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Grenoble History, France

Grenoble history is pretty long (even if not as long as the city of Nimes) and its existence can be traced back to the 3rd century, when it was occupied and fortified by the Celtic warrior tribe Allobroges. (The sovereignty of the Allobroges people extended beyond the Grenoble-site and was spread over territories including present-day Lyon, Saint-Etienna, the Isere department and even parts of Switzerland). Grenoble was a mere town then and was known as Cularo.

Towards the end of the 4th century, the town became a part of the Roman Empire and thereafter it came to be known as Gratianopolis. Then it became a part of the first Burgundian Empire before being conquered by the king of the Franks, Clotaire I. The region also saw the rule of the Carolingian kings before it was annexed to the second Burgundian kingdom of Arles.

History Of Grenoble And The Dauphine Province

In the 12th century, the Count of Albon gained control over the region. Since the count was monikered ‘le Dauphin’ (French for dolphin) because he had a dolphin on his coat of arms, the region became famous as Dauphine; his successors even changed their title to Dauphin of Viennois. It was the Dauphins of Viennois who made Grenoble the capital of the Dauphine region.

Grenoble (rather the whole of the Dauphine province) last changed hands in 1349, when the Dauphin of Viennois, Humbert II, sold the territory to the French King, Philippe VI. Of course, the Dauphin of Viennois laid down a set of preconditions; one of these required the heir to the French throne to bear the title ‘le Dauphin’. This condition was abided by and till the French Revolution every heir to the French throne was awarded the title ‘le Dauphin’.

History Of Grenoble And ‘The Day Of The Tiles’

The French Revolution might have begun in Paris but it happened only after a series of incidents; the ‘Day of the Tiles’, which took place in Grenoble history on June 7, 1788 was one of them. On this day, the people of Grenoble confronted and assaulted the troops of Louis XVI. (The troops had been sent to quell a mass rebellion organized against a royal decree abolishing the local parliament). Many historians have gone to the extent of naming ‘Day of the Tiles’ happening as the start of the French Revolution.

History Of Grenoble After The French Revolution

Grenoble was the scene of disorder and unrest during the days of the French Revolution. Churches were destroyed and guillotine beheadings became a pretty everyday affair. Things started falling in place slowly after the French Revolution came to an end. By the end of the 19th century, Grenoble was making steady progress as an industrial center. Italian and German occupation during World War II interrupted the progress, but things got better once the war was over. Today, Grenoble is not only an industrial hub, but an administrative, educational as well as a commercial center. Grenoble is today named among world’s topmost scientific research centers and has achieved great feats in the fields of microelectronics and nuclear physics.

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