Valence (, ; ) is a commune in southeastern France, the prefecture of the
Drôme
Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
. It is situated on the left bank of the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
, about south of
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, along the railway line that runs from Paris to
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
.
It is the eighth-largest city in the region by its population and has 64,726 registered inhabitants in 2018 (132,556 inhabitants in the urban area ('' unité urbaine''). The city is divided into four
cantons
A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, th ...
.
Located in the heart of the Rhone corridor, Valence is often referred to as "the door to the
South of France
Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...
", the local saying ''à Valence le Midi commence'' ("at Valence the Midi begins") pays tribute to the city's southern culture. Between Vercors and
Provence
Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
, its geographical location attracts many tourists. Axes of transport and communications are the A7 and A49 autoroutes, the RN7, Paris/Marseille TGV line, as well as the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
. In addition, the Valence agglomeration is equipped with a , a , two railway stations ( Valence-Ville and Valence-TGV) and an
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
. Its business is essentially turned towards the sectors of
agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
,
metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys.
Metallurgy encompasses both the ...
,
engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
and
electronics
Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...
.
The commune, founded in 121 BC, after the invasion of
Gallia Narbonensis
Gallia Narbonensis (Latin for "Gaul of Narbonne", from its chief settlement) was a Roman province located in Occitania and Provence, in Southern France. It was also known as Provincia Nostra ("Our Province"), because it was the first ...
by the Romans, it moved quickly to become the largest crossroad behind
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
. With its growing importance, Valence gained the status of Roman colony. Over the centuries, the town grew and grew. Today, many vestiges of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
,
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
, but also from the 17th century, 18th century and 19th century are visible in the city centre. The city is historically attached to the
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was ...
, of which it forms the second largest city after
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
and is today part of the network of
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'' ("Towns and Lands of Art and ...
. Formerly the duchy of Valentinois, it was ruled by the
Duke of Valentinois
Duke 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. Though it originally indicated admin ...
, a title which is still claimed by the
Sovereign Prince of Monaco
The sovereign prince () is the monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All reigning princes and princesses have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi. When Prince Rainier III died in 2005, he was Europe's longest reigning m ...
, though he has no actual administrative control over the area.
Monuments in Valence include the , built between 1528 and 1532 by Antoine de Dorne, the Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral, built between 1063 and 1099 under the leadership of Bishop Gontard and also the designed by the architect Eugène Poitoux. The city has many , most of which are in . Inscribed on the list of floral towns and villages of France, Valence is one of the seventeen municipalities of the Rhône-Alpes region to be labeled "four flowers" by the '' Concours des villes et villages fleuris'', i.e. the maximum level.
History
The
demonym
A demonym (; ) or 'gentilic' () is a word that identifies a group of people ( inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place ( hamlet, village, town, city, region, ...
corresponding to Valence is ''Valentinois'', but " Valentinois" also designates a geographical area, and one of the old
provinces of France
Under the Ancien Régime, the Kingdom of France was subdivided in multiple different ways (judicial, military, ecclesiastical, etc.) into several administrative units, until the National Constituent Assembly adopted a more uniform division into ...
, with its capital Valence having been part of the province of
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was ...
.
The word ''valence'' comes from Latin ''valentia'', meaning "strength or capacity". Known in Roman times as ''Valentia Julia'', the city had been the capital of the Segovellauni, and the seat of a celebrated school prior to the Roman conquest. It became a colony under
Augustus
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...
Valentinian I
Valentinian I (; 32117 November 375), also known as Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. He ruled the Western Roman Empire, Western half of the empire, while his brother Valens ruled the Byzantine Empire, East. During his re ...
. It was the seat of a
bishopric
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
perhaps as early as the 4th century.
In the 5th century, control of Valentia passed from the Romans to the
Alans
The Alans () were an ancient and medieval Iranian peoples, Iranic Eurasian nomads, nomadic pastoral people who migrated to what is today North Caucasus – while some continued on to Europe and later North Africa. They are generally regarded ...
and other
barbarians
A barbarian is a person or tribe of people that is perceived to be primitive, savage and warlike. Many cultures have referred to other cultures as barbarians, sometimes out of misunderstanding and sometimes out of prejudice.
A "barbarian" may ...
: in 413, the
Goths
The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...
under Ataulf besieged and captured the brother of the usurper Jovinus, Sebastianus, at Valentia on behalf of the emperor
Honorius
Honorius (; 9 September 384 – 15 August 423) was Roman emperor from 393 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla. After the death of Theodosius in 395, Honorius, under the regency of Stilicho ...
. In 440,
Alans
The Alans () were an ancient and medieval Iranian peoples, Iranic Eurasian nomads, nomadic pastoral people who migrated to what is today North Caucasus – while some continued on to Europe and later North Africa. They are generally regarded ...
led by Sambida were given deserted lands in Valentia by the Romans. Three years later, Aetius settled the
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an early Germanic peoples, Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared east in the middle Rhine region in the third century AD, and were later moved west into the Roman Empire, in Roman Gaul, Gaul. In the first and seco ...
in the region, under King Gondioc which became part of the
Kingdom of the Burgundians
The Kingdom of the Burgundians, or First Kingdom of Burgundy, was established by Germanic Burgundians in the Rhineland and then in eastern Gaul in the 5th century.
History Background
The Burgundians, a Germanic tribe, may have migrated from the ...
. His son,
Chilperic II
Chilperic II ( 672 – 13 February 721) was King of the Franks from 715 until his death.
He was a son of Childeric II and his half-cousin wife, Bilichild, both of whom were assassinated, along with their eldest son Dagobert, in 675. Still a ...
, ruled Valence from 473 to 493 when he was slain by his brother
Gundobad
Gundobad (; ; 452 – 516) was King of the Burgundians (473–516), succeeding his father Gundioc of Burgundy. Previous to this, he had been a patrician of the moribund Western Roman Empire in 472–473, three years before its collapse, suc ...
. Chilperic's daughter
Clotilde
Clotilde ( 474 – 3 June 545 in Burgundy, France) (also known as Clotilda (Fr.), Chlothilde (Ger.) Chlothieldis, Chlotichilda, Clodechildis, Croctild, Crote-hild, Hlotild, Rhotild, and many other forms), is a saint and was a Queen of the Fran ...
King of the Franks
The Franks, Germanic peoples that invaded the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, were first led by individuals called dux, dukes and monarch, reguli. The earliest group of Franks that rose to prominence was the Salian Franks, Salian Mero ...
, in 493. Clovis's son
Childebert I
Childebert I ( 496 – 13 December 558) was a Frankish King of the Merovingian dynasty, as third of the four sons of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511. He was one of the sons of Saint Clo ...
attacked the Burgundians in 534, adding their territory to the
Frankish Kingdom
The Kingdom of the Franks (), also known as the Frankish Kingdom, or just Francia, was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Frankish Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties during the Early Middle A ...
. The city then fell successively under the power of the
Franks
file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty
The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...
, the Arabs of Spain, the sovereigns of
Arles
Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...
counts of Toulouse
The count of Toulouse (, ) was the ruler of county of Toulouse, Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the kingdom of the Franks, Frankish kings,
the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surrounding ...
, 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
Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...
and put on an equal footing with those of the rest of
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was ...
, the bishops consenting to recognize the suzerainty of the dauphin. In the 16th century Valence became the centre of Protestantism for the province in 1563. The town was fortified by King Francis I. It became the seat of a celebrated university in the middle of the 15th century; but the revocation of the
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes () was an edict signed in April 1598 by Henry IV of France, King Henry IV and granted the minority Calvinism, Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantl ...
in 1685 struck a fatal blow at its industry, commerce and population.
Toponymy
The conquest of
Gaul
Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...
by
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
made the Rhône corridor a major north-south communication axis, linking with the new Roman possessions around the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. Many settlements were founded, including ''Valentia'', a Latin name meaning "valiant, strong", in the territory of the Segovellauni.
The town is named ''Valença'' in
Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
Mistralian norm
The Mistralian norm is a linguistic norm for the Occitan language
Occitan (; ), also known by its native speakers as (; ), sometimes also referred to as Provençal, is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan ...
).
Heraldry
Antiquity
At the end of prehistory
The city of
Massalia
Massalia (; ) was an ancient Greek colonisation, Greek colony (''apoikia'') on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast, east of the Rhône. Settled by the Ionians from Phocaea in 600 BC, this ''apoikia'' grew up rapidly, and its population se ...
, long on good terms with Rome, asked it for help against the Salyes who had ravaged its territory. The intervention of the Romans, from 125 BC, assured its safety but the war continued against the
Allobroges
The Allobroges (Gaulish language, Gaulish: *''Allobrogis'', 'foreigner, exiled'; ) were a Gauls, Gallic people dwelling in a large territory between the Rhône river and the Alps during the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman period.
The Allob ...
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
and
Isère
Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.
) according to
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...
(''
Geographica
The ''Geographica'' (, ''Geōgraphiká''; or , "Strabo's 17 Books on Geographical Topics") or ''Geography'', is an encyclopedia of geographical knowledge, consisting of 17 'books', written in Greek in the late 1st century BC, or early 1st cen ...
'', IV, 1, 11).
Orosius
Paulus Orosius (; born 375/385 – 420 AD), less often Paul Orosius in English, was a Roman priest, historian and theologian, and a student of Augustine of Hippo. It is possible that he was born in '' Bracara Augusta'' (now Braga, Portugal), ...
noted that
Gaius Marius
Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbrian War, Cimbric and Jugurthine War, Jugurthine wars, he held the office of Roman consul, consul an unprecedented seven times. Rising from a fami ...
, who was sent by Rome to stop the
Cimbri
The Cimbri (, ; ) were an ancient tribe in Europe. Ancient authors described them variously as a Celtic, Gaulish, Germanic, or even Cimmerian people. Several ancient sources indicate that they lived in Jutland, which in some classical texts was ...
and the
Teutons
The Teutons (, ; ) were an ancient northern European tribe mentioned by Roman authors. The Teutons are best known for their participation, together with the Cimbri and other groups, in the Cimbrian War with the Roman Republic in the late seco ...
, had established his camp not far from the confluence of the Rhône and the Isère. The excavations on the upper part of the plateau of Lautagne ( south of the centre of Valence) revealed the presence of devices of a defensive nature dating from the 1st century BC: Thus the foundation of the city could have come from a Roman military camp.
Even under the Roman domination, the Allobroges tribe established themselves north of Isère, and repeatedly rebelled against the Roman occupation. The was the last to take place, identifiable with the modern commune of Soyons (''Solo'' by
Livy
Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...
,
Epitome
An epitome (; , from ἐπιτέμνειν ''epitemnein'' meaning "to cut short") is a summary or miniature form, or an instance that represents a larger reality, also used as a synonym for embodiment. Epitomacy represents "to the degree of." A ...
103) in 62 BC.
The selection of the site
The city of ''Valentia'' was established on a terrace on the left bank of the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
river, south of the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...
of the
Isère
Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.
and from the
Drôme
Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
.
This geographical situation is understood by the crossing of several routes of transport and communications:
*''Valentia'' had a privileged place in north-south trade through the Rhône and at the ''
Via Agrippa
''Via Agrippa'', is any stretch of the network of Roman roads in Gaul that was built in the last century BCE by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, to whom Augustus, Octavian entrusted the reorganization of the Gauls. In all, the Romans built of roads in ...
''.
*''Valentia'' was part of east-west routes since the different paths, which traversed the plain from the Isère Valley and the Drôme (), converged on the city. The ''Rhône'' was crossed at Valence on a ferry, by ford or over a bridge.
The ancient city
The city of Valence, as many
Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...
cities, received an orthonormal plan. The orientation of the urban streets network successively followed cadastres "A" inclined N, 12°30'E and "B", inclined N, 23°E, in the Valence plain.
We know the ''
decumanus
In Roman urban planning, a ''decumanus'' was an east–west-oriented road in a Ancient Rome, Roman city or ''Castra, castrum'' (military camp). The main ''decumanus'' of a particular city was the ''decumanus maximus'', or most often simply "the ...
'' of the city thanks to the discovery of a pavement and a sewer a few metres north of the city hall. The ''
cardo
A ''cardo'' (: ''cardines'') was a north–south street in Ancient Rome, ancient Roman cities and military castra, camps as an integral component of Urban planning, city planning. The ''cardo maximus'', or most often the ''cardo'', was the main ...
'' of the urban network was the ''
Via Agrippa
''Via Agrippa'', is any stretch of the network of Roman roads in Gaul that was built in the last century BCE by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, to whom Augustus, Octavian entrusted the reorganization of the Gauls. In all, the Romans built of roads in ...
'' that crossed the city in a straight line from the southern gate of the city to the old gate and Tower of Aion, north of the city, which later became "Tourdeon" (now destroyed).
It was along the ''Via Agrippa'' that a '' forum'' was located, probably surrounded by a '' civil basilica'', ''
curia
Curia (: curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally probably had wider powers, they came to meet ...
'', a ''
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
'', etc., of which the location is unknown.
