Municipalities of the Pays Viennois 

 

 Vienne's name comes from the Celtic word 'Vienna', which means 'little town on the water's edge'. The site has been occupied since ancient times. Around the year A.D. 40, the town grew up on either side of the Rhône, and at the time was one of the largest towns in Gaul. It was adorned with some remarkable monuments, some of which can still be seen today, and it benefited from thriving economic activity, particularly thanks to the trade made possible by the Rhône.

In 1450, Vienne was linked to the Kingdom of France. After that, it gradually came to be eclipsed by the neighbouring town of Lyon and by Grenoble for the administration of the Dauphiné. Today, Vienne specialises in tertiary economic activities, although it also has a few high-tech industries.

It enjoys intense commercial and cultural activity throughout the year. Its liveliest moment comes in the early summer with the arrival of the jazz festival.

The Allobroges capital competes with Lyon, capital of the Gauls, 30 km away, for the honour of having the most impressive Gallo-Roman monuments. Nearly two hundred iconographic documents evoke the Viennois way of life.

The town's current population is 30,000.