Isère is a department in the
Rhône-AlpesRhône-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...
(
Rôno-Arpes in Arpitan)
regionFrance 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...
in the east of
FranceThe 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...
named after the river Isère.
History
Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the
French RevolutionThe 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...
on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of
DauphinéThe 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....
. Its area has been reduced twice, in 1852 and again in 1967, on both occasions losing territory to the department of Rhône.
In 1852 in response to rapid urban development round the edge of
LyonLyon , 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 (hitherto Isère) communes of
BronBron is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It lies east of Lyon. It is the sixth-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is adjacent to its east side. It forms part of the Urban Community of Lyon.-History:...
,
Vaulx-en-VelinVaulx-en-Velin is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is the fifth-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is located to its northeast, on the Rhône River.-Transport:*Metro line A*Tram T3...
,
VénissieuxVénissieux is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. It is the second-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is adjacent to the southeast.-Transport:...
and
VilleurbanneVilleurbanne is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris. Villeurbanne is the second-largest city in the department.-History:The current location of...
were transferred to Rhône. In 1967 the redrawing of local government frontiers led to the creation of the
Urban Community of LyonThe Urban Community of Lyon , also known as Grand Lyon or by its former acronym COURLY, is the intercommunal structure gathering the city of Lyon and some of its suburbs....
(more recently known simply as Greater Lyon / Grand Lyon). At that time intercommunal groupings of this nature were not permitted to straddle departmental frontiers, and accordingly 23 more Isère communes (along with 6 communes from
AinAin is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
) found themselves transferred to Rhône. The affected Isère communes were
ChaponnayChaponnay is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France....
,
ChassieuChassieu is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France....
,
CommunayCommunay is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France....
,
CorbasCorbas is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-Demographics:...
,
Décines-CharpieuDécines-Charpieu is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-People:* Cédric Bardon - footballer* Jean Djorkaeff - footballer* Youri Djorkaeff - footballer* Abdelkader Ghezzal - footballer* Kamel Ramdani - footballer...
,
FeyzinFeyzin is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.Feyzin takes part of Grand Lyon.The refinery near Feyzin was the location of an explosion and fire on January 4, 1966 which resulted in the deaths of 18 people and the injury of 81.-Transports:...
,
GenasGenas is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is located approximately 9 miles east-southeast of Lyon.The town includes the hamlets of Azieu and Vurey, and has a total population of approximately 11,895.-Transportation:...
,
JonageJonage is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France....
,
JonsJONS is a Spanish acronym for Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista. See FalangeJons is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France....
,
MarennesMarennes may refer to two communes in France:*Marennes, Charente-Maritime, in the Poitou-Charentes region*Marennes, Rhône, in the Rhône-Alpes region...
,
MeyzieuMeyzieu is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-External links:*...
,
MionsMions is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. The residents of the city are called Miolands and Miolandes....
,
PusignanPusignan is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France....
,
Saint-Bonnet-de-MureSaint-Bonnet-de-Mure is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-References:*...
,
Saint-Laurent-de-MureSaint-Laurent-de-Mure is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.A small village not too far from France's second largest city Lyon. Within an easy commute of the city centre on the last exit before the toll road Péage and also for the local international airport Lyon-Saint Exupéry...
,
Saint-Pierre-de-ChandieuSaint-Pierre-de-Chandieu is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-References:*...
,
Saint-Priest-Places:Saint-Priest is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Saint-Priest, Rhône, in the Rhône département* Saint-Priest, Ardèche, in the Ardèche département* Saint-Priest, Creuse, in the Creuse département...
,
Saint-Symphorien-d'OzonSaint-Symphorien-d'Ozon is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-References:*...
,
Sérézin-du-RhôneSérézin-du-Rhône is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-References:*...
,
SimandresSimandres is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France....
,
SolaizeSolaize is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France....
,
TernayTernay may refer to the following places in France:* Ternay, Loir-et-Cher, a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department* Ternay, Rhône, a commune in the Rhône department* Ternay, Vienne, a commune in the Vienne department* Ternay River, a river in France...
and
ToussieuToussieu is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France....
.
Most recently, on 1 April 1971,
Colombier-SaugnieuColombier-Saugnieu is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.-Geography:The Bourbre forms part of the commune's eastern border.* Zone served by -References:*...
was lost to Rhône. Banners appeared in the commune's three little villages at the time proclaiming "
DauphinoisThe 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....
toujours"
(Always Dauphinois)
Isère was also the name of the French ship which delivered the 214 boxes holding the
Statue of LibertyThe Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
.