To the south of the presumed forum site, between the ''Rue du Théâtre'' and ''Rue Vernoux'' the ruins of the ''
thermae
In ancient Rome, (from Greek , "hot") and (from Greek ) were facilities for bathing. usually refers to the large Roman Empire, imperial public bath, bath complexes, while were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed i ...
'' were discovered. This thermal water supply, and more generally that of the city of ''Valentia'', was thanks to the numerous springs in the vicinity. The site of Valence still presents a dense network of streams and canals born of the overflow of water which escapes in sources at the foot of the terraces, forming, in the east, a curved line from the source of the Treuil up to the Fountain of Malcontents, and near the Rhône and the lower town, a quasi-parallel line to the river from the Saint-Pierre source until the descent of the ''Boulevard Gambetta''. Thus, the Chony quarter (in the current commune of
Bourg-lès-Valence
Bourg-lès-Valence (; ) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is a suburb of Valence. The archaeologist and Hellenist Fernand Courby (1878–1932) was born in Bourg-lès-Valence.
In 2014–2019, Bourg-lès-Valence ...
), were found remains of pipes that belonged to the aqueduct that brought water from the source of the Treuil to Valence.
All around the current cathedral were discovered fragments of architecture probably belonging to a large temple.
The city had entertainment facilities:
*A
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...
whose memory would be preserved in the name of the Cire quarter ("Siry" in the Middle Ages).
*An
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...
, was on the edge of the Rhône, outside of the enclosure or near the New Gate.
*A Côte Sainte-Ursule theatre: Three surveys have revealed the orchestra, traces of large markets and large wall elements. It was located at the northern edge of the city.
*An odeon whose curvature would be materialized by the ''Rue du Croissant''. In fact, the foundations of an odeon were found during the construction of the new museum, in the and its outline is materialised on the ground at the entrance to the museum.
The city was surrounded by ramparts from the early
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
. This was constructed between 15 BC and 15 AD. In 1869, excavations to the south of the old town revealed the existence of a monumental gate defended by two protruding towers. The façade, or at least the pillars which were observed during the excavation, was covered with a large piece of sandstone and adorned with a frieze of military trophies: shields, leggings and breastplates.
Houses settled around the city, outside the city walls.
*To the east of the city of ''Valentia'', not far from the (in the direction of Die and Gap), in the current ''Rue Faventines''.
*To the west, in the Nonniers quarter, in the commune of Guilherand-Granges (right bank of the Rhône, facing Valence): A bridge or a ferry connecting the banks of the river.
The ancient port was perhaps on the territory of the current commune of Bourg-les-Valence.
Numerous tombs were crowded at the exit of the city, along the tracks: Several burial grounds were discovered in the east and south of the ancient city.
Late antiquity
During the first centuries of the Christian era, Valence became an important road junction on maps and routes, and the late
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
, this city retained its privileged position.
However, as early as the 4th century, ''Valentia'' faced many raids but the city within the ramparts retained its monumental adornments competing according to
Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus, occasionally anglicized as Ammian ( Greek: Αμμιανός Μαρκελλίνος; born , died 400), was a Greek and Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from antiquit ...
(''Histoires'', XV, 11, 14), with
Arles
Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...
and Vienne.
At the dawn of the 5th century, the city lived in shelter of the ramparts erected under the late Roman Empire (still a visible construction in the 19th century). The
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
seized Valence in 413 AD; the
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an early Germanic peoples, Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared east in the middle Rhine region in the third century AD, and were later moved west into the Roman Empire, in Roman Gaul, Gaul. In the first and seco ...
were masters of the Rhône basin at the end of the 5th century; the Valence people fell to the Frankish Kingdom in 533 AD. These successive invasions removed almost all traces of Romanisation.
During this troubled period, the city converted its ancient walls into stronger fortifications: Roman gates were bricked up, thus doing away with the two main axes of the city and lasting restructuring of the urban network. The rural inhabitants settled on small hills of the plain, giving rise to a large number of villages: Montoison, Montmeyran, Montélier, Montvendre, Montéléger, etc.
Middle Ages
Around 800, a new Cathedral of Saint-Estève (of St. Stephen) was built instead of the
baptistery
In Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned ...
, with a
choir
A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
that was oriented to the west. It was constructed symmetrically to the Evangelist Church. It housed numerous relics: Those of saints Apollinaire, Cyprien, Corneille, Félix, Fortunat, Achillée and a fragment of the
True Cross
According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the real instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, cross on which Jesus of Nazareth was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified.
It is related by numerous historical accounts and Christian mythology, legends ...
. The episcopal district also included housing for the canons, grouped around a court cemetery, and a round church, Notre-Dame-la-Ronde. At the beginning of the 9th century, perhaps before, the Roman wall was raised with walls constructed from
pebble
A pebble is a clastic rocks, clast of rock (geology), rock with a grain size, particle size of based on the Particle size (grain size), Udden-Wentworth scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered larger than Granule (geology), gra ...
s. In 890, the widow of King
Boso of Provence
Boso of Provence (; 841 – 11 January 887) was the first non-Carolingian dynasty, Carolingian pretender to the royal throne of West Francia in 879, who failed to achieve wider recognition, being accepted only in Lower Burgundy and Provence, ...
had their son,
Louis III Louis III may refer to:
* Louis the Younger, sometimes III of Germany (835–882)
* Louis III of France (865–882)
* Louis the Blind, Louis III, Holy Roman Emperor, (c. 880–928)
* Louis the Child, sometimes III of Germany (893–911)
* Louis III ...
, crowned King of Provence in Valence.
In 1029, the Archbishop of Vienne invested Guigues III the Old of the County of Viennois. It belonged to the family of the Counts of Albon, which held the region for decades, frequently occupying the county and the Diocese of Valence. The region still suffered the raids of the
Saracen
upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens
''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...
s at the end of the 9th and the 10th century.
The Rhône was sometimes presented as the border between the Kingdom of France and the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
which made Valence part, until the 15th century, but it was especially a link between the countries bordering it. The Diocese of Valence, as the rival principality, the County of Valentinois and Diois, extended on both sides. It was also an important commercial axis, especially for salt, which would benefit the city which guards traces of the name of Rue "Saunière", formerly the name of one of the four gates of Valence, the one which gave access to the south. The city also benefitted from its position at a point of change in the regime of winds in the Rhône Valley: In the Middle Ages, vessels ascended the river only by being hauled to the col, by sweat (by men). North of Valence, the rise could be done under sail (but not always). At the end of the 15th century, it was even the capital of hauling along the
towpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, Working animal, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge. This mod ...
, because beside this advantage due to the wind, it was a one-day stop from Lyon, and a crossroads into the mountains. Finally, the rise of the Rhône was particularly difficult at Valence, which caused forced stops. Several Valentinois were specialised in the brokerage of haulers. The haulers pulled either a big boat or boat trains, with teams from a few dozen to several hundred men. Each man drew a mass of about a ton. This mode of hauling regressed at the end of the 15th century, to be replaced by hauling by horses, except for local hauling.
The city, safe from the flooding of the river and protected by its ramparts, was a step on the road for pilgrimages to Compostela. Religious life flourished, the Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral was built as well as the Abbey of the canons of . Two major characters vied for power over the city: The Bishop and the Count of Valentinois.
Economic growth translated into the development of towns, especially on the side of the Rhône: The Rivière (Riperia) said today, less poetically, as "Basse-Ville". The new city, north of the former Pomperi gate and Bourg-Saint-Pierre, formed around the Abbey of Saint-Pierre, which spawned the current commune of
Bourg-lès-Valence
Bourg-lès-Valence (; ) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is a suburb of Valence. The archaeologist and Hellenist Fernand Courby (1878–1932) was born in Bourg-lès-Valence.
In 2014–2019, Bourg-lès-Valence ...
. Elsewhere, on the middle terrace, habitat outside-the-walls was associated with religious foundations: The commandery of the Hospitallers, the Tourdeon gate, the Abbey of Saint-Félix, the Saint-Sulpice gate, the Faventines Templar Commandery, the Benedictine Priory of Saint-Victor in the south near the former ''
Via Agrippa
''Via Agrippa'', is any stretch of the network of Roman roads in Gaul that was built in the last century BCE by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, to whom Augustus, Octavian entrusted the reorganization of the Gauls. In all, the Romans built of roads in ...
'' and, perhaps, further to the south, a
leprosarium
A leper colony, also known by #Names, many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy.
''Mycobacterium leprae, M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believ ...
whose memory is retained through the channel of la Maladière.
After the disappearance of the County of , incorporated into the , the dauphin may have imposed homage to the Bishop and Abbot of Saint-Ruf (free abbot, with immunity from Royal taxes and so forth): Valence was therefore incorporated into the province of Dauphiné. On the death of Louis II, who was the last count, the Valentinois was sold in 1419 by his heirs, his daughter Louise de Poitiers (widow of and Villars) and close relatives to Charles, dauphin and King of France ( Charles VII). The County of Valentinois was attached to the in 1424.
The second half of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century were a golden age for the medieval city, materialised by the and the . Founded on 26 July 1452 by the dauphin Louis, future
Louis XI
Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revolt known as the ...
, the University of Valence grew quickly. Renowned professors from various countries, as Jacques Cujas forged its reputation by teaching the law, theology, medicine and arts. After his coronation, Louis XI confirmed its preference by mailing the letters patent for the university on 12 October 1461. In March 1480, the King still supported his preferred university.
The dauphin Louis made numerous stays in Valence where, as a sign of allegiance, he donated a gate to the city, the Saunière gate and a few houses nearby. It made for a "delphinal palace", later occupied by the religious order of the
Recollects
The Franciscan Recollects () were a French reform branch of the Friars Minor, a Franciscan order. Denoted by their gray habits and pointed hoods, the Recollects devoted their lives to an extra emphasis on prayer, penance, and spiritual reflecti ...
. As Louis XI, he allowed a market in the town of Valence, in 1476, during his stay in the city and confirmed tax privileges for the city of Valence.
This era ended abruptly in 1562 during the occupation of the city by the troops of the Protestant Baron des Adrets: All the religious buildings of Valence were partially or completely destroyed.
Early Modern era
François Rabelais
François Rabelais ( , ; ; born between 1483 and 1494; died 1553) was a French writer who has been called the first great French prose author. A Renaissance humanism, humanist of the French Renaissance and Greek scholars in the Renaissance, Gr ...
studied at Valence in 1532, before settling in Lyon, a great cultural centre where the library trade blossomed.
A strategic location in the Rhône Valley, Valence had been militarised since its origin and had 7,100 inhabitants in the 1700s, who bore responsibility for housing soldiers. To reduce this burden a municipal deliberation was offered in 1714: a barracks was constructed in the current ''Rue Bouffier'', a temporary camp which quickly became inadequate to accommodate the 12,000 men and 20,000 horses stationed there. The city invested 190,000 livres for the installation of a new barracks in the Rollin quarter, north of the Roman road.
Charles IX passed through the town during his royal tour of France (1564–1566), accompanied by the
Court
A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...
Lorraine
Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...
.
It was in Valence that the saga of Louis Mandrin ended in May 1755, the smuggler who challenged the
Ferme Générale
The ''ferme générale'' (, "general farm") was, in ''ancien régime'' France, essentially an outsourced customs, excise and indirect tax operation. It collected duties on behalf of the King (plus hefty bonus fees for themselves), under renewable ...
and redistributed the proceeds of his theft from it. After spending several days in the city prison, Mandrin was sentenced to death: It was conducted on the where the scaffold was erected, his death ensued on the
breaking wheel
The breaking wheel, also known as the execution wheel, the Wheel of Catherine or the (Saint) Catherine('s) Wheel, was a torture method used for public execution primarily in Europe from antiquity through the Middle Ages up to the 19th century ...
. His body was exposed after his death, during three days, and many people flocked to pay him a last tribute, as his popularity increased. The death of Mandrin on the wheel of Valence marked the end of his actions, but also the beginning of a legend, as the man had marked the minds of his contemporaries.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
was assigned in the city from 1785 to 1786 in the La Fère
artillery
Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
regiment. He made many future visits. He would indeed return repeatedly to Valence. It included crossing the city on 12 October 1799, during the return of the expedition to Egypt, and offered to his former landlady who came to welcome him at the posthouse, a cashmere of India (offered to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament), a compass and a powder spoon (available at the Museum of Valence in 1862). He also met the future Cardinal
Spina
Spina was an Etruscan port city, established by the end of the 6th century BCE, on the Adriatic at the ancient mouth of the Po.
Discovery
The site of Spina was lost until modern times, when drainage schemes in the delta of the Po River in 19 ...
, who would negotiate on behalf of
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...
in the Concordat of 1801, on the same day.
French Revolution
After the convening of the Estates-General, agitation and anxiety grew until the
storming of the Bastille
The Storming of the Bastille ( ), which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison k ...
