Dauphiné
Dauphiné
Daufinat / Dalfinat ( Latin ) | |
---|---|
Country | France |
Time zone | CET |
The Dauphiné (UK: /ˈdoʊfɪneɪ, ˈdɔː-/, US: /ˌdoʊfiːˈneɪ/ French: [dofi'ne])[1][2] is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was originally the Dauphiné of Viennois.
In the 12th century, the local ruler Count
In 1349, the Dauphiné was transferred from the last non-royal Dauphin (who had great debts and no direct heir) to the future
The historical capital is Grenoble and the other main towns are Vienne, Valence, Montélimar, Gap and Romans-sur-Isère. The demonym for its inhabitants is Dauphinois.
Geography
Under the
- the Grésivaudan
- the Royans
- the Champsaur
- the Trièves
- the Briançonnais
- the Queyras
- the Embrunais
- the Gapençais
- the Dévoluy
- the Vercors
- the Bochaine
- the Baronnies
The second included:
- the County of Vienne, annexed in 1450 and the Turripinois around the city of La Tour-du-Pin.
- the County of Valence, annexed in 1404
- the County of Diois, around the episcopal city of Die, also annexed in 1404
- the Tricastin
- the Principality of Orange annexed to Dauphiné, (in 1793 it was included in the Vaucluse)
The province also included the current Italian Dauphiné, which belonged to France and to Briançonnais until 1713. Vivaro-Alpine dialect was still spoken there until the 20th century:
- the Oulx valley
- the Pragela (Pragelato et Val Chisone)
- the Castelade de Châteaudauphin (Casteldelfino in Italian).
The province offers a range of terrain, from the alpine summits of the High-Dauphiné (the
History
Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages
Roman rule and the early Middle Ages
The area of the future Dauphiné was inhabited by the
After the end of the Western Roman Empire, the region suffered from invasions of Visigoths and Alans tribes. The Burgundians settled in Vienne.[3] After the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the region became part of the kingdom of Lotharingia. However, the King of France Charles the Bald soon claimed authority over this territory.
The governor of Vienne, Boson of Provence, proclaimed himself king of
At that time, the development of feudal society and the weakness of the Emperor's rule allowed for the creation of several small ecclesiastic or secularist States (the region of Viennois, for example, was under the rule of the archbishop of Vienne). In the middle of that chaos, the Counts of Albon succeeded in uniting these different territories under their rule.[5]
Imperial fief (1040–1349)
Amidst the chaos of feudal rule, the Counts of Albon began to rise above other feudal lords and acquire dominance over the region. Their story begins with
In the 12th century, the local ruler Count
However, the Dauphiné did not, at this point, have its modern borders. The region of Vienne and Valence were independent and even in Grenoble, the capital, the authority was shared with the bishop. Furthermore, the cities of Voiron and la Côte-Saint-André were parts of the
French rule
The significant debts of Humbert II and the death of his son and heir led to the sale of his lordship to King Philip VI in 1349, by the terms of the treaty of Romans, negotiated by his protonotary, Amblard de Beaumont. A major condition was that the heir to the throne of France would be known as le Dauphin, which was the case from that time until the French Revolution; the first Dauphin de France was Philippe's grandson, the future Charles V of France. The title[7] also conferred an appanage on the region. Charles V spent nine months in his new territory.
Humbert's agreement further stipulated that Dauphiné would be exempted from many taxes (like the gabelle); this statute was the subject of much subsequent parliamentary debate at the regional level, as local leaders sought to defend this regional autonomy and privilege from the state's assaults.
The nobility of the Dauphiné took part in the battles of
In addition, he developed the economy of the province, by constructing roads and authorizing markets. He finally created the University of Valence founded 26 July 1452, by letters patent. Nevertheless, he also tried to institute the gabelle without referring the issue to the estates of the province, resulting in discontent on the part of the nobility and the people of the province. Because of his opposition to his father, Charles VII, he was forced to leave the Dauphiné. The King took back the control of the province and forced the Estates to pledge allegiance in 1457.[9]
Imperial suzerainty was not entirely forgotten in the 15th century. The
Early modern history
Time of troubles
During the Italian Wars (1494–1559), French troops were quartered in Dauphiné. Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I stayed often in Grenoble, but the people of the province suffered the exactions of the soldiers. Moreover, the nobility of the region took part in the different battles (Marignano, Pavia) and gained an immense prestige.[11] The best-known of its members was Pierre Terrail de Bayard, "the knight without fear and beyond reproach".
The province suffered from the
The cruel execution of Charles du Puy-Montbrun, leader of the Protestants, by the king of France, led to more violence and struggles between the two parties.
In 1575,
Administration of Lesdiguières (1591–1626)
The conflicts were over, but Dauphiné was destroyed and its people exhausted. The enactment of the Edict of Nantes (1598) restored some civil rights to the Huguenots and brought peace for a short time, but the wars resumed soon afterward.
Lesdiguières defeated the army of Savoy several times and helped the reconstruction of the region. His most famous construction is the Palace of Vizille, built for his personal use.
The last meeting of the Estates of Dauphiné took place in 1628. It symbolizes the end of the liberty of the province. From that time, the important decisions were taken by the representatives of the king. It shows the progress of Absolutism.
From Louis XIV to the French Revolution
The revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV in 1685 caused the departure of 20,000 Protestants from Dauphiné, weakening the economy of the province. Some valleys lost half of their inhabitants.[13]
In 1692, during the Nine Years' War, the Duke of Savoy invaded the Dauphiné. Gap and Embrun were badly damaged. But the Savoy armies were defeated by the French Marshal Nicolas Catinat and Philis de La Charce leading a peasant army.[14]
In 1713, the
The 18th century was a period of economic prosperity for the region, with the development of the industry (glove-making in Grenoble, silk mills in the Rhône valley). Important trade shows also occurred at Grenoble or Beaucroissant.
In 1787, the province was one of the first to demand the meeting of the
Modern history
Revolutionary period and Empire
During the French Revolution, Dauphiné was highly represented in Paris by two illustrious notables from Grenoble, Jean Joseph Mounier and Antoine Barnave.
In 1790, Dauphiné was divided in three departments, the current Isère, Drôme, and Hautes-Alpes.[15]
The approval of the establishment of the Empire was clear and overwhelming in the Dauphiné. In Isère, the results showed 82,084 yes and only 12 no.[16]
In 1813, Dauphiné was under the threat of the Austrian army which had invaded Switzerland and Savoy. After having resisted at Fort Barraux, the French troops withdrew to Grenoble. The city, well-defended, contained the Austrian attacks, and the French army defeated the Austrians, forcing them to withdraw at
During his return from the island of Elba in 1815, the Emperor was welcomed by the people in the region. At Laffrey, he met the royalist 5th Infantry Regiment of Louis XVIII. Napoleon stepped towards the soldiers and said those famous words: "If there is among you a soldier who wants to kill his Emperor, here I am." The men all joined his cause. Napoleon was then acclaimed at Grenoble. After the defeat at Waterloo, the region suffered from a new invasion of Austrian and Sardinian troops.
19th century
This century corresponds to a significant industrial development of Dauphiné, particularly in the region of Grenoble (glove-making reached its Golden Age at that time) and the Rhone Valley (silk mills). The shoemaking industry also developed in Romans.
During the Second Empire, the Dauphiné saw the construction of its railway network (the first trains arrived at Valence in 1854 and Grenoble in 1858). The driving of new roads in the Vercors and Chartreuse ranges allowed the beginning of tourism in the province. Moreover, several notable persons such as Queen Victoria came in the region with the success of thermal stations such as Uriage-les-Bains.
In 1869, Aristide Berges played a major role in industrializing hydroelectricity production. With the development of his paper mills, industrial development spread to the mountainous region of Dauphiné.
20th century
During the Belle Époque, the region benefited from major transformations thanks to its economic growth. The Romanche Valley became one of the most important industrial valleys of the country.[17] World War I accelerated that trend. Indeed, in order to sustain the war efforts, new hydroelectric industries settled next to different rivers of the region. Several other businesses moved into armament industries. Chemical companies also settled in the region of Grenoble and near Roussillon in the Rhone Valley.
The textile industry of Dauphiné also benefited from the war. The occupation of northern France resulted in the settlement of many textile enterprises in the region. Vienne for instance produced one fifth of the national production of sheets for the army in 1915.[18]
Several Alpine troops, the Chasseurs Alpins, were killed at war. They were nicknamed the "Blue Devils" for their courage on the field.
The economic development of the region was highlighted by the organisation at Grenoble of the International Exposition of the "Houille Blanche" in 1925, visited by thousands of people.
The interwar period was also characterized by the beginning of the winter sports in Dauphiné. The ski resort of l'Alpe d'Huez was constructed in 1936, and Jean Pomagalski created there the first platter lift in the world.
In World War II, during the
Due to its mountainous character, Dauphiné was the seat of strong
In 1947, a bicycle race was created by a newspaper Le Dauphiné libéré to promote its circulation. After World War II, as cycling recovered from a universal five- or six-year hiatus, the Grenoble-based newspaper decided to create and organize a cycling stage race covering the Dauphiné region. This created the Critérium du Dauphiné before 2010 known as the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, is an annual cycling road race in the Dauphiné region. The race is run over eight days during the first half of June. It is part of the UCI World Tour calendar and counts as one of the foremost races in the lead-up to the Tour de France in July, along with the Tour de Suisse in the latter half of June.
In 1968, Grenoble welcomed the Xth Olympic Winter Games, allowing a major transformation of the city, the development of infrastructure (airport, motorways, etc.) and new ski resorts (Chamrousse, Les Deux Alpes, Villard-de-Lans, etc.).
Demography
The various territories of Dauphiné experienced diverging demographic evolutions. The plains of Low Dauphiné and the large cities saw their population strongly increase during the 20th century (thanks to the industrial development and immigrant workers' arrival), while the mountainous regions of High-Dauphiné suffered from a pronounced exodus.
These days, the entire territory is experiencing population growth because of economic development and tourism.
Territory | 1801 | 1851 | 1901 | 1954 | 1975 | 1999 | 2007 | 2012 | 2017 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drôme department[20] | 235,357 | 327,000 | 297,000 | 275,280 | 361,847 | 437,778 | 473,428 | 491,334 | 511,553 | ||
Hautes-Alpes department[21] | 112,500 | 132,000 | 109,510 | 85,067 | 97,358 | 121,419 | 132,482 | 139,554 | 141,284 | ||
Isère department[22] | 413,109 | 578,000 | 544,000 | 587,975 | 860,339 | 1,094,006 | 1,178,714 | 1,224,993 | 1,258,722 | ||
Dauphiné (sum) | 760,966 | 1,037,000 | 950,510 | 948,322 | 1,319,544 | 1,653,203 | 1,784,624 | 1,855,881 | 1,911,559 | ||
Source : INSEE
|
The population of the Dauphiné was relatively stable until the mid-20th century, when growth became more rapid. However it should be remembered that several cities of northern Dauphiné (
Histogram of the evolution since 1801:
Dauphiné has a population density of 98.0/km2, with a very clear differentiation between Isère (169/km2) and Hautes-Alpes (26/km2).
Grenoble concentrates around a third of the population of Dauphiné, and Valence is now the second largest Dauphiné metropolis. Dauphiné also has a network of mid-sized cities covering all its territory (Vienne, Montélimar, Gap, etc.). A considerable part of the Isère department lies in the functional urban area of Lyon, including the cities Vienne, L'Isle-d'Abeau and Bourgoin-Jallieu.
Urban area | Population (2018) | |
---|---|---|
1 | Grenoble | 714,799 |
2 | Valence† | 254,254 |
3 | Montélimar† | 98,989 |
4 | Gap† | 80,555 |
5 | Romans-sur-Isère | 65,490 |
6 | Roussillon† | 62,595 |
7 | Pierrelatte† | 46,931 |
8 | Saint-Marcellin | 23,259 |
9 | Briançon | 23,244 |
10 | Crest | 17,555 |
†Note: part of the urban area is outside Dauphiné |
Gastronomy
Dauphiné is known for some culinary specialities:
- Dishes
- Raviole du Dauphiné
- Gratin dauphinois
- Pommes dauphines
- Cheeses
- Saint-Marcellin
- Saint-Félicien
- Picodon
- Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage[24] (previously bleu de Sassenage)
- Wines and spirits
- Coteaux du Tricastin
- Clairette de Die
- Chartreuse (verte, jaune, etc.)
- Crozes-hermitage
- Hermitage
- Confectionery
- Nougat de Montélimar
Other meanings
The Dauphiné, or the
See also
- Dauphiné Alps
- Franco-Provençal language
- Vivaro-Alpine
Notes
- ISBN 978-0-521-15255-6.
- Arpitan: Dôfenât or Darfenât; former English name: Dauphiny)
- ^ Petite histoire du Dauphiné , Félix Vernay, 1933, p22
- ^ Petite Histoire…, Félix Vernay, 1933, p24
- ^ Petite histoire… , Félix Vernaix, 1933, p25
- ^ Félix Vernay, Petite histoire du Dauphiné, 1933, p9
- ^ The Crown of France also absorbed Humbert's other titles: prince du Briançonnais, duc de Champsaur, marquis de Cézanne, comte de Vienne, d'Albon, de Grésivaudan, d'Embrun et de Gapençais, baron palatine of La Tour, La Valbonne, Montauban and Mévouillon.
- ^ Georges Bordonove, Les Valois, 2007, p1045
- ^ Félix Vernay, Petite histoire du Dauphiné, 1933, p. 58
- ^ Gustave Dupont-Ferrier, "Où en était la formation de l'unité française aux XVe et XVIe siècles ? Premier article", Journal des savants (1941): 10–24.
- ^ Petite histoire du Dauphiné, Félix Vernay, 1933, p78
- ^ Petite Histoire du Dauphiné , Félix Vernay, 1933, p88
- ^ Petie Histoire…, Félix Vernay, 1933, p97
- ^ AUED, par (8 July 2020). "Philis de la Charce". Études drômoises (in French). Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Dauphiné, divisé en trois départemens suivant le décrêt de l'assemblée nationale, sanctionné par le roi; avec toutes les routes, et les distances en lieuës d'usage dans ces pays". Europeana. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ Petite Histoire du Dauphiné, Félix Vernay, 1933, p. 115.
- ^ L’histoire de l'Isère en BD, Tome 5, Gilbert Bouchard, 2004, p40
- ^ L’histoire de l'Isère en BD, Tome 5, Gilbert Bouchard, 2004, p42
- ^ "Ordredelaliberation.fr". Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
- ^ "INSEE: Drôme – Population en historique depuis 1968".
- ^ "INSEE: Hautes-Alpes – Population en historique depuis 1968".
- ^ "INSEE: Isère – Population en historique depuis 1968".
- ^ Insee – Comparateur de territoire
- ^ "Francefromages.com". Archived from the original on 18 April 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2009.
- ^ Jones, Jeff; Maloney, Tim (2004). "Pre-Tour showdown at the Dauphiné-Libéré". Cyclingnews Future Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
- ^ "History - Race winners since 1947". Critérium du Dauphiné. Official site. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
Further reading
- Coolidge, William Augustus Brevoort (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). p. 851.
- Félix Vernay, Petite Histoire du Dauphiné, 1933.
- Pfeiffer, Thomas, Le Brûleur de loups, Lyon, Bellier, 2004.
External links
- Media related to Dauphiné at Wikimedia Commons