Vizille: from the Dauphins to the Revolutionaries

1789. It was a year that left its mark on History. It is a year at the centre of French history. And yet, few French people - or foreigners - know the origins of the events of that year... And for good reason! Many people think that it all happened in Paris... But, as we'll show you in this article, a lot happened outside the capital!

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The castle and its history before the Revolution

• Late Middle Ages (13th and 14th centuries): The castle became the main residence of the Counts of Viennois and Albons, who created the province of Dauphiné. This became part of the kingdom of France in 1349.

The remaining wall of the upper part of the castle - known as the Château du Roy - which was most likely destroyed during the Wars of Religion.

• Renaissance (until the end of the 18th century): In 1593, François de Bonne, 1st Duke of Lesdiguières, acquired the lands of Vizille.

Drawing of the Lesdiguières castle

After several generations of the Dukes of Lesdiguières and their descendants, the castle was sold to the Perrier family in 1780, who turned it into a large factory.

The castle at the heart of the French Revolution

On 7 June 1788, the people of Grenoble revolted against the May Edicts - presented notably by the Duke of Clermont-Tonnerre - which planned to exile members of parliament and ban all challenges to royal decisions and laws. During clashes with soldiers, they used tiles (Fr: tuiles), a weapon whose name was later used to describe the event: Day of the Tiles (Fr: Journée des Tuiles).

La Journée des Tuiles - Alexandre Debelle - 1890

On 21 July 1788, Claude Perrier, owner of the castle, agreed to host the assembly of the three orders of the Dauphiné (banned in Grenoble after 7 June) in the Salle du Jeu de Paume. Known as the Vizille Assembly, it called for the Estates General meeting (Fr: Réunion des Etats généraux) to be convened in Paris, leading to the French Revolution within a year.

Assemblée des Trois ordres du Dauphiné - Alexandre Debelle - 1853

The castle after the French Revolution

The Perrier factory would be the cause of two fires after the French Revolution: the first (1825) burning down almost all the property inherited from the Lesdiguières family, and the second (1865) destroying an entire wing of the building (including the Salle du Jeu de Paume).

View of the castle (before the fires)- Alexandre Debelle - 1835

The castle today

After various owners, the Domaine de Vizille was finally sold to the French state in 1924 and became a presidential residence for almost 50 years. In 1973, the estate was sold to the Conseil départemental de l'Isère, which created the Musée de la Révolution française in 1983 to mark the bicentenary of the French Revolution.

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To find out more:

- Parc du domaine de Vizille ("History" section)

- Histoires royales (on the history of the "Dauphin" title)

- Mairie de Vizille ("Exceptional History" section)

- Wikipédia - Journée des Tuiles