, news of which reached the region around 20 July, causing hope but also increasing concerns of a
reactionary
In politics, a reactionary is a person who favors a return to a previous state of society which they believe possessed positive characteristics absent from contemporary.''The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought'' Third Edition, (1999) p. 729. ...
plot of aristocrats. The
Great Fear
The Great Fear () was a general panic that took place between 22 July to 6 August 1789, at the start of the French Revolution. Rural unrest had been present in France since the worsening grain shortage of the spring. Fuelled by rumours ...
arose in the region of a rumor, and spread by degrees, at a blistering pace according to local networks, putting all the villages in motion for their defence. Once the peak of fear passed, a latent anxiety remained, the village communities realised that in an emergency, they were in fact isolated and practically reduced to their own devices. National guards were formed quickly, including in Valence, but communities found it insufficient, and they constituted local federations of mutual assistance, bypassing the old provincial divisions. In the region, it was Largentière which called for a Fête de la Fédération on 23 August,
Romans-sur-Isère
Romans-sur-Isère (; ; Old Occitan: ''Romans'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Drôme Departments of France, department in southeastern France.
Geography
Romans-sur-Isère is located on the Isère (river), Isère, northeast of Valence, ...
in September, La Voulte gathered 12,000 National Guardsmen to the ''Champs de l'Étoile'' on 29 November. Valence invited the surrounding communities on 31 January and brought together 16,000 guards of 293 communes. The region had other celebrations of federation in the winter and spring, culminating in the
Fête de la Fédération
The (; ) was a massive holiday festival held throughout Kingdom of France, France in 1790 in honour of the French Revolution, celebrating the Revolution itself, as well as national unity.
It commemorated the revolution and events of 1789 which ...
of 14 July 1790, celebrated in Paris and simultaneously in 250 cities in France, including Valence.
The university disappeared in 1792 to be reborn at the end of the 20th century. It is now in the 21st Century part of the Community Grenoble Alpes University.
This community played another role during the final years of the French Revolution. On August 29, 1799, six weeks after his arrival at this community, the then longest ever reigning Roman Catholic Church's 250th
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
died here in exile from his Vatican, then within the 754–1798 Papal States, but now within the 1st Republic of France's created 1798–1799 Roman Republic. After some political intrigue covering more than two years, it will not be until December 24, 1801, that the then late pope's body will finally leave Valence and return to the Vatican.
19th century
During the
repression of January and February 1894
The repression of January and February 1894 was an episode of the Ère des attentats (1892–1894), during which France engaged in significant Political repression, state repression against Anarchism, anarchists. The passage of the lois scélérat ...
, the police conducted raids targeting the
anarchists
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or hierarchy, primarily targeting the state and capitalism. Anarchism advocates for the replacement of the state w ...
living there, without much success.
20th century
Armenian community
After the
Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
of 1915, many Armenians took refuge in France in the 1920s. The community remembers how Valence employers travelled to Marseille to recruit 150 of the first arrivals in 1922. By 1926 827 Armenians had settled in Valence, and 1,670 by 1931 – from
Bursa
Bursa () is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...
,
Malatya
Malatya (; ; Syriac language, Syriac ܡܠܝܛܝܢܐ Malīṭīná; ; Ancient Greek: Μελιτηνή) is a city in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital of Malatya Province. The city has been a human settlement for thousands of y ...
and Harput. If the Armenians were popular among their employers, they encountered the distrust of the Valence people. It was a group with a very high proportion of young adults, children and the elderly who suffered most from the genocide and from the journey into exile. They worked mainly as labourers, or founded small businesses (25% of employed persons). Very quickly, an "Armenian quarter" developed between ''Boulevard Vauban'', ''Rue Farnerie'', ''Rue Madier-Montjau'', and the ''Boulevard d'Alsace'', 40% populated by Armenians. The entire old town, with dilapidated buildings, abandoned and inexpensive, became involved in this process.
In 1956 the group had 2,500 people, or 6% of the population of Valence, and represented the fourth-largest Armenian community in France (after those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille). The community's very strong identity (with newspapers, cinemas, dance halls, Armenian Sports Union) was dispersed, with the "Armenian village" on the ''Rue de Fontlozier''. It showed signs of rapid integration: In 1946, half of the 2,000 Armenians of Valencia opted for French citizenship.
In 1947, 200 Armenians of Valence took advantage of the offer to return to the Soviet countries, which proved to be a failure. The strong community welcomed new refugees, escaping from political turmoil in
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
during the 1950-60s, and
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
during the
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
in 1970-80s. 7,500 people in Valence belonged to this community, which makes the Armenian community of Valence one of the largest in France: the Armenian National Union is also based in Valence.
This strong presence has passed into the odonymy: a street and a square of the old Armenian quarter make reference to it: the ''Rue d'Arménie'' and the ''Place Missak Manouchian''. The cultural life of the community is very active, with 28 associations, including the Evangelical Church, the Armenian courts, and the House of Armenian culture.
World War II
After the invasion of Poland by Germany, on 1 September 1939, France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. Germany invaded France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands on 10 May 1940.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Valence suffered several allied aerial bombardments, intended to destroy the bridge over the Rhône. On 15 August 1944, bombs destroyed several quarters and buildings in the city, including the hospital, killing 280 people. From the era of the prefecture, there remained only the gate, which has been carefully preserved since. Four days later, on 19 August 1944, a German train loaded with
nitroglycerin
Nitroglycerin (NG) (alternative spelling nitroglycerine), also known as trinitroglycerol (TNG), nitro, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), or 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane, is a dense, colorless or pale yellow, oily, explosive liquid most commonly produced by ...
exploded, largely destroying the quarter of La Palla and causing 335 casualties among civilians, the military and the resistance fighters. On 2 August 1944, south of Valence, bombings of the railway depot and yard of Portes-lès-Valence destroyed 51 locomotives, with 12 victims and 58 wounded among the railway workers and the population.
The northern part of Valence, almost completely razed to the ground, was rebuilt and today one finds many administrative buildings in this area such as the , the general
treasury
A treasury is either
*A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry; in a business context, corporate treasury.
*A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be ...
,
social security
Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...
, the post office and the police headquarters.
Drôme was one of the departments where the Resistance was the most active. In 1943, the Resistance was organised and grew, and many Drôme people were called and committed themselves to the cause. With the introduction of the STO, young men were required to go to work in Germany. Many of them refused this situation and went into hiding in the countryside or joined the Maquis. Resistance developed throughout the entire department in small units. The Drôme terrain was conducive to the installation of camps. The population supported increasing resistance.
Geography
Location
By its geographical location, Valence is one of the points of compulsory passage between Paris and the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. Its position at the centre of the meridian axis of the Rhone Valley places the city at the mouth of the Valley of the
Isère
Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.
(path to the
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
), in the west of the historical province of
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was ...
, within the natural and historic region of the Valentinois, and the boundary of the department of
Ardèche
Ardèche (; , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche (river), Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
). The city is surrounded by several mountain ranges, including the Massif Central and the Ardèche hills to the west, and the
Vercors Massif
The Vercors massif (; ) is a mountain range in eastern France consisting of rugged plateaus and mountains straddling the ''département in France, départements'' of Isère and Drôme in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps, ...
in the French Prealps to the east. Valence is to the southeast of Paris, equidistant () south of
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
and southwest of
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
, north of
Avignon
Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...
, north of
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
, north of
Montpellier
Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...
, south-west of
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
, to the east of
Le Puy-en-Velay
Le Puy-en-Velay (, ; , before 1988: ''Le Puy'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Loire Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of south-central France.
Located near the rive ...
, north of
Montélimar
Montélimar (; Vivaro-Alpine dialect, Vivaro-Alpine: ''Montelaimar'' ; ) is a town in the Drôme Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in t ...
, to the east of Privas and to the west of Die. Located a few kilometres south of the 45th parallel, the city is often referred to as the "gateway to
Southern France
Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...
." ''"À Valence le Midi commence"'' t Valence the Midi commences say people from the north.
The agglomeration is based on four alluvial terraces ranging on the left bank of the Rhone:
*The lowest, which is closest to the river, where the districts of fishermen and sailors were.
*The intermediate terrace, safe from the floods of the river, which grew into the historic city, first within its walls, then expanded outside.
*The third terrace, highly urbanised in the second half of the 20th century.
*The highest, called the plateau of Lautagne which has developed as a centre of technological activities since the end of the 20th century on the edge of grain and vegetable farms.
Administratively, the commune is located in the south of the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...
region, in the northern half of the
Drôme
Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
department (of which it is the prefecture), and in the south-west of the Arrondissement of Valence (of which it is the capital). Moreover, Valence is the
chef-lieu
An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located.
In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...
of four cantons, Valence-1, Valence-2, Valence-3 and Valence-4, the city is therefore divided into four at the cantonal level. The commune is part of the
Communauté d'agglomération Valence Romans Agglo
Communauté d'agglomération Valence Romans Agglo is the ''communauté d'agglomération'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the cities of Valence and Romans-sur-Isère. It is located in the Drôme department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes r ...
, which includes 56 communes since its inception on 1 January 2017, and Valence is the most populous city. Valence was previously part of two intercommunalities: (Intercommunal Union of Services of the Valentinoise Agglomeration, better known under the name of "Valence Major") which includes seven Drôme and Ardèche communes (Bourg-lès-Valence, Cornas, Guilherand-Granges, Portes-lès-Valence, Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence, Saint-Péray and Valence) from 1990 to 2009, and of the agglomeration community of which consisted of eleven communes from 2009 to 2014.
Neighbouring Communes
Relief and geology
The area of the commune is , representing ; the altitude varies between .
The granitic base, cut by the Rhône in the Saint-Vallier/Tain-l'Hermitage pass, is covered by of sediments in the Valence trough. In the
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
, a
molasse
__NOTOC__
In geology, "molasse" () are sandstones, shales and conglomerates that form as terrestrial or shallow marine deposits in front of rising mountain chains. The molasse deposits accumulate in a foreland basin, especially on top of flys ...
formed of detrital rocks due to the erosion of the
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
and the Massif Central, was deposited in a shallow sea. Its thickness can reach . During the
Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58loess
A loess (, ; from ) is a clastic rock, clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loesses or similar deposition (geology), deposits.
A loess ...
formation. During the
Quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
, between glacial periods,
moraine
A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...
s were swept away by the meltwater in the interglacial stages and were carved by the rivers. Thus, nested terraces were formed. These nested terraces of Isère and Rhône eventually filled the gap of Valence.
The Drôme des Collines, which integrates Valence, formed at the end of the Miocene. Under the effect of the Alpine thrust, the area was covered by a lake and fluvio-lacustrine molasse formed with a few ripples in the plain of Valence. The confluence of the Isère and Rhône and
fluvial
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...
erosion caused by their waters, in the Quaternary, formed four superimposed terraces which are located in Valence.
Hydrography
Valence is watered by the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
river, the commune is on the left bank. One of its tributaries also crosses the city: The , a -long river, formed by the joining of most of the city's channels, among others.
Plain of Valence
The city gave its name to a well-defined geographical region: The Valentinois. Over more than three-quarters of its territory, this region corresponds to the plain of Valence, shaped by successive beds of the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
which are abandoned fertile sedimentary deposits. Indeed, this plain, perfectly bounded by the Rhône Valleys to the west, the
Isère
Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.
in the north, and the Drome to the south, gives the appearance of a cheerful orchard with
peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...
,
apricot
An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''.
Usually an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...
and
cherry
A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).
Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet '' Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The na ...
trees, alternating with cereal and vegetable crops. Large farms, conquered one by one by the inhabitants of Valence, punctuate this agricultural area, barely broken by rivers and canals for irrigation, with groves and woods on its margins.
To the east, the Monts du Matin extend as a long barrier of pleasant hills, dominated by the limestone prow of the Vercors. To the south, beyond the Drôme Valley, the plain ends at the foot of the massif carrying the vast forest of Marsanne, topped by wind turbines.
To the north, beyond the Isère Valley, the Romanais continues, geologically, Valence plain. The lower
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
molasse in the north of the plain was covered by outwash
alluvium
Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...
of the Isère, whose terraces today still mark the shape of the Valentinois.
The view from the ruins of the Château de Crussol, in front after the first sharp turns in the road on leaving the , the plain of Valence appears as it is, a large flat surface, bordered by two reliefs which are unobscured. It is also a very large area because of the same formation of physical organisation, one of successive terraces. Only the habitat and crops bring variation, due to the different nature of these terraces.
Today the plain of Valence is organised around the Valence infrastructure whose urban sprawl gradually extends across its whole area. A number of communes however retain their village identity and their rural character, protecting them from changing into dormitory towns. These are ancient agricultural villages, especially those that precede the first villages on the side of Vercors. Their names evoke an initial high placement to readily give a defensive view of the plain of Valence: Montélier, Montvendre, Montéléger, Montoison, Montmeyran and Beaumont-lès-Valence.
However, the territories corresponding to the plain of Valence and the Valentinois do not include west of the agglomeration, which is located in the neighbouring department of Ardèche.
