted from 1978 to 2011, as part of a regional research program on the evolution of churches during the Middle Ages. After eight years of work, the museum reopened on 6 May 2011.
TheMusée de l'Ancien Évêché is the second archaeological museum in the city and is located near theGrenoble Cathedral. Installed in 1998, it houses the first baptistery of the city.
The large community of both foreign students and foreign researchers prompted the creation of an international school. TheCité Scolaire Internationale Europole (CSI Europole) was formerly housed within theLycée Stendhal across from theMaison du Tourisme, but later moved to its own building in theEuropole [fr] district. In the centre of the city, two high schools have provided education to the isérois for more than three centuries. The oldest one, theLycée Stendhal, was founded in 1651[55] as a Jesuit College. An astronomical and astrological sundial created in the college's main building in 1673 can still be visited today. The second-oldest higher education establishment in Grenoble is theLycée Champollion, completed in 1887 to offer an excellent education to both high school students and students of preparatory classes.
In 1965, the university mostly relocated from downtown to a suburban main campus outside of the city inSaint Martin d'Hères (with some parts inGières). However, smaller campuses remain both downtown and in the northwestern part of the city known as thePolygone Scientifique ("Scientific Polygon").
From 1970 to 2015, the university was divided into four separate institutions sharing the campus grounds, some buildings and laboratories, and even part of their administration:
Grenoble is a major scientific centre, especially in the fields ofphysics,computer science, andapplied mathematics:Universite Joseph Fourier (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.[58]
In order to foster this technological cluster university institutions and research organizations united to create theGIANT (Grenoble Innovation for Advanced New Technologies) Campus[62] with the aim at becoming one of the world's top campuses in research (CEA, CNRS), higher education (INP-UGA, Grenoble Ecole de Management), and high tech.[63]
The city benefits from the highest concentration of strategic jobs in France after Paris, with 14% of the employments, 35,186 jobs, 45% of which specialized in design and research.[64] Grenoble is also the largest research center in France after Paris with 22,800 jobs (11,800 in public research, 7,500 in private research and 3,500 PhD students).[65]
Grenoble is also renowned for the excellence of its academic research in humanities and political sciences.[citation needed] Its universities, alongside public scientific institutions, host some of the largest research centres in France (in fields such as political science, urban planning or thesociology of organizations).[citation needed]
Industry occupies a large part of the local economy. High-tech industries have a significant presence, especially in the field of semiconductors, electronics, andbiotechnology.STMicroelectronics,Schneider Electric andSoitec have major manufacturing and R&D facilities. Traditional industries in fields such as heavy equipment manufacturing and chemistry are still present and includeCaterpillar,GE Renewable Energy, andArkema.
The town was once famous forglove manufacturing, for whichXavier Jouvin [fr] introduced an innovative technique in the 19th century.[67] A few small companies continue to produce gloves for a very high-end market.
The presence of companies such as HP or Caterpillar in the area has drawn many American and British workers to Grenoble, especially in the surrounding mountain villages. The region has the second largest English-speaking community in France, after Paris.[69] That community has an English-speaking Church and supports the International School.[70] Many of these Americans, British, Australians etc. go to Grenoble with the intention of returning home after some time but the mountains and general lifestyle often keep them there. Some choose to put their children in the international school "cité internationale", while the "American School of Grenoble" is the alternative for those who prefer to have the core curriculum in English. With numerous associations like Open House, this large English-speaking population organizes family events making life in Grenoble harder to turn away from.[71]
Thevia ferrata Grenoble is a climbing route located on the hill of the Bastille in Grenoble.
The abundance of natural sites around Grenoble as well as the particular influence of mountaineering practices and history make many Grenoble inhabitants very fond of sports and outdoor activities (e.g., hiking, mountain biking,backcountry skiing,rock climbing, andparagliding). TheTour de France cycling race regularly passes through the city.
A comprehensive bus and tram service operates 26 bus routes and fivetram lines. It serves much of greater Grenoble, while a new cable car system known as theMétrocâble is considered for construction. Being essentially flat, Grenoble is also a bicycle-friendly city.
TheGare de Grenoble is served by theTGV rail network, with frequent high-speed services (3 hours) to and fromParis-Gare de Lyon, usually with a stop atLyon Saint-Exupéry Airport. While Grenoble is not directly on any high-speed line, TGVs can run at reduced speeds on the classic network and enable such connections.Local rail services connect Grenoble withLyon, and less frequently toGeneva, toValence, and to destinations to the south.Valence and Lyon to the west provides connections with TGV services along the Rhône Valley. Rail and road connections to the south are less developed.
Highways link Grenoble to the other major cities in the area including theA48 autoroute to the northwest towardLyon, theA49 to the southwest toward the Rhone valley viaValence, theA41 to the northeast towardChambéry, the Alps, and Italy and Switzerland.
A partial ring road around the south of the city, the Rocade Sud, connects the motorway arriving from the northwest (A48) with that arriving from the northeast (A41). A project to complete the ring road, with a tunnel under the Bastille as part of the likely routes, was rejected after its environmental impact studies.[74]
From 2014 to 2017, the city of Grenoble tested the rental of seventyI-Road electric vehicles.
In 2016, the speed limit was lowered to 30 km/h (19 mph) on 80% of the streets of Grenoble and forty-two neighboring municipalities, to both improve safety and reduce pollution levels. The limit, however, remains 50 km/h (31 mph) on the main arteries.[75]
TheSummum is the biggest concert hall in Grenoble, and the most famous artists produce there. Another big hall,Le grand angle, is located nearby inVoiron. Smaller halls in the city include theSalle Olivier Messiaen in theMinim Monastery.
The main cultural center of the city is calledMC2 (forMaison de la culture, version 2), which hosts music, theater, and dance performances. TheConservatory of Grenoble is founded in 1935.
There are several theaters in Grenoble, the main one being Grenoble Municipal Theatre (Théatre de Grenoble). Others are theThéâtre de Création, theThéâtre Prémol, and theThéâtre 145. Grenoble also hostsUpstage Productions, which performs once a year through an exclusively English speaking troupe.
There are two main art centres in Grenoble: theCentre national d'Art contemporain (also calledLe Magasin) and theCentre d'art Bastille.
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