Voreppe

Voreppe is a common French, located in the department of the Isere and the area the Rhone-Alps.

Geography

Voreppe is located at about fifteen kilometers in the North-West of Grenoble. Its center is on the side of the chain of the Chartreuse, but the commune extends until in the valley from the Isere.

Voreppe is at the level of a Cluse (narrow and boxed cut dug perpendicular to an assembly line): the cluse of Voreppe. This cluse was formed by the digging of a Glacier which also gave its shape out of U to the valley which connects Voreppe to Grenoble and which Isere follows. This valley is bordered of the chain of Chartreuse (in the east) and the chain of the Vercors (in the west). The cluse is located at the northern end of the vercors.

The origin of the name Voreppe is discussed: " Vor" could mean marsh (Voreppe and Veurey-Voroize: 2 adjacent communes) what corresponds indeed to the old topology of the valley of the Isere (which frequently changed bed). Another significance is proposed: " Voreppe" would be a derivative of " Bolt of Alpes" , i.e. " Carry of Alpes".

The communal territory is attached to the Regional Park of Charteuse

The communal forest extends on 1.400 hectares and proposes 12 hiking trails marked out.

Economy

In the middle of the economic park Centr' Alp (more economic big space of the basin of Grenoble-native employment and one of most important of the Rhone-Alps area) is the Research center of Voreppe (CRV) of Alcan, world giant in the fields of the production of aluminum and packing. During its 40 years of existence, the CRV became a center of R & D of world class having to its credit of the developments of point on alloys and processes of aluminum.

History

A Gallic village

The village of Voreppe was certainly founded by the Allobroges, Gallic tribe quarrelsome which became allied Romans. The first foundations thus date certainly from IIe century before JC (Gallic Tombs and old coins discovered in the cave known as " Cave with Bibi" ).

Invaders of any origines passed by the narrow cluse of Voreppe (Burgondes, Huns and even Sarrasins) which empèchèrent a great development of the village.

A rebuilt city

The 14th century, a new more important borough replacing the old small village founded with a charter was granted by the Dolphin Jean II following a crumbling of the mountain (massive of Chartreuse).

The battle of Voreppe

In May - June 1940, after having invaded two thirds of the French territory, the German avant-gardes will try to force the threshold of Voreppe starting from June 21st, but they are contained very vigorously on the road which leads to Grenoble. (approximately to 12 km of the doors of the city)

June 24th, 1940, the XVI° German armor-plated body launches an offensive by engaging the tanks of the 3° Panzer and a considerable artillery. But in the night before, the artillery grouping of the captain of Vergeron made movement, all fires extinguished, since the south of Body until Sassenage and Veurey, where it deploys his batteries. The captain De Vergeron goes up to the nozzle of Echaillon, exceptional observatory on the cluse of Voreppe from where it can discover all the unfavourable device. With an unexplainable precision for the Germans, it will start fire, destroying or neutralizing six batteries, a park of tanks, two motorized columns, and even the airfield of Moirans. At the evening, the German soldiers can only note their failure.

During two days, the Brillat-Savarin grouping and the artillerists of 104° RALT will fight the battle of Voreppe, during which the 3° Panzer loses more than thousand men without result. June 25th the armistice between into force. The army of the Alps preserved all its positions.

Places known as

" Chevalon"

Chevalon de Voreppe is a small village attached to the commune of Voreppe and located on the road of Grenoble. It has splendid careers and houses of the 15th century. This village become with time a true district of Voreppe, has moreover its own school and its tradesmen.

" Gachetière"

Small hamlet located on a slope of the large Needle (Solid mass of Charteuse), entirely attached today to the borough: an médico-educational institute accommodating young children originating in the Grenoble-native agglomeration was installed there.

" The abbey of Chalais"

The abbey of Chalais located above Voreppe was founded in 1100-1101 per saint Hugues de Châteauneuf, bishop of Grenoble. The Benedictine abbey of Chalais, like the monastery of Large Chartreuse its neighbor, was chief of order. The old abbey church dates 12th century. It is one of the chiefs of Romance work of art in the department.

With the French revolution, the buildings were sold under the national goods. Repurchased by the Lacordaire Father in 1841, it became during forty years a convent of study of the Dominican ones. Passed in the private field, it became again a possession of Dominican of Oullins in 1961.

Administration

At the time of the national elections of 2007, the commune is equipped with computers of vote of which the use is disputed by many citizens

Demography

Places and monuments

The medieval lanes of Voreppe were used as passage with Choderlos de Laclos, Stendhal, Stravinski, Liszt come to admire the Romance church of the 11th century, bordered by a damirable fountain. One can visit the vestiges of old ramparts of the 17th century.

- Two castles :

the Castle of Sièyes

The beautiful frontage on garden of this castle, was built at the 17th century and opens on the terraces of one formal garden who would have been drawn by Ours. Side street, two houses of style Worsens, built at the 19th century, surround a small court whose access is carried out by a wrought iron grid protected by interesting iron stone guard stones ringed. The high slate roof, surmounted large brick chimneys, dominates the borough. (General advice Source of Isere)

the Castle of Beauplan

Building of the 18th century

- a remarkable house

the Maison of Catherine Barde was an old old people's home directed since 1684 by the girl of Denis Barde, notary of the Community. The hospital building dates from 16th and, after multiple transformations, its origins only one staircase out of screw preserved. Catherine Barde managed the establishment until her death, in 1724. The old people's home closed its doors in October 1990.

Personalities related to the commune

Voreppe is the birthplace of the painter naturalist Jean Achard.

Honore de Balzac remained in Voreppe. One of its novels, the country doctor evokes Doctor Rome, doctor very charitable, who did not make pay consultations with his poor patients. The tomb of Doctor Rome is with the cemetery of Voreppe.

The writer and military Choderlos de Laclos lived in Voreppe (castle of Sieyès) and took as a starting point the places to write his more famous novel: dangerous connections. The writer Stendhal discovered later that Madam de Montmaur, celebrates Voreppine, was the model of Madam de Merteuil in the novel of Choderlos de Laclos.

Igor Stravinski, Russian musician, lived some time as a guest in the villa of Veronnière (Quoted in Chronique of my life by Igor Stravinski).

The singer Michel Fugain lived part of his youth with Voreppe with his parents (father doctor in Voreppe).

See too

Common of Isere

External bonds

site of the Association of the companies of Centr' Alp.
Voreppe on the site of the national geographical Institute
Voreppe on the site of INSEE
Voreppe on the site of Quid
Localization of Voreppe on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Voreppe on Mapquest

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