Climate
Valence enjoys a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, whose main characteristic is an almost constant wind which blows and dries the Rhône corridor. Dubbed the " mistral" when it comes from the north, it brings good weather and coolness in the summer, but an impression of freezing cold in winter. When it comes from the south, it usually announces the arrival of stormy disturbances. It is then called ''le vent du midi ou le vent des fous'' he midi wind or the uncaring windbecause, for some people, it makes the atmosphere painful to bear, especially in the summer.
The climate is semi-continental with
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
influences. The Gotheron weather station of Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence, located from the centre of Valence, recorded an average temperature of 12.3 °C and of precipitation over the period from 1966 to 2004. The annual sunshine in Valence is 2,500 hours/year (average 1970–1994). However, there are large variations from one year to another, depending on the dominant influence (in turn Mediterranean and semi-continental). During the period from 1994 to 2004, the following years were remarkable: Lack of sunshine in 1996 (1,712 hours), low precipitation () and high temperatures in 1997, significant rainfall in 1999 () and in 2002 (). There was significant sunshine (approx. 2,500 hours) from 1999 to 2002, accompanied by higher than average temperatures. Frost in April 2003 which affected peach production, followed by a summer heatwave in 2003, with exceptional sunshine for the year (2,781 hours), and a rainfall deficit in 2004 ().
Valence is located in the Rhône Valley where the wind regime is regular, both from the south (mistral) and north. Adding in the course of the Rhône which is linear from Lyon to Valence, this circumstance has allowed navigable sailing on the Rhône from Valence.
Vegetation
The vegetation in the plain of Valence is mid-European with a supra-Mediterranean floor ( pedunculate oak, oak found in the coldest places, and thickets of
hornbeam
Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the family Betulaceae. Its species occur across much of the temperateness, temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Common names
The common English name ''hornbeam'' derives ...
) mingled with thermophilic species such as downy oak, or even evergreen oaks on exposed slopes with draining soils. Found also in the south of the Drôme Valley where the Mediterranean influence finally prevails ( to the South) are spontaneous populations of
thyme
Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...
,
lavender
''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...
garrigue
Garrigue or garigue ( ), also known as phrygana ( , n. pl.), is a type of low scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
It is found on limestone soils in southern France and around the ...
and Mediterranean Oak (Quercus Ilex) from Tournon which is located north of Valence (hills of Cornas, Château de Crussol and Soyons). The hills (mostly limestone) have a double vegetation: Mediterranean on the southern side and Sub-continental on the northern side.
Formerly, the cultivation of olive trees was previously on the well-exposed heights of Tain-l'Hermitage ( to the north), but they were replaced by the culture of the vine at first, and then by that of apricot, peach and other fruits which are still very present in the region, even though more than of fruits (mainly apricots, cherries, peaches and kiwis) disappeared from the Drôme landscapes due to an outbreak of sharka and a
bacterial infection
Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria that can cause disease. This article focuses on the bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. Most species of bacteria are harmless and many are beneficial but others can cause infectious diseases. The number of t ...
forcing wilt since 2003.
Transport
The central railway station of Valence is the Gare de Valence-Ville, 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
High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...
line extending south from Valence to
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
. The station is only 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.
Road network
The city occupies a key position, at the centre of the . Located on a crossroads of road networks, it is known to be a point of passage (cf. the Valence Autoroute Area) of the holidaymakers who head to the Côte d'Azur. The
A7 autoroute
The A7 Autoroutes of France, Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil (English: the Motorway of the Sun) is a French motorway. It continues the A6 autoroute (France), A6 and links Lyon to Marseille. The autoroute du Soleil is long and fo ...
(commonly known as the ''autoroute du soleil'' otorway of the sun connects it to
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
( to the north),
Avignon
Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...
( to the south), then to
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
( to the northeast). The A41 autoroute connects it to
Savoy
Savoy (; ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...
(
Chambéry
Chambéry (, , ; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the southeastern ...
and
Annecy
Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...
; and respectively) and
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
(Switzerland) to the northeast (via the A49).
On the other hand, relations with the cities of the Massif Central (
Le Puy-en-Velay
Le Puy-en-Velay (, ; , before 1988: ''Le Puy'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Loire Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of south-central France.
Located near the rive ...
and
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand (, , ; or simply ; ) is a city and Communes of France, commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions of France, region, with a population of 147,284 (2020). Its metropolitan area () had 504,157 inhabitants at the 2018 ...
) are more difficult as the roads are very winding. For example, the shortest route to reach
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
A7 autoroute
The A7 Autoroutes of France, Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil (English: the Motorway of the Sun) is a French motorway. It continues the A6 autoroute (France), A6 and links Lyon to Marseille. The autoroute du Soleil is long and fo ...
runs along the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
and thus crosses the city by cutting the river. An underground project of the autoroute up to the city is being studied.
The city of Valence was cut off from its river during the construction of the A7 motorway in the 1960s. The idea is born to bury the fast axis semi-covered trenches over a distance of about . This project to bury the motorway should make the banks of the Rhône available to Valence. However, the project would not be completed prior to at least 2025. The studies, which will be soon carried out, should enable a decision on the exact length of motorway involved, the technical choices and the financial cost. According to a preliminary study, the construction costs should culminate in an amount of €500 million, of which the cost will be shared between the State, the company , the department of Drôme and the city of Valence.
Valence ring road
The périphérique (
ring road
A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist in reducin ...
) of Valence consists of the A7 autoroute, Route nationale 7 and the . It is located on the European routes E15 (A7) and E713 (RN 532).
Forming a half-loop, the Valence ring road covers a little more than and connects the commune of
Bourg-lès-Valence
Bourg-lès-Valence (; ) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is a suburb of Valence. The archaeologist and Hellenist Fernand Courby (1878–1932) was born in Bourg-lès-Valence.
In 2014–2019, Bourg-lès-Valence ...
to the north (up to the toll of Valence Nord) in the city quarter of to the south (to the toll of Valence Sud exit), thus bypassing the major part of the city whilst ensuring the city is served to the east. It also allows easy access to the Valence TGV station in the north, by the . The ring road of Valence features motorway except in two singular points. The portion of the
A7 autoroute
The A7 Autoroutes of France, Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil (English: the Motorway of the Sun) is a French motorway. It continues the A6 autoroute (France), A6 and links Lyon to Marseille. The autoroute du Soleil is long and fo ...
in the centre is the legacy of the 1960s when the city turned back to its river. It is even doubled by urban roads, the D2007N.
Plans to form a complete loop, connecting the current ring road to a western bypass of Valence, on the right bank of the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
, are under consideration. The east ring road is of more recent design and it ensures the continuity of the RN 7, which offers a free alternative to the A7. This section also provides the extension of the A49 autoroute right to Valence. A road-doubling project of the A7 and A49 autoroutes was considered to relieve the ring road of its transit traffic but was abandoned, even though this axis was granted to the society of the (ASF) and acquisitions had been completed.
The west bypass is gradually emerging and it relates directly to the department of
Ardèche
Ardèche (; , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche (river), Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.Guilherand-Granges, Saint-Péray and Cornas is programmed, which ensures its realisation by 2025. It will then require the construction of a third bridge over the Rhône in the north of the metropolitan area (in Bourg-lès-Valence) to complete the ring road that will then form a complete loop: This project is at the stage of preliminary studies and it seems that a passage on the present dam of the CNR is retained in order to minimise the cost.
The bridges of Valence
Frédéric Mistral Bridge.
During antiquity, the existence of a bridge providing, as in Vienne, the link between the two shores, is likely. Indeed, as early as 1388, the toponym "Pont Péri" éri Bridgeis carried by a sector of the quarter of Basse-Ville lying in the extension of the east-west axis of the ancient city. In addition, A. Blanc would have discovered, still in this same extension, piles of oak, closer perhaps to a pier. He also mentioned the "tour de Constance" onstance Tower on the Valence shore, a construction already known in the Middle Ages and which bore all the floods of the Rhône. In any case, the existence of a link between the two banks is in no doubt and a crossing point could even have existed at the site of Valence from the prehistoric time. Whether or not that existed, this ancient bridge was not replaced until the nineteenth century.
The different successive bridges of Valence, in chronological order, are:
*The Seguin Bridge built from 1827 (two years after that of
Tain
Tain ( ) is a royal burgh and parish in the County of Ross, in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland.
Etymology
The name derives from the nearby River Tain, the name of which comes from an Indo-European root meaning 'flow'. The Gaelic n ...
- Tournon, which was the first bridge of this type installed in France) and delivered to traffic in 1830.
*The stone bridge, dating from 1905, destroyed 19 June 1940 by French engineers to slow the advance of the German troops. In August 1940, Rhone is again passable by boat and then a ferry to traille. A temporary bridge was then installed by the engineers. This bridge was again damaged on 18 August 1944 during a bombing by the Allied forces.
*A temporary suspended walkway installed in 1949 and which was in use until 1967.
*The
Frédéric Mistral
Joseph Étienne Frédéric Mistral (; , 8 September 1830 – 25 March 1914) was an Occitan writer and lexicographer of the Provençal form of the language. He received the 1904 Nobel Prize in Literature "in recognition of the fresh origina ...
Bridge, completed in 1967, is still in service. It joins the commune of Guilherand-Granges (Ardèche) to the city centre of Valence (Drôme).
*Finally, the Bridge was inaugurated on 18 December 2004, located at the south of the city, is the "second bridge" of Valence, long expected to alleviate the problems of movement between the two banks of the Rhone. It connects the communes of Guilherand-Granges and Soyons (Ardèche) in the southern districts of Valence.
During long periods where no bridge was available, a reaction ferry could cross the Rhone River. On the right bank, in Guilherand-Granges, an old pile used by this ferry is still erect.
Public transport
The region has a bus network called ''Citéa'' which covers the Valence agglomeration (located across the departments of
Drôme
Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
and
Ardèche
Ardèche (; , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche (river), Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.romano- peageoise town (about north of Valence). The network is managed by ''Valence Romans Déplacements'' and controlled by the
Communauté d'agglomération Valence Romans Agglo
Communauté d'agglomération Valence Romans Agglo is the ''communauté d'agglomération'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the cities of Valence and Romans-sur-Isère. It is located in the Drôme department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes r ...
and its operation is entrusted to VTV (''Véolia Transport Valence'') from 2012 (the former CTAV network to July 2006). Given the large extent of the Citéa network, the latter is divided into two sectors, Valence and
Romans-sur-Isère
Romans-sur-Isère (; ; Old Occitan: ''Romans'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Drôme Departments of France, department in southeastern France.
Geography
Romans-sur-Isère is located on the Isère (river), Isère, northeast of Valence, ...
.
The territory covered by the network is . It consists of 64 communes located in and around the towns of Valence and Romans-sur-Isère and is inhabited by nearly 220,000 people. Fourth urban network of the Rhône-Alpes region, it has 20 regular lines, over 200 stops and a fleet of 220 bus.
The is a transport document which consists of a smartcard which allows not only to travel on any Citéa network (charging its transport tickets), but also to combine travel with other modes of transport in the region such as the TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (
Transport express régional
Transport express régional (, usually shortened to TER) is the brand name used by the SNCF, the French national railway company, to denote rail service run by the regional councils of France, specifically their organised transport authorities. ...
), networks of transit of Saint Etienne ( STAS), Grenoble () or Lyon (
TCL
TCL or Tcl or TCLs may refer to:
Business
* TCL Technology, a Chinese consumer electronics and appliance company
** TCL Electronics, a subsidiary of TCL Technology
* Texas Collegiate League, a collegiate baseball league
* Trade Centre Limited ...
), or even rent-a-bike in free service.
Railway
Valence has two SNCF railway stations. (Gare)
Gare de Valence-Ville
Valence has two SNCF railway stations. Commissioned in 1865, the role of the Valence-Ville railway station has refocused on regional transport since the 2001 commissioning of the gare de Valence TGV, or simply Valence-TGV. It is the point of departure of the trains in the direction of
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
,
Chambéry
Chambéry (, , ; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the southeastern ...
,
Annecy
Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...
and
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
. Valence-Ville railway station was also the origin of the relationship which serves , Crest, , , Gap, and
Briançon
Briançon (, ) is the sole Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hautes-Alpes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is the highest city in France at an a ...
. The passenger building of Valence-Ville railway station has been in service in April 1866. It was designed by Louis-Jules Bouchot, architect of
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
. The facade of the main body, in stone, is inspired by the
Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon (; French for 'small Trianon') is a Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical style château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, France. It was built between 1762 and 1768 ...
of
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
. The main façade on the ''Rue du Pavilion Central'' has been registered as an historic monument since 11 October 1982.
Gare de Valence TGV
Valence TGV railway station, on the Lyon-Marseilles LGV Méditerranée line, is located north-east of the city centre, in the commune of
Alixan
Alixan (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Drôme Departments of France, department in southeastern France. Valence TGV station, in the west of the commune, has rail connections to Valence, Grenoble, Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier a ...
