Vienne lies 30km/20mi south of Lyons on the left bank of the Rhône, which is joined here by its tributary the Gève, on the important traffic route between Burgundy and the Mediterranean.
Originally the chief town of a Gallic tribe, the Allobroges, the Roman town of Vienna became in the Imperial period the second capital of southern Gaul. In the third century it became the see of a bishop, and thereafter enjoyed a period of prosperity under episcopal rule. In 879 Boso, Count of Vienne, became king of Lower Burgundy, and in the 12th century the town was capital of the Dauphiné. It was united with France in 1450-1451.
Vienne has many well preserved buildings of the Gallo-Roman, Romanesque and Gothic periods.
In Vienne, near the Rhône, is the church of St-Pierre, one of France's oldest medieval churches (sixth-10th C), which now houses the Musée Lapidaire, with a large collection including mosaics, sarcophagi, fragments of sculpture and architectural elements.
In the center of Vienne is the Place de l'Hôtel- de-Ville, with the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall). Southeast of the square are the Portiques des Thermes Romains, part of the colonnade round the Roman forum, and the remains of a temple of the Oriental goddess Cybele.
This annual Jazz festival takes place in early July and is part of a long circuit of festivals throughout Europe. Renowned musicians travel the circuit and dozens of them stop off in Vienne for a number of concerts in venues across the town.
In Vienne, from the summit of Mont Pipet, on which are a statue of the Virgin, a modern chapel, the ruins of the Château de la Bâtie and remains of defensive walls, there is a fine view of the town and the church of St-Maurice.
In Vienne, just east of St Maurice is the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie (Gallo-Roman antiquities, faience, pictures of the 16th-19th C., fine old furniture).
Address: Musée des Beaux Arts et D'Archéologie, Place de Miremont, F-38200 Vienne, France
Hours:
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Remembrance Day / 1918 Armistice Day (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The Northern Rhone region takes in the appellations of Côte Rotie/Condrieu and St-Joseph. Vines have probably been grown on the sun-trapped slopes of the Côte Rotie ("roasted slope") for more than 2,000 years.
The Côte Rotie has two main slopes: the Côte Brune, named for its dark soil, and the Côte Blonde, with lighter, chalkier soil. In the town of Condrieu a visit should be made to the impressive 16th century Maison de la Gabelle.
There are many other villages of interest in the Northern Rhone, including Ampuis and Malleval.
In Vienne, southeast of the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, at the foot of Mont Pipet, is a large Roman theater of the A.D. first C, which originally had seating for 13,500 spectators.
In the north of Vienne, on the banks of the Rhône, is the former monastic church of St André le Bas, which is mainly Romanesque but preserves substructures and an apse from an earlier ninth C. church; the cloister is 12th C. The church, which has fine capitals, now houses the Musée d'Art Chrétien (Museum of Christian Art).
Address: Eglise St-André-le-Bas, Place du jeu de paume, F-38200 Vienne, France
Hours:
April 1 to October 31: 9:30am-1pm, 2pm-6pm
November 1 to March 31: 9:30am-1pm, 2pm-6pm; Closed: Mon
In Vienne, the former cathedral of St Maurice (12th-16th century), with a Late Gothic facade (14th- 15th century) is a fine example of the Flamboyant style, containing Romanesque sculpture, Flemish tapestries (16th century) and beautiful stained glass.
In Vienne, at St Romain en Gal, on the right bank of the Rhône, are the extensive remains of a large Gallo-Roman settlement, which along with Ste-Colombe and Vienne itself formed part of Roman Vienna.
Also on the right bank of the Rhône is the outlying district of Ste-Colombe, with the Tour de Philippe de Valois (14th C.).
In Vienne, in the Place du Palais, is the Temple of Augustus and Livia (25 B.C.), which in the Middle Ages became a church, during the Revolution a "Temple of Reason", later a courthouse and until the mid 19th C a museum.
Temple of Augustus & Livia in Vienne from end of 1st c BC.
Read More
Read Less
Temple of Augustus & Livia, Vienne
