Vif (French pronunciation: [vif] ) is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France.[3]

Vif
A general view of Vif
A general view of Vif
Coat of arms of Vif
Location of Vif
Map
Vif is located in France
Vif
Vif
Vif is located in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Vif
Vif
Coordinates: 45°03′22″N 5°40′15″E / 45.0561°N 5.6708°E / 45.0561; 5.6708
CountryFrance
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes
DepartmentIsère
ArrondissementGrenoble
CantonLe Pont-de-Claix
IntercommunalityGrenoble-Alpes Métropole
Government
 • Mayor (2021–2026) Guy Genet[1]
Area
1
28.30 km2 (10.93 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
8,584
 • Density300/km2 (790/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
38545 /38450
Elevation277–1,263 m (909–4,144 ft)
(avg. 312 m or 1,024 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The town hosts the Champollion Museum, located in the former residence of the Champollion family.[4] Closed for renovations, it reopened in June 2021.[5]

Geography edit

Vif is situated in the Valley of Gresse, in the south of Grenoble, upon the north-east foothills of the Vercors. The town is crossed by the Gresse river (which come from Gresse-en-Vercors). Vif lies 16 km (10 mi) south of Grenoble, 65 km (40 mi) north-west of Gap and 65 km (40 mi) north-east of Valence.

Population edit

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 2,055—    
1800 2,021−0.24%
1806 2,025+0.03%
1821 2,257+0.73%
1831 2,282+0.11%
1836 2,362+0.69%
1841 2,314−0.41%
1846 2,426+0.95%
1851 2,435+0.07%
1856 2,353−0.68%
1861 2,417+0.54%
1866 2,043−3.31%
1872 2,506+3.46%
1876 2,925+3.94%
1881 2,734−1.34%
1886 2,821+0.63%
1891 2,792−0.21%
1896 2,617−1.29%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 2,707+0.68%
1906 2,589−0.89%
1911 2,165−3.51%
1921 2,007−0.75%
1926 2,134+1.23%
1931 2,080−0.51%
1936 2,028−0.51%
1946 2,071+0.21%
1954 2,444+2.09%
1962 3,057+2.84%
1968 3,287+1.22%
1975 3,593+1.28%
1982 4,419+3.00%
1990 5,788+3.43%
1999 6,478+1.26%
2007 8,050+2.75%
2012 7,975−0.19%
2017 8,532+1.36%
Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE (1968-2017)[7]

Sights edit

 
The Champollion Museum
  • Vif is the home of the Champollion Museum, settled in the former family house of Jacques-Joseph Champollion-Figeac and his wife Zoé Berriat.
  • The city is the cradle of the French company Vicat, founded by Joseph Vicat (son of Louis Vicat). The first cement works was built in Genevrey-de-Vif in 1857.
  • The town has two churches: Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Vif and Saint-Marie du Genevrey, which is one of the oldest medieval churches in Grenoble métropole.
  • The actual town hall was an ancient monastery until 1792, then a silk mill managed by the Berriat family.
 
A general view of the Viaduct of Crozet

The "Line of Alps", a railway connecting Grenoble to Gap via the Alps, crosses the town territory on a 19th-century railway viaduct, the viaduct of Crozet (viaduc du Crozet).

Notable people edit

 
Jacques-Joseph Champollion-Figeac, brother of Jean-François

Twin towns – sister cities edit

Vif is twinned with:[8]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 4 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Département de l'Isère (38), INSEE
  4. ^ Base Mérimée