. Prior to its opening in 2001, the high speed
TGV
The TGV (; , , 'high-speed train') is France's intercity high-speed rail service. With commercial operating speeds of up to on the newer lines, the TGV was conceived at the same period as other technological projects such as the Ariane 1 rocke ...
trains stopped in Valence-Ville railway station. Trains reached Paris in 2 hours 36 minutes. At the opening of the TGV station, a service of fifty TGVs per day was planned with eight of these TGVs continuing to serve Valence-Ville. Valence TGV station rail connections regularly connect to 35 cities, including
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
,
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
,
Toulouse
Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
,
Lille
Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
,
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionMontpellier
Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...
,
Nantes
Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
,
Le Havre
Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...
,
Reims
Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
,
Avignon
Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...
,
Besançon
Besançon (, ; , ; archaic ; ) is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland.
Capi ...
,
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
,
Dijon
Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...
, Barcelona and
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
. In 2003, 60 daily TGVs served the station, with 1.8 million passengers. In 2008, the station was served by 58 daily TGVs, carrying 2.2 million passengers.
Inland waterway
The contains 478 berths: It is the first river port of France. Built in 1973, at the initiative of the (CCI of Drôme), around a pool of , it is included in a leisure park of . The quality of the services offered allowed it to obtain the blue flag of Europe, in 2005.
Created in 1978 and operated by the , the in the Drôme (more often called Port of Valence) is located for its part, on the territory of the commune of Portes-lès-Valence, just to the south of the city of Valence. It spread over and has in addition to the port itself, an industrial zone with of area of warehouses, including customs, a grain terminal, a 'wood' centre, and the storage sheds ( all products). Its strategic location on the Rhône (in the heart of the
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes () was an administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the river Rhône a ...
region, close to
Isère
Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.
, Savoy and
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
) allows it to serve the countries of the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East. As of July 2013, the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) began a campaign of work, with a cost of €14 million, to develop the port to make it a place of exchange at the European level.
Air
Valence-Chabeuil Airport, located in the commune of Chabeuil, is co-managed by the and the Chamber of commerce and industry of Drôme. It is open to commercial national traffic, to private aircraft, using IFR and VFR but welcomes more regular routes since the decision of the Valence-Paris service, which has run since 1969.
The airport has three runways: one of in concrete, and two smaller, and . The terminal has two gateways for access to aircraft. The aircraft parking area is . Passengers have at their disposal a 150-space car park and a hotel area. A flying club, as well as a helicopter company are installed at the airport.
Grenoble-Isère Airport is located north-east of Valence along the A49 and offers flights to several European cities including London, Bristol, Dublin, Rotterdam and Warsaw. Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport is north of Valence via the A7 motorway and offers international flights. The airport is considered to be the second airport in the province after Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport and connects Lyon with most capitals and major European cities. More than 100 cities are connected one or more times a week, some up to five times per day, such as London. In 2013, the Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport processed more than 8.5 million passengers.
Self-service bicycles
Since 28 March 2010, the city has a system of self-service rent-a-bike and long-term hire called Libélo. It includes 160 bikes on the Smoove key concept spread over 18 then 20 stations and 200 rental bikes for long duration in Valence, Guilherand-Granges and
Bourg-lès-Valence
Bourg-lès-Valence (; ) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is a suburb of Valence. The archaeologist and Hellenist Fernand Courby (1878–1932) was born in Bourg-lès-Valence.
In 2014–2019, Bourg-lès-Valence ...
.
Unlike most other bike sharing systems, its management is not delegated to a business, or related to an advertising market but provided by the transport company of Valence (subsidiary of
Transdev
Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a France-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020.
Transdev was formed on 3 April 2011 via the merg ...
) in partnership with the Citéa transit network.
Urban planning
Urban morphology
The old centre is based on the Roman foundation on a
grid plan
In urban planning, the grid plan, grid street plan, or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid.
Two inherent characteristics of the grid plan, frequent intersections and orthogon ...
, occupation of the banks of the Rhone is sparse, probably because of instability. The orientation of the streets of the Roman city, orientation still quite widespread in the streets of the old town, is identical to those of the ancient
cadastre
A cadastre or cadaster ( ) is a comprehensive recording of the real estate or real property's metes-and-bounds of a country.Jo Henssen, ''Basic Principles of the Main Cadastral Systems in the World,'/ref>
Often it is represented graphically in ...
s of the surrounding countryside. The grid plan follows a dual orientation, varying neighbourhoods, the dual orientation which corresponds to two modules of this plan: One of about 360 Roman feet (), the other 420 feet, which sometimes breaks down into 120 feet spacing. This second module describes the angle of the ''Rue de l'Équerre''; exactly a square ''actus'' (i.e. a square with a side of 120 Roman feet); the Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral occupies two square ''actus''. The presence of the Roman
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...
near the Porte Neuve (New Gate) is detectable only in the design of the streets of the cadastre from 1807.
The first alluvial terrace, at altitude, was fully occupied by the western part of the communal territory in the 1960s. The city of Valence then expanded eastward, on the Riss terrace, at an altitude of approximately . To the south, the Lautagne plateau, at an altitude of , determines a narrow groove between this advance from the terrace of la Léore and the Rhône, which has limited the development of the city in that direction. At the end of the 20th century, the city was again cut off from the Rhône by the construction of the
A7 autoroute
The A7 Autoroutes of France, Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil (English: the Motorway of the Sun) is a French motorway. It continues the A6 autoroute (France), A6 and links Lyon to Marseille. The autoroute du Soleil is long and fo ...
. Port areas are alone in the south towards Portes-lès-Valence. The Valence agglomeration stretches on the right bank of the Rhône, but is limited by the edge of the Vivarais plateau. However, it includes the communes of Guilherand-Granges, Saint-Péray, Cornas and Soyons.
To facilitate the expansion of the town to the east, a large expressway was built (it is used by the RN7), where the Valence-Chabeuil Airport has been in operation since 1969.
Quarters
The city of Valence is made of twenty quarters (with an average of 3,500 people per quarter). They are all different from the other: The northern quarters are rather popular and residential (Polygone, Fontbarlettes, le Plan and la Chamberlière) and even rural (Thodure), while the southern quarters are generally inhabited by the middle class and pensioners (, Hugo-Provence, Laprat, les Baumes, Mannet, Valence Sud and Lautagne), although there is a popular district (Valensolles), the central quarters are commercial and animated (Centre-ville, Gare, Victor Hugo) and also for tourists during the summer (, Basse ville, l'Épervière) and the east quarters are areas with residential character (Baquet, Grand Charran, Petit Charran, Châteauvert, Danton and Briffaut), however the Martins quarter is rather rural.
Some districts are represented by a , which makes for a very lively micro-local fabric. A Quarter Committee is an association of people who play a role with regard to public institutions, and who allow an exchange of information between people and municipal services. In this way, residents can participate in the direction of development projects of their quarters according to their aspirations.
To avoid a trip to the city hall, the city of Valence has created five city hall branches in outlying quarters. The mayoral branches of Fontbarlettes, le Plan, Centre-Ville, Valence Sud and the Chamberlière are placed at the disposal of the inhabitants and are in charge of certain administrative services delegated by the Central Council.
Housing
In 2009, the total number of dwellings in the municipality was 34,661, while it was 32,376 in 1999.
Among this housing, 88.4% were primary residences, 1.0% of secondary residences and 10.6% vacant housing. These dwellings were 24.1% detached houses and 74.7% of apartments.LOG T2 – Categories and types of housing.
The proportion of primary residences, as properties of their occupants, was 43.1%, up slightly from 1999 (41.1%). The share of social housing (empty rented HLM) was 16.5% against 18.8%, their number having dropped: 5,059 against 5,439.
Concerning social housing, there are several organisations which are the Public Housing Office of Valence (OPH) and Housing Development of Drôme (DAH) who construct, maintain and manage social housing throughout the city and in the Valence agglomeration, most are located in so-called working-class quarters. As for the grants of the OPH, they come from the city of Valence, the Drôme department, the region and the State. Those of DAH come mainly from the department.
Development projects
The major projects of the municipality do not yet concern the city centre, even if they have the merit of addressing the three terraces which line the city: the first terrace concerns Valence-le-Haut (quarters of le Plan and Fontbarlettes), the second concerns the centre and the south, and the third the banks of the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
. One of the city's major projects is the reclamation of the banks, disfigured by the passage of the A7 motorway over . When he was Mayor of Valence, Member of Parliament Patrick Labaune had defended a bypass with an eastern route. Thus advocating the "removal the A7", when elected, specifically a burial of the motorway in semi-covered trenches. The project would have been validated by the company of the (ASF), but the mayor refuses for now to give a price, which would be some €500 million according to experts. Other projects will be launched to create a green route, on the banks, through the municipalities of Valence and
Bourg-lès-Valence
Bourg-lès-Valence (; ) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is a suburb of Valence. The archaeologist and Hellenist Fernand Courby (1878–1932) was born in Bourg-lès-Valence.
In 2014–2019, Bourg-lès-Valence ...
. In addition to a renovation of the tourist facilities on the site of the , the city wants to transform the Îles ''quartier'' into an ecodistrict, with positive energy housing. This project could lead to the removal of family gardens there. However, there is a building plot and the gardens will be resettled on fertile lands of the plateau of Lautagne. Like the Îfles quarter, a new quarter is planned in the south of the city on the brownfield site of the Hugo-Provence area, in place of the former Cime building (destroyed in 2013), with the construction of 200 housing units (half social, half private), shops and a hotel. The first part should be delivered before 2015.
One of the major issues of the municipality is the opening up of the Hauts-de-Valence, which is subject to a program of
urban renewal
Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...
of €117 million, jointly funded by the city and the (ANRU). It includes the demolition of 417 houses in the working-class districts of the Plan and Fontbarlettes and their reconstruction by the end of 2014 throughout the city. The project also includes an opening up and connection of these areas to the rest of the city. Shared public spaces will be created on Roosevelt and Kennedy boulevards.
At an estimated €100 million cost, the last big project supported by the city concerns the creation of a city of sports and culture on the former military wasteland of Latour-Maubourg. It will host the new Jean-Pommier pool, a municipal exhibition hall, a media hub with the headquarters of the radio station and the ''
Le Dauphiné libéré
''Le Dauphiné libéré'' is a provincial daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on local news and events. The paper is published in Grenoble, France.
History and profile
Founded in 1945, it takes the name from the former province of D ...
'' newspaper, and finally a centre of higher education. The renovated buildings will house a students' halls, Maestris private school, nursing school and the , which has created a public establishment of cultural co-operation with that of Grenoble. In addition to the space of the wasteland, the city will have the land released by the relocation of the prison, in 2015. It has also launched a study to establish a new palais des congrès in the area.
Politics and administration
Municipal administration
The city of Valence is a
territorial collectivity
A territorial collectivity (, previously '), or territorial authority, in many francophone countries, is a Legal person, legal entity governed by public law that exercises within its territory certain powers devolved to it by the State as part of a ...
administered by a
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
which is the deliberative assembly of the commune and which aims to regulate by its deliberations the business of the municipality. The municipal council elects the
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
. As for any commune whose population is between 60,000 and 79,999 inhabitants, this council has 49 members (mayor, 14 deputies and 34 municipal councillors) elected by direct universal suffrage for a renewable term of six years.
The current mayor of Valence is Nicolas Daragon, a member of the UMP elected in 2014. The current council was elected in April 2014.
The Hôtel de Ville (city hall) was designated a ''
monument historique
() is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...
'' by the French government in 2018.
Following the 2014 municipal elections, the composition of the
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
of Valence is as follows:
List of mayors
Cantons
Capital of the department of Drôme, the city of Valence is divided into four cantons, of which it is
chef-lieu
An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located.
In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...
.
The cantonal division of Valence has evolved since the creation of the departments in 1790. Established in 1801, the canton of Valence was divided into two in 1964, and then three in 1973 and finally into four in 1984. The cantonal redistricting of 2015 led to the creation of four new cantons each containing a fraction of the commune of Valence and whole communes.
Political trends and outcomes
Intercommunality and intercommunal trade unions
Valence is the largest city of Valence Romans Agglo, an agglomeration community with 51 communes of the region. It is responsible for several areas of skills, including local public transport, economic development, sanitation and environment, sports complexes and public libraries management.
Population
Demography
Its inhabitants are called ''Valentinois'' in French. In 2018, the municipality had 64,726 inhabitants. Its
agglomeration
Agglomeration may refer to:
* Urban agglomeration, in standard English
* Megalopolis, in Chinese English, as defined in China's ''Standard for basic terminology of urban planning'' (GB/T 50280—98). Also known as "city cluster".
* Economies of agg ...
had 132,556 inhabitants (10 communes, of which 3 in
Ardèche
Ardèche (; , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche (river), Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
had 254,254 inhabitants (71 communes across Drôme and Ardèche).
Society
Worship and humanist associations
Valence has two Catholic parishes, which depend on the Diocese of Valence,
Deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...
of Valence: Notre-Dame-des-Peuples of Valence and Saint Émilien of Valence.
The Jewish community has a synagogue in Valence.
The Armenian community, comprising over 10% of the population, has its own church, Saint Sahag (Isaac) and in November 2017 launched the construction of an Armenian-language daily-school.
