Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine

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Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine
Commune
The church and surroundings
Coat of arms
show Location of Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
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Coordinates: 45°27′27″N 5°38′08″E / 45.4575°N 5.6356°E / 45.4575; 5.6356Coordinates: 45°27′27″N 5°38′08″E / 45.4575°N 5.6356°E / 45.4575; 5.6356
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Isère
Arrondissement	La Tour-du-Pin
Canton	Chartreuse-Guiers
Intercommunality	CA Pays Voironnais
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	Michel Cudet
Area 1	16.73 km2 (6.46 sq mi)
Population  (Jan. 2018)[1]	2,390
• Density	140/km2 (370/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	38386 /38620
Elevation	364–739 m (1,194–2,425 ft) (avg. 450 m or 1,480 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France.

The village is known for its charm and picturesque beauty. There are no less than seven castles (chateaux or maison fortes) in and around the village, set among typical Dauphinois style buildings and ancient roadways, testifying to its role in religious and political history over the centuries. Both the 12th century in the town center and just outside are national monuments.

The town hall near the center is itself a castle and was for a long time a . The original coat of arms for the village included a Papal crown, making reference to the armed support of the local Count of Clermont-Tonnerre for a twelfth-century Pope. The accompanying motto translates as "even if others abandon you, I will not", a reference to Saint Peter. The is close by on high ground near Chirens, predating the castles in the village, although itself now a ruin. A battle took place in 1590 around the town hall, with the Counts of Saint Geoire en Valdaine and nearby and their retinues resisting a small army of Huguenot attackers. During the Revolution, priests were given sanctuary and mass was held in the .

Name[]

The name Saint Geoire en Valdaine comes from a combination of Saint George, the "dragon slaying" Christian martyr, and a corruption of , that in the Savoyard dialect means valley ("Val") with a small river (the "Ainan").

Geography[]

The Ainan river leads to a waterfall in the village, once the site of a mill. The river's ecosystem is exceptionally pristine, containing many protected species.

History[]

The local region has long been inhabited, with ancient settlements at nearby Lake Paladru and a Druid Dolmen at Merlas (, the "Mother stone"). Its recent history covers the rivalries and alliances between Dauphine and in the feudal period around the historical frontier between France and Italy, the reformation, revolution and second world war. Every year a medieval "renaissance" fair is held in the village.

The famous pilgrimage route of from Geneva across France to Spain passes close by, with walking trails from Les Abrets and along Lake Paladru.

Population[]

Personalities[]

Notable village residents include Richard Cole, the British painter and cartoonist, who has used the village as a subject, and the Count and Countess Albert of Franclieu.

Similarly, John Berger, the English Booker Prize–winning writer, makes his home in nearby Quincy, Haut Savoie, which also figures in his works.

Historically, Guillaume Dode de la Brunerie, General then Marshal of France, and , General, were both born in the village.

The seven castles[]

• Clermont-Tonnerre
• , previously an Ursuline monastery
• , previously a Benedictine abbey, today the town hall

Sights[]

• Lake Paladru
• Lake Aiguebelette

See also[]

• Communes of the Isère department

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine.

• Portrait of a French Village (Saint Geoire en Valdaine)
• Saint Geoire en Valdaine village guide (in French)
• Voiron region tourist guide, including Saint Geoire en Valdaine (in French)
• INSEE statistics