Geography
Isère is part of the current region of
Rhône-AlpesRhône-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...
and is surrounded by the departments of Rhône,
AinAin is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
,
SavoieSavoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
,
Hautes-AlpesHautes-Alpes is a department in southeastern France named after the Alps mountain range.- History :Hautes-Alpes is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
,
DrômeDrôme , 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...
,
ArdècheArdèche 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 ,...
, and
LoireLoire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
.
Isère includes a part of the French
AlpsThe 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....
. The highest point in the department is the Sub-Peak "Pic Lory" at 4,088 metres, subsidiary to the Barre des Ecrins. The summit of La Meije at 3,988 metres is also very known. The
Vercors PlateauThe 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...
dominates the west of the department.
Politics
The President of the General Council is
André ValliniAndré Vallini is a French politician. He is President of the General Council for Isère.- Notes and References :...
of the
Socialist PartyThe Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
.
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Socialist PartyThe Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
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Union for a Popular MovementThe Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
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Miscellaneous Right Miscellaneous Right in France refers to right-wing candidates that are not member of any large party. They either include small right-wing parties, dissidents expelled from their parties for running against their party's candidate, as well as candidates who were never formal members of a party...
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French Communist Party The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
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Miscellaneous Left Miscellaneous Left in France refers to left-wing candidates that are not member of any large party. They either include small left-wing parties or dissidents expelled from their parties for running against their party's candidate. Numerous DVG candidates are elected at a local level, and a smaller...
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The GreensThe Greens were a Green political party to the centre-left of the political spectrum in France. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974...
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Culture
The
Grande ChartreuseGrande Chartreuse is the head monastery of the Carthusian order. It is located in the Chartreuse Mountains, north of the city of Grenoble, in the commune of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse , France. Originally, the château belonged to the See of Grenoble...
is the mother abbey of the
CarthusianThe Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
order. It is located 14 miles north of Grenoble.
As early as the 13th century, residents of the north and central parts of Isère spoke a dialect of the
Franco-Provençal languageFranco-Provençal , Arpitan, or Romand is a Romance language with several distinct dialects that form a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I...
called
DauphinoisDauphinois is a dialect of the Arpitan language, which is spoken in Isère département, roughly formerly Bas-Dauphiné, in France. The extreme South of the Dauphiné is within the area of the Occitan language....
. It continued to be spoken in rural areas of Isère into the 20th century.
Tourism
Isère features many
ski resortA ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
s, including the
Alpe d'HuezL'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
,
Les Deux AlpesLes 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...
, the
1968 Winter OlympicsThe 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...
resorts of Chamrousse, Villard de Lans, Autrans. Other popular resorts include Les 7 Laux, Le Collet d'Allevard, Méaudre, Saint Pierre de Chartreuse, Alpe du Grand Serre, Gresse en Vercors.
Grenoble has a dozen museums, including the most famous created in Grenoble in 1798, the
Museum of GrenobleThe 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...
.
It comes as the third largest ski & winter destination of France after Savoie (Tignes, the 3 Valleys...) and Haute-Savoie (Chamonix, Morzine...) and before Hautes-Alpes (Serre-Chevalier, Montgenèvre, etc.) It also hosts
Coupe IcareCoupe Icare is an annual festival of free flight held at Saint-Hilaire, Isère - Lumbin . The festival typically lasts four days and is held in the early autumn...
, an annual festival of free flight, such as
paraglidingParagliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
and hang-gliding, held at the world-renowned paragliding site at
LumbinLumbin is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Isère department* Funiculaire de Saint-Hilaire du Touvet...
.
Miscellaneous Topics
Poma (ski-lifts) and Rossignol (ski and winter surf company) are headquartered in Isère, near Grenoble.
Other companies include STMicroelectronics France, Schneider Electric SA, Caterpillar France SAS, Hewlett Packard, Becton Dickinson France SAS, Soitec, Siemens, Teisseire.
Isère produces the following cheeses:
Bleu du Vercors-SassenageBleu du Vercors-Sassenage is a mild pasteurized natural rind cow's milk blue cheese originally produced by monks in the Rhône-Alpes region of France in the 14th century. Now made in the Dauphiné area, the cheese has been a protected Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée since 1998. As a requirement, the...
, an
Appellation d'Origine ContrôléeAppellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
cheese, and
Saint-MarcellinSaint-Marcellin is a soft French cheese made from cow's milk. Named after the small town of Saint-Marcellin , it is produced in a geographical area corresponding to part of the former Dauphiné province . It is generally small in size, weighing about 80 grams , with a mottled creamy-white exterior...
.
See also
- Cantons of the Isère department
- Communes of the Isère department
- Arrondissements of the Isère department