Protestants also have a place of worship in Valence, through the Reformed Church of France, as well as the
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
Church and the
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
Valence has two hospitals, a public and a private. Many health professionals are installed on the commune, including 58 physicians, 67 nurses, 80
physiotherapist
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...
s. Since 2009, Valence is a member of the
WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...
city health network, through its commitments for the promotion of good nutrition practices, Valence is also very active in the National Programme of Health and Nutrition (PNNS).
Central Hospital of Valence
The ''Centre Hospitalier de Valence'' entral Hospital of Valence(CHV) employed 2,570 people in 2013. It includes all clinical specialties (medicine, Oncology, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatry, care and rehabilitation, long stay, etc.). It has a maternity hospital where approximately 2,326 babies (including 20.9% deliveries by caesarean section and 60.6% deliveries under epidural) are born each year. The Central Hospital of Valence has a capacity of 740 beds. In 2011, nearly 67,000 people were presented as emergencies; the operating block has practised more than 10,000 interventions, nearly 29 interventions per day. In the maternity ward of the hospital, over 2,000 children were born. The Woman-Mother-Child Centre welcomes paediatrics, neonatology and obstetrics, infant surgery, gynaecology and the hospitalisation units for woman and child. The Medical and Tumour Pathologies Centre welcomes gastro-enterology, haematology, oncology, haemovigilance, pulmonology – infectious diseases, dermatology, alcohol addiction, and palliative care. The Geriatrics and Rehabilitation Centre brings together the geriatric mobile team, the USLD, the EHPAD, the geriatric SSR, and rehabilitation. The Surgery and Anesthesia Centre block welcomes orthopaedics, ENT, the ophthalmology, gynecological surgery, urology, neurosurgery, anesthesia, and an operating room. The Medicine and Specialties Centre includes cardiology, neurology, department of medicine, multipurpose medicine and dietetics. After the opening of the radiology building, a surgical building of 263 beds and places opened its doors in June 2011.
Drôme Ardèche Private Hospital
The ''Hôpital Privé Drôme Ardèche'' rôme Ardèche Private Hospital(HPDA) is a complex created in 2005 from the joining of the ''Clinique Pasteur'' asteur clinic(located on the neighboring commune of Guilherand-Granges) and the ''Clinique Générale de Valence'' alence General clinic(located in the quarter of Chaffit in Valence). It has 361 beds and places spread across the two sites. Its Emergency Department, located on the site of Pasteur, is open 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. In 2013, the Drôme Ardèche Private Hospital staff consists of 150 doctors and liberal surgeons, 180 nurses, 140 caregivers, 20 midwives, 16 childcare auxiliaries, 110 other hospital workers and porters, 45 other paramedic personnel, and 80 administrative and technical personnel.
Emergency services and civil security
The firefighters of the Drôme department ( 26) includes 2,735 staff (316 professional firefighters and 2,419 volunteers); its headquarters (which also houses the board of directors) is located at 235 ''Route de Montélier'' in Valence. Under the direction of Commander Laurent Blanchard, the firefighters of the Drôme took part in 28,551 interventions in 2013. The main rescue centre (known as "CSP", commonly referred to as the ''sapeurs-pompiers de Valence'' irefighters of Valence is under the responsibility of Captain Fabien Thepaut. It is the most important centre of intervention of the department and is located at 57 ''Rue de Chantecouriol'', Hugo-Provence Quarter in Valence. There are also seven assistance intervention centres (CIS) in the Valence agglomeration (CIS of Beaumont-lès-Valence, Chabeuil, Étoile-sur-Rhône, Montélier, Portes-lès-Valence, Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence and Saint-Péray).
The 26 is an emergency medical assistance service which has the mission to receive and treat emergency calls on the territory of Drôme. Its mission is to provide pre-hospital assistance to victims of accidents or sudden illnesses in critical condition.
Stendhal
Marie-Henri Beyle (; 23 January 1783 – 23 March 1842), better known by his pen name Stendhal (, , ), was a French writer. Best known for the novels ''Le Rouge et le Noir'' ('' The Red and the Black'', 1830) and ''La Chartreuse de Parme'' ('' T ...
). Valence is also home to the INPG engineering school ( ESISAR). Many other and more specialized schools are also located in Valence.
*
Joseph Fourier University
Joseph Fourier University (UJF, , also known as Grenoble I) was a French university situated in the city of Grenoble and focused on the fields of sciences, technologies and health. It is now part of the Université Grenoble Alpes.
Importance
...
: science, technology, health, STAPS,
*
Pierre Mendès-France University
The (, ''Grenoble Alps University'', abbr. UGA) is a ''grand établissement'' in Grenoble, France. Founded in 1339, it is the third largest university in France with about 60,000 students and over 3,000 researchers.
Established as the Unive ...
:
*
Stendhal University
Stendhal University (, also known as Grenoble III) was a university located in the outskirts of Grenoble, France that offered courses in foreign languages and cultures, ancient and modern literature, language and communication sciences. Having ...
: letters, languages
* ESISAR (École nationale supérieure in advanced systems and networks) of Grenoble INP
*Lycée Camille-Vernet: CPGE scientific and economic
*Higher technology Institute Montplaisir: CPGE economic and trade
*
* (EGC)
*Institute for hospital nursing education
*La Poudrière – Animation film school
* (ISTM)
Sport
*Basketball: ''Valence Bourg Basket'' is a basketball club created on 6 May 2011 and located in Bourg-lès-Valence.
*Cycling: Valence was finish city of the 11th stage of the
1996 Tour de France
The 1996 Tour de France was the 83rd edition of the Tour de France, starting on 29 June and ending on 21 July, featuring 19 regular stages, 2 individual time trials, a prologue and a rest day (10 July). It was won by Danish rider Bjarne Riis.
Th ...
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
: the , created in 2002, evolve in France's Division 3 Championship.
*
Football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
: Association Sportive de Valence (ASV) replaced ASOA Valence, which went into judicial liquidation in August 2005, the new team plays in the CFA from the 2011–2012 season.
*Golf: The ''Golf Club de Valence'' covers approximately of woods and greenery in the commune of Charpey (east of the city); the place bears the name of ''Golf de Valence – St Didier'', and offers a course of 18 holes with a length of , par 71. Situated in Bourg-lès-Valence, the ''Golf des Chanalets'' offers an 18-hole course, with a length of , par 71, and opens onto large 360° panoramas of the plain of Valence with the Rhône, Ardèche and Vercors summits.
*
Handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
: played in the from the season.
*
Ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
: The team was founded in 1976 and played in .
*Judo: The ''CSF Judo Valence'' club was established in 1950. It now has 164 licensees including 17 black belts. Three graduate teachers of state and two volunteer teachers supervise the youngest to most senior courses.
* Roller in-line hockey: ''Valence Roller Hockey'' has a team playing in the Championship of France N2 and counts an international junior among its players.
*
Rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
: Valence is the primary home of ROC La Voulte-Valence, which currently plays in the third division of French rugby,
Fédérale 1
The championnat de France de rugby à XV de 1re division fédérale (), a.k.a. Fédérale 1 (), is a French rugby union club competition, it is the elite of amateur rugby in France. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Français ...
. The current club was created in 2010 when the city's former club, Valence Sportif, merged with nearby La Voulte Sportif, from La Voulte-sur-Rhône.
* Squash: The ''Squash Club de Valence'' has a team which plays in the championnat de France national 1 with flag-carrier Grégoire Marche, European champion junior and no. 79 world.
*The Georges Pompidou Stadium is the main stadium of Valence with a capacity of 14,380 places. It is also the stadium where the athletics competitions take place.
*
Triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...
: ''Valence Triathlon'' has a men's team and a women's team which is in the French second division.
*Ken Shin Kan is a Japanese sword school which aims to promote and teach the techniques of Japanese sword are:
naginata
The ''naginata'' (, , ) is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades ('' nihontō''). ''Naginata'' were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei ( ...
,
iaido
, abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sport ...
, , and
kendo
is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords ( shinai) as well as protective armor ( bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship ex ...
. The club has no less than 80 licensees of all disciplines.
*Valence ACE volleyball Club offers training in youth and adult recreation and competition volleyball. The club has more than 130 licensees.
Economy
The focal point of major north-south European routes and door to the for the east-west corridor in the direction of Italy and
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, the territory of the Valence agglomeration has developed around innovative companies, offering a higher education, centres of excellence and an economic supply of land. The development of the economy of Valence is favoured by the proximity of cities such as
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
and
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
and, through transport routes, major European capitals.
The economic development of Valence can also count on a wealthy producer territory of food processing, hi-tech with the presence of large groups of electronics or aerospace, many innovative SMEs and a university centre of importance of film and knowledge with the presence of major animation studios internationally recognised for the quality of their productions.
The Valence agglomeration by its geographical and strategic position at the crossroads of the main European flows, enjoys exceptional and multimodal infrastructure: The railway marshalling yard, the : River services and vessels along the Rhone by the canal from the Rhône to the Mediterranean and by access to the Freycinet northward, access to the A7 motorway and a branch towards the Isère and Italy (A49) a railway siding giving access to Europe-Mediterranean traffic and Italy.
Valence is the seat of the , which manages the , the and Valence-Chabeuil Airport.
According to INSEE in 2005, the percentage of the distribution of the labour force by sector of activity was:
* Food (
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
s, vegetables, wines)
* Metallurgy
* Mechanical engineering
* Electronics / Electronic Banking / Automation
The industries of the city include metallurgical products, textiles, leather goods, jewelry and munitions, and it also serves as a processing and trade centre for the surrounding agricultural region.
Some of the big hi-tech companies settled here are leaders in their domains like
Thales
Thales of Miletus ( ; ; ) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek Pre-Socratic philosophy, pre-Socratic Philosophy, philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. Thales was one of the Seven Sages of Greece, Seven Sages, founding figure ...
(Former
Thomson-CSF
Thomson-CSF was a French company that specialized in the development and manufacture of electronics with a heavy focus upon the aerospace and defence sectors of the market.
Thomson-CSF was formed in 1968 following the merger of Thomson-Hous ...
, electronic systems for avionics and defence), Crouzet/ Schneider (Automatic systems), SAGEM (former Alcatel space (Aerospatial systems)), Ascom Monetel (Automatic tax payment systems), etc.
The Maison Pic is a world-renowned three Michelin star restaurant and hotel, established in 1889.
Areas of economic activities
The commercial area of the Couleures has approximately eighty public brands in the fields of equipment, the home, sport, and the individual.
The two sectors of Briffaut (east and west), in east Valence, count 320 companies (200 on the sector of Briffaut East including an automotive hub combining various concessions and associated services; and 120 businesses of Briffaut West).
The technoparks include one hundred companies.
The plateau of Lautagne, located at the south of the city, brings together 40 technology companies with high added value. An extension of was scheduled the second half of 2008.
The Auréats zone is the oldest industrial site in Valence, it covers and 180 companies (on the Valence side).
The Cime activity centre, housed in the former premises of Tézier, gathers 86 service enterprises. The site is currently undergoing conversion work.
Businesses and shops
At the end of 2015, 8,183 establishments were installed on the commune of Valence: 71% in the tertiary trade, and 16% of establishments in public administration (school, health, etc.). Industry represents only 4% of establishments in the commune. 92% of its establishments employ less than 10 employees.
Income and taxation of the population
The declared taxable average net income was €19,609, in 2009. Only 46% of households were taxed the same year.
Employment
In 2017, 45,489 people had a job, of which 90.5% was salaried employment. The rate of unemployment in the city is 18.2%.
Local culture and heritage
Sites and monuments
Many monuments of Valence are protected as historical monuments. Many of these monuments are in the quarter of .
The best known of Valence's monuments to its notable inhabitants include those to
Émile Augier
Guillaume Victor Émile Augier (; 17 September 182025 October 1889) was a French dramatist. He was the thirteenth member to occupy seat 1 of the on 31 March 1857.
Biography
Augier was born at Valence, Drôme, the grandson of Pigault Lebrun, an ...
Vieux Valence ld Valenceis a quarter in the old city of Valence, based primarily around the and also including the lower town district. It is expected the 19th century so that the city's ramparts, replaced by boulevards in 1860. Valencia then grows in range around its ancient centre. In this area that formerly comprised the historic centre of the city of Valencia, there are:
Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral is a Romanesque cathedral, which was built in the 11th century. It was the Bishop Gontard (1063–1099) who drove construction of this edifice which is now the oldest in the city. Several blocks of stone from the Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral were reused from the Gallo-Roman buildings of the city of ''Valentia''. The Cathedral of St. Apollinaris, which has an architecturally notable
apse
In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...
, and was consecrated in 1095 by pope
Urban II
Pope Urban II (; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening the Council of Clermon ...
. It suffered extensive damage in the
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...
, 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 (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
, 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.
The , built between 1528 and 1532 by Antoine de Dorne, Consul in Valence, royal Professor at the University, the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
façade with several heads carved representing the winds, fortune, time and even theology. This House, marking the transition from the Gothic to the Renaissance style, owes its name to the many heads that adorn its facade. The corridor is decorated with busts of Roman emperors. The building has been classified as a historical monument since 1944.
The is the only museum of its kind in
Drôme
Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
, its collections bring together paintings, drawings, sculptures, decorative arts from the 16th century to the 20th century. Created in 1850 and installed in the former bishopric since 1911, it houses a hundred drawings by Hubert Robert with lots of sanguine. The work to expand the museum (which began in 2009) was completed in December 2013. The new layout of the museum consists of 35 rooms, spread over five floors: On the ground floor are archaeological collections which are continued on the fifth and fourth floors, then going back in time, down to the lower levels. The layout permits easy circulation by stairs and elevators, and privileged with natural lighting, opening many views over the city and the Rhône, while highlighting the architecture of the former bishopric.
The , a building of
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
inspiration, which is probably the funerary monument of Nicolas Mistral, Canon of the Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral, seems to have been built in 1548, from a stone engraved with an inscription to that effect. This monument was transformed, after the
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
, into a drinking establishment. It was bought by the city of Valence around 1830 and is part of the first monuments registered national historical monuments inventory after a visit by Prosper Mérimée in Drôme.
The , a 13th-century house, keeps a medieval aspect despite the restorations of the 19th century. It probably, belonged originally to a rich clothier. The ground floor was devoted to artisanal production and trade, while the floors sheltered the housing of the craftsman.
The ''Maison de la Pra'', a 15th-century mansion, property of Claude Frère, a rich merchant who was first president of the . The lantern of the staircase stands on the ancient walls between the Tower of the Cathedral and the belfry of Saint John, in the heart of the old town.
The , dating from the 16th century, has a remarkable staircase tower. The ''Maison Dupré-Latour'' is a former mansion that was built by the Genas family, traders enriched by the salt trade. In 1760, the building was bought by François Dupré-Latour whose name would remain attached to the building and whose descendants continue to live there. In 1993, the building was transferred to the city and has been classified as an historical monument since 1927.
The moorish house known as ''Mauresque à Ferlin'', after the name of its owner, was built in 1858 and of oriental inspiration.
The (11th century and 12th century) and its 19th-century Romanesque Revival gatehouse. This church of the old town is perched at the highest point of the city, signs of its age. It would be one of the first places of Christian worship then emerging in Valence.
The temple of the Abbey of Saint-Ruf, former chapel of a Roman priory. The Order of the Canons Regular of Saint Ruf was born in Avignon, where a small community of clerics became one of the spearheads of the reform of the clergy in the Rhone valley and beyond. The importance acquired by the canons of Saint-Ruf generated tensions with the cathedral chapter, which led to the transfer of the head of order (i.e. the mother abbey) in Valence.
The ''église Notre-Dame'' hurch of Our Lady located on ''Rue Berthelot''. Built in the mid-nineteenth century, offices there are now led by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter according to the extraordinary form of the
Roman rite
The Roman Rite () is the most common ritual family for performing the ecclesiastical services of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The Roman Rite governs Rite (Christianity) ...
.
The Italian theatre dates back to 1837. The site is that of the former Saint Mary of the Visitation convent. Initially, the desire was to erect a city hall. After long drawn-out construction decisions, the city took advantage of a windfall from a private initiative for the construction of a theatre. The Italian room was built between 1886 and 1887 by the architect Ange Madona. The domed ceiling is treated in
trompe-l'œil
; ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional surface. , which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into perceiving p ...
; it recalls the Temple of Arts and depicts four genres (drama, comedy, opera and vaudeville). Completely renovated in the 1990s, the theatre of the city is one of the jewels of the 19th century architecture in Valence. It has 390 seats, a rehearsal room, and a dance studio.
The is a former abbey of Benedictine women which was founded in 1632 by the transfer of the Abbey of St. John the Evangelist, from the village of Soyons (
Ardèche
Ardèche (; , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche (river), Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.belfry
The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...
, a secular steeple symbolising the independence of the city against the Catholic Church, a classical facade and a roof of tiles of different colors. It hosts the activities of the town hall, with the offices of the mayor, city council and administrative services.
The is a place of history and memory that addresses the original news around major themes: Migration, the memory of conflicts and the history of peoples and cultures. Indeed, Valence has one of the largest Armenian communities in France. The Armenian heritage centre is installed in the former Faculty of Law at the heart of the pedestrian centre of Valence, close to the historic Valence quarter of Armenian origin (concentrated around the ''Rue Bouffier'', ''Rue Armenia'' and ''Rue Belle Image'').
The ''ancienne préfecture'', near the ''Place Saint-Jean'', where remains only the monumental entrance gate. The rest was destroyed in a bombing raid during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
on 15 August 1944. It has been at this place since the end of the 18th century. Previously, at the abbatial palace of Saint-Ruf.
The is lined by colorful facades. It is from the 5th century, when the episcopal district was created, that the Place des Clercs began to gain importance. Shops settled, markets took place and did justice. In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
there were two churches: The cathedral from the 11th century and Notre-Dame de la Ronde which was older (a remaining column is currently in the public toilets). The Wars of Religion significantly deteriorated these buildings.
The "côtes", picturesque mounts of the upper town. There are traces of the walls at the top of the Côte Sainte-Ursule and at the bottom of Côte Sylvante; they served to protect the city from invasions, epidemics or flooding caused by the Rhône. They were widely used in medieval times by the people (boatmen, carters, mule, etc.) who used these stairs to go to the small streets and squares of the upper town. The Côte Sainte-Ursule meanwhile was less used; it separated the properties of two monasteries. It is set at the location of the Roman theatre and probably served as an exit. One may also include the Côtes Saint-Martin, Saint-Estève, des Chapeliers and la Voûte.
In the city
The "Boulevards de Valence", a wide promenade, traced on the former location of the ramparts and tree-lined with Hausmannian-style buildings, which had a renovation from 2004 to 2009.
The
bandstand
A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an ornamen ...
built in 1860 on the esplanade of the Champ de Mars served as the model the designer Raymond Peynet to immortalize his love, and which carries the name of . It is classified a historical monument since 1982.
The , designed by the architect Eugène Poitoux and dating from 1887, is located in the city centre, on the boulevards. In 2005, the fountain was renovated and moved a few metres, in order to better integrate into the perspective of the renovated boulevards and in 2006, a copy of the winged genius, which was destroyed in 1954 by lightning which struck the column, was replaced at the top of the column.
, a public garden of created in 1905, and opened by president
Émile Loubet
Émile François Loubet (; 30 December 183820 December 1929) was the 45th Prime Minister of France from February to December 1892 and later President of France from 1899 to 1906.
Trained in law, he became Mayor (France), mayor of Montélimar, w ...
, bears the name of Théodore Jouvet, donor of the land, and includes more than 700 trees of various species. This park also has a pet shop, a small train, and a rose garden.
Valence-Ville station, has a façade which was inspired by the
Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon (; French for 'small Trianon') is a Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical style château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, France. It was built between 1762 and 1768 ...
at Versailles. The passenger building of today, which was commissioned in April 1866, was designed by Louis-Jules Bouchot, architect of
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
. The main façade on the ''Rue du Pavillon Central'' has been registered as an historic monument since 11 October 1982.
The esplanade of the , which before the conversion work of 2001 was a car park dotted with plane trees, is today a wide tree-lined esplanade, where one can see beyond the Rhône to the Château de Crussol, at the forefront of the Ardèche mountains.
The Philolaus water tower (first studies of the sculptor in 1963), built between 1969 and 1971, is located in , between the quarters of le Plan and Fontbarlettes, east of the city. It consists of two twisted towers with high clean lines, and high, which combine functionality and artistic research. In 1981, he received the "prix du quartier de l'Horloge" rize of the quarter of the clockfor the best work of urban art in the 1970s. The water tower sculpture was distinguished by the label "20th century" in 2003 and was the subject of a stamp in 2013.
Championnet 2004-08-15 027.jpg, Statue of Championnet on the
MaisonDrapier-Valence.jpg, The
Valence-côte.jpg, A "côte" of Valence, on leaving the ''place de la Pierre'' (Basse ville)
Valence-cote3.jpg, The côte Saint-Martin. In the distance, the ruins of the Château de Crussol (Ardèche)
Valence-cote2.jpg, Stairs of the côte Saint-Martin
La porte sylvante.JPG, The Sylvante gate
Haut de la côte sylvante.JPG, The top of the côte Sylvante.
Côte sous la cathédrale.JPG, Côte Saint-Estève under the cathedral
The Valence channels
A unique ecological and
natural heritage
Natural heritage refers to the sum total of the elements of biodiversity, includes flora and fauna, ecosystems and geological structures. It forms part of our natural resources.
Definition
Definitions:
* Natural heritage refers to natural feat ...
in France, channels accompany Valence since
Roman times
In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman civilisation from the founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingd ...
. The name of Valence comes from three Celtic words: "val" (water), "len" (plain) and "ty" (House) and would mean "water-rich inhabited place". At the time these rivers allowed the inhabitants to satisfy many needs and activities: Fishing, irrigation, washing, soaking, driving force for flour mills, oil, fuller and silk. They are now a place to walk for many inhabitants.
It is in the neighborhoods east of Valence, at the foot of a terrace, the ''terrasse du séminaire'', that the channels (with a total length of , or when counting secondary irrigation channels) originate. Very quickly, the Valence people strove to channel these waters forming unhealthy marshes. In the 13th century, the regulation and the use of the channels was the privilege of the monasteries of Saint-Ruf and Saint-Victor, who decided the location of the mills.
Indeed, the water used for irrigation, drinking water and washhouses, was also a valuable source of energy for the economic development of the era. The main (''Charran'', ''Thon'', ''Moulins'' and ''Malcontents'') cross the city from east to west before joining to form the which then flows into the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
. In the 19th century, the channels lost their significance and would even be a little forgotten, hidden by urbanisation, high-rise buildings and roads.
In recent years, the municipality has undertaken a development work of paths, bordered by poplars and willows, along these channels. Green routes have been signposted along the canals of ''des Malcontents'', ''de la Grande Marquise'', ''de Thibert'', '' du Charran'' and ''de Californie''. Channels which still continue to water gardens. The municipality also wants to promote gentle travel along the banks of the channels.
Parks and green spaces
Located in the city centre between and the Lycée Emile Loubet, the esplanade is a large walk of planted with lime trees, with the in its centre.
Under this terrace lies the city garden or . It bears the name of Théodore Jouvet, a generous donor who gave, to the city of Valence, the amount required for the purchase of the land and whose statue is placed near the belvedere from the
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque () or La Belle Époque () was a period of French and European history that began after the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era of the Fr ...
. This garden occupies the slopes which connect the lower town and the . It is crossed by small streams and adorned with statues. The central park, it is also one of the most important monumental and civic ensembles of Valence: The monument to the dead of the Valence commune, obelisk-shaped, was built after
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
; the general Championnet, a native son, also had his statue here, which was removed in May 1944 and hidden, to prevent it from being melted by the occupying Germany. The meeting of physician Gilbert Dreyfuse with
Louis Aragon
Louis Aragon (; 3 October 1897 – 24 December 1982) was a French poet who was one of the leading voices of the Surrealism, surrealist movement in France. He co-founded with André Breton and Philippe Soupault the surrealist review ''Littératur ...
, his contact in the Resistance, was told by the poet after war in a small article, published in 2001.
Covering an area of , is the largest in the city. It lies in the quarter of Fontbarlettes. The park has many trees, including 400 cedars near a natural space in the shape of an
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...
. This park of Valence offers a fitness trail, playgrounds for children, and a wide body of water on which is reflected the two futuristic water towers. Built between 1969 and 1971 by the Greek sculptor
Philolaus
Philolaus (; , ''Philólaos''; )
was a Greek Pythagorean and pre-Socratic philosopher. He was born in a Greek colony in Italy and migrated to Greece. Philolaus has been called one of three most prominent figures in the Pythagorean tradition and ...
at the initiative of the urban architect , the water tower is a sculpture-architecture labelled and consists of two twisted towers, the tallest measuring high.
The Saint-Ruf Park is the park of the former prefecture and is located in Vieux Valence. It offers views of
Ardèche
Ardèche (; , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche (river), Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.ruins of Crussol. It connects the historic centre to the old town. It was on this hillside, which is particularly well sited for sunset, that the Free Commune of Saint-Jean planted its vineyards. At the entrance to the park is the portal of the abbatial palace of the .
Located in the quarter of Valensolles, is a landscaped park of which channels a country stream, from a natural source. It features lawns which are accessible to all, a children's playground and a space for bowling.
Not far lies the Recreation Park of l'Épervière. In addition to its , this park includes a body of water of , protected by a long breakwater. In its leisure and relaxation area, the park contains restaurants, a campsite, a hotel, a swimming pool, a tennis court, billiards, bowling, walks, and offers river cruises.
Public green areas of Valence total (more than 10% of the area of the commune). The city's main parks are:
*
*
*Benjamin-Delessert Park
*The Recreation Park of l'Épervière
*
*Park of the Trinitaires
*Park of the Polygone
*Itchevan Park
*Châteauvert Park
*Saint-Ruf Park
In 2014, the municipality of Valence has the label "flowery city" with "4 flowers" awarded by the National Council of flowery cities and villages of France to the competition of flowery cities and villages.
Gastronomy
Dragees.jpg, Dragées de Valence
Suisse biscuit.JPG, The
*The , a Valence specialty, is a
shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche, pie, or (in the British English sense) flan. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken pie. ...
biscuit shaped as a man. Sometimes improperly referred to as "Puppet", the Suisse of Valence is flavoured with
orange blossom
The orange blossom is the fragrant flower of the orange (fruit), ''Citrus sinensis'' (orange tree). It is used in perfume making and has been written about as an aphrodisiac. Orange blossom Essential oil, essence is an important component in ...
, it contains powder almond and small pieces of candied orange peel. The name, shape and decoration of this biscuit are inspired by the uniform of the Swiss Guards of Pope
Pius VI
Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
who died in Valence. The Suisse is traditionally eaten during the Easter holidays and particularly during the festival of
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm bran ...
.
*The Dragée de Valence is a confection of praline or of chocolate coated in sugar made in the purest tradition, to celebrate the solemn events of life such as baptisms, communions and weddings. The materials used are graded and regular
almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...
s coming mainly from France (Ferraduelle), but also of Spain (Longuette, Planeta) or Sicily (Avola). These varieties are the only ones which allow the obtainment of a very pleasing dragée.
*The fruits which are commonly found in the Valence region include
peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...
es, apples, pears,
apricot
An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''.
Usually an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...
cherries
A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).
Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The name ...
,
blackberries
BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...
Since installation in 1773 an artillery regiment, the Regiment of la Fère, Valence was the place of confinement of numerous military units.
*The long occupied the Bacquet barracks
*1852–1873, a school of artillery, installed by Bonaparte under the
Consulate
A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a ...
and then abolished in 1828, since restored.
*The , 1906–1914, was stationed in the Chareton barracks which was destroyed during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
*In 1948, the moved to the La Tour-Maubourg Quarter, and then, in 1951, Bacquet barracks. In 1955, the 477th GAAL was attached to the 404th RAA, which was dissolved in 1964.
*10th and 12th batteries of 155 of the , 1914
*, 1939–1940
*In 1879, the settled in the newly built barracks, on the ''Avenue de Romans''.
* 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment, 1906
*, 1939–1940
:*
:*
:*
Since 1984, the 1st Spahi Regiment has been installed at the barracks of the Bacquet Quarter.
Asti
Asti ( , ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of 74,348 inhabitants (1–1–2021) located in the Italy, Italian region of Piedmont, about east of Turin, in the plain of the Tanaro, Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and ...
Biberach an der Riss Biberach may refer to:
*Biberach an der Riß, a town in Upper Swabia, Germany
*Biberach (district), which has Biberach an der Riß as its capital
* Biberach, Baden, a municipality in the ''Ortenaukreis'', Germany
*Biberach is a part of Roggenburg, ...
, Germany (1967)
* Gedera, Israel (1997)
* Ijevan, Armenia (1996)
* Pushkin, Russia (2017)
* Tendring, England, United Kingdom (1969)
In addition, Valence has a friendship declaration with:
*
Stepanakert
Stepanakert officially Khankendi is a city in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. It was the capital city of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh prior to the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in ...
, Republic of Artsakh (2015)
Notable people
* Saint Félix (?–212), priest, founder of the first Church of Valence, martyred here. A primary school in downtown bears his name.
* Laurent Joubert (1520–1583), physician to King
Henry III of France
Henry III (; ; ; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.
As the fourth son of King Henry II of France, he ...
* Jacques Cujas (1522–1590), Professor at the University of Valence in 1557–1559 and 1567–1575
*
Balthazar Baro
Balthazar Baro (15961650) was a French poet, playwright and romance (heroic literature), romance-writer.
Biography
Baro was born in Valence, Drôme, to a professor at the university of Valence. He studied at Tournon-sur-Rhône then at Valence, wh ...
(1596–1650), poet and playwright
* Louis Mandrin (1725–1755), smuggler, died here
* Jean-Denis de Montlovier (1733–1804), lawyer and man of letters
*
Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos (; 18 October 1741 – 5 September 1803) was a French novelist, official, Freemason and army general, best known for writing the epistolary novel '' Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (''Dangerous Liaisons ...
(1741–1803), novelist, official and army general, established an artillery school here
* Alexandre Camille Taponier (1749–1831), general of division
*
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
(1769–1821), military and political leader, served here in the youth in the La Fère Artillery Regiment
*
Pius VI
Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
(1717–1799), Pope, died here
* Jean-Étienne Championnet (1762–1800), general, his statue by Victor Sappey stands on the Champ de Mars
* Jean-Pierre Bachasson (1766–1823), Count of Montalivet, peer of France and statesman, Minister of the Interior of Napoleon and mayor of Valence. His statue stands on the ''Place Montalivet''.
* Jean-Joseph Farre (1816–1887), general and Minister of War
* (1822–1871), politician, a boulevard of the city is named after him and his statue is installed in front of the station
* Louis Gallet (1835–1898), poet, novelist and librettist
* Louis Le Cardonnel (1862–1936), priest and poet
* Jules Nadi (1872–1928), politician
* René Alphonse Higonnet (1902–1983), engineer and co-inventor of the
phototypesetting
Phototypesetting is a method of Typesetting, setting type which uses photography to make columns of Sort (typesetting), type on a scroll of photographic paper.
It has been made obsolete by the popularity of the personal computer and desktop publ ...
Paul Ricœur
Jean Paul Gustave Ricœur (; ; 27 February 1913 – 20 May 2005) was a French philosopher best known for combining phenomenological description with hermeneutics. As such, his thought is within the same tradition as other major hermeneut ...
(1913–2005), philosopher
* Catherine Langeais (1923–1998), television presenter and actress
* Marc Aryan (1926–1985), French-Belgian singer-songwriter
* Jean-Claude Lamy (born 1941), writer and journalist
* Louis Nicollin (1943–2017), entrepreneur and chairman of
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club (; ), commonly referred to as Montpellier HSC, is a French professional association football, football club based in the city of Montpellier in Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie. The original club was ...
Sébastien Chabal
Sébastien Chabal (born 8 December 1977) is a French former rugby union player. He played Number eight (rugby union), number eight and Lock (rugby union), lock for CS Bourgoin-Jallieu, Bourgoin (1998–2004), Sale Sharks (2004–2009), Racing Mé ...
A since 1982 and designed by the architect Eugène Poitoux, the is a bandstand which inspired Raymond Peynet in 1942 with his famous "lovers". These "lovers" would travel the world and adorn many objects. Raymond Peynet worked on that momentum for many newspapers. After becoming famous, Peynet returned to Valence in April 1966, to baptise the kiosk which now bears his name.
The lovers of Peynet inspired the song of Georges Brassens. They were broken down into stamps in 1985 in France, cancelled by the post office of Saint-Valentin in Indre, each on 14 February, in
postcards
A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin Card stock, cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare.
In some places, one can send a ...
,
doll
A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...
s, in books, on medals, in statues (such as the one in
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...
in Japan). The little couple is sought by collectors around the world. Japan has two Peynet museums ( Karuizawa and Sakuto), while in Hiroshima, a statue of the Lovers faces the memorial of the atomic bombing. There is also a kiosque and a museum dedicated to the artist in the small commune of Brassac-les-Mines. Isabelle Bard, the mother of Peynet, was born in
Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (; or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2021, it had a population of 662,285.Alex Joffé
Alex Joffé (18 November 1918 – 18 August 1995) was a French film director and screenwriter, known for ''Les cracks'' (1968), ''Fortunat'' (1960) and ''La grosse caisse'' (1965). He was the father of the director Arthur Joffé, as well as Mari ...
Patrick Dewaere
Patrick Dewaere (26 January 1947 – 16 July 1982) was a French film actor. Born in Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d'Armor, he was the son of French actress Mado Maurin. An actor from a young age, his career lasted more than 21 years until his suicide in ...
,
Miou-Miou
Sylvette Herry (born 22 February 1950), known professionally as Miou-Miou (), is a French actress. A ten-time César Award nominee, she won the César Award for Best Actress for the 1979 film ''Memoirs of a French Whore''. Her other films inclu ...
and
Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. Mo ...
Cédric Klapisch
Cédric Klapisch ( ; born 4 September 1961) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer.
Life and career
Klapisch was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He is from a Jewish family; his maternal grandparents were
deported to ...
, with
Fabrice Luchini
Fabrice Luchini (; born Robert Luchini; 1 November 1951) is a French stage and film actor. He has appeared in films such as '' Potiche'', '' The Women on the 6th Floor'', and '' In the House''.
Life and career
Fabrice Luchini was born in Paris, ...
Patrice Leconte
Patrice Leconte (; born 12 November 1947) is a French film director, screenwriter and comic strip writer.
Life and career
Leconte grew up in Tours, and began making little amateur films at 15. He went to Paris in 1967 and studied at Institut des ...
Philippe Noiret
Philippe Noiret (; 1 October 1930 – 23 November 2006) was a French film actor.
Life and career
Noiret was born in Lille, France, the son of Lucy (Heirman) and Pierre Noiret, a clothing company representative. He was an indifferent student a ...
Je vous trouve très beau
''You Are So Beautiful'' (French title: ''Je vous trouve très beau'') is a French comedy film released in 2005 by the Gaumont company. It is written and directed by Isabelle Mergault and includes a cast of Michel Blanc, Medeea Marinescu, Wladimir ...
'' directed by
Isabelle Mergault
Isabelle Mergault (born 11 May 1958) is a French actress, director, writer and television/radio personality.
Personal life
Isabelle Mergault was born in Aubervilliers, Seine-Saint-Denis near Paris.
Filmography
Actress
Director / writer
Th ...
Tonie Marshall
Tonie Marshall (29 November 1951 – 12 March 2020) was a French-American actress, screenwriter, and film director. In 2000, she became the first female director to win the César Award for Best Director, César Award for her film ''Venus Beauty ...
, with
Nathalie Baye
Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye (; born 6 July 1948) is a French film, television, and stage actress. She began her career in 1970 and has appeared in more than 80 films. A ten-time César Award nominee, her four wins were for ''Every Man for Himsel ...
,
Édouard Baer
Édouard Baer (born 1 December 1966) is a French actor, director, screenwriter, film producer and radio personality.
In 2001, Edouard Baer played the Egyptian scribe Otis in Alain Chabat's hit comedy Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra. Baer ...
Philippe Lioret
Philippe Lioret (born 10 October 1955) is a French film director, screenwriter
A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. Th ...
Marie Gillain
Marie Gillain O.M.W. (born 18 June 1975) is a Belgian actress.
In popular culture
* She was the heroine of the John Malkovich play ''Hysteria'' in Chicago in December 1999.
* She is a model for cosmetics brand Lancôme.
* In 2013 she was no ...
and .
* 2014: ''
Three Hearts
''Three Hearts'' is the second solo album by rock musician and former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Welch.
Just like Welch's previous effort ''French Kiss'', ''Three Hearts'' was a commercial success. The album reached number 20 on the US char ...
'' directed by
Benoît Jacquot
Benoît Jacquot (; born 5 February 1947) is a French film director and screenwriter who has had a varied career in European cinema.
In July 2024, Jacquot was charged with rape, including of a minor, and was barred from directing and having cont ...
with
Benoît Poelvoorde
Benoît Poelvoorde (, ; born 22 September 1964) is a Belgian actor and comedian.
Early life
His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still a minor. He attended the Collège Saint-Paul (Godinne), Jesuit Boar ...
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress. She is considered one of the greatest European actresses on film. In 2020, ''The New York Times'' ranked her as one of th ...
.
Gallery
Valence-MaisonDupre-Latour-RuePerollerie.jpg, alt=The Maison Dupré-Latour, The
Valence kiosque Peynet.jpg, alt=Kiosque Peynet on the Champ-de-Mars, on the Champ de Mars
Valence...(décembre 2012) 004-001.JPG, alt=The bell tower of the Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral, Bell tower of the Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral
Porte de l'ancienne préfecture.JPG, alt=gate of the former prefecture, Gate of the former prefecture
Chateau Crussol coucher de soleil.jpg, alt=View of the facade of the Château de Crussol from the Champ de Mars, View of the Château de Crussol from the esplanade of the
Résidence du marquis de Veynes,côte des chapeliers.JPG, Côte des Chapeliers, home of the Marquis of Veynes.
Côte des chapeliers.JPG, alt=Côte des chapeliers, Côte des Chapeliers
Valence-Sculpture-JardinMusee.jpg, Sculpture in the garden of the
Port Epervière Valence 26-04-2005.jpg, alt=The port de l'Épervière,
See also
*
Communes of the Drôme department
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** List of comm ...
*
Drôme
Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.