The origin of its name comes from Vienna, a Celtic word meaning "village by the water". Located on the banks of the Rhone, the capital of the Celtic Allobroges was loyal to Caesar during the Gallic War. This loyalty granted it the promotion of Latin colony in 50 B.C. before becoming a Roman colony under Augustus in 16 B.C. It then experienced a dazzling expansion: magnificent monuments were built inside its 7 km of ramparts. With 30,000 inhabitants, it was one of the largest cities in Gaul. Capital of a diocese of seven provinces in the 4th century, Vienne fell to the Burgundians in 468 and the kings made it one of their residences around 475. It was at this time that religious life developed intensely, to the point that the city earned the nickname "Vienne la Sainte". In the 11th century, the German emperor inherited the kingdom of Burgundy. Vienne became a city of the Empire before being attached to France in 1450. The city then gradually declined to the benefit of its great rival: Lyon. It was only in the 18th century that the economic activity of the city started again with the installation of cloth factories. In the 19th century, this industry employed more than a third of the population, but during the first half of the 20th century, increased competition gradually caused this activity to disappear. Today, Vienna is home to 30,000 inhabitants, just as it was in ancient times. A must-see visit to fill up on history while enjoying good wines and a gentle way of life with the colors of the south.

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Jazz à Vienne, Théâtre Antique. Pierre Corvaisier
Vue du Rhône et de Vienne PHOVOIR

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