Grenoble

Grenoble, city in southeastern France, capital of Isère Department, near the convergence of the Drac and Isère rivers, in a mountainous region. Grenoble is an important center for producing hydroelectricity and has a major nuclear-research institute. Other industries include the manufacture of cement, chemicals, leather goods, paper, textiles, processed food, and electrical equipment. Many tourists visit the city each year for the nearby parks and winter sports facilities.

Grenoble is the seat of a bishopric dating from the 4th century ad. Among the many old ecclesiastical buildings in the city are the 11th-century Church of Saint Laurent; the Cathedral of Notre Dame, parts of which date from the 11th century; and the 13th-century Church of Saint André. The renowned monastery of the Carthusians, La Grande Chartreuse (founded 11th century) is nearby. On a hill overlooking the city is the Bastille, a 19th-century fortification, reached by cable car. In the city are a noted museum of fine arts, a museum of village life, and a museum devoted to the 19th-century writer Stendhal, who was born in Grenoble. Also in the city are the Universities of Grenoble I, II, and III (founded 1339, reorganized 1970).

Grenoble is the ancient Cularo of the Allobroges, a tribe of Gaul. From the 4th century it was known, in honor of the Roman emperor Gratian, as Gratianopolis, the name eventually being transformed to Grenoble. The city was part of the kingdom of Provence from the 9th to the 11th century. Later it was made the capital of the former province of Dauphiné, an independent feudal kingdom, until the city passed to the French crown in 1349. Its main growth dates from the late 19th century. The 1968 Winter Olympic Games were held here. Population (2005 estimate) 156,600.