About Vienne

Vienne is a commune in south-eastern France, located 32 kilometres (20 mi) south of Lyon, on the river Rhône. It is the second largest city after Grenoble in the Isère department, of which it is a subprefecture. The city's population was 29,400 at the 2001 census.

Before the arrival of the Roman armies, Vienne was the capital city of the Allobroges, a Gallic people. Transformed into a Roman colony in 47 BCE under Julius Caesar, Vienne became a major urban center, ideally located along the Rhône river, then a major axis of communication. The town later became a Roman provincial capital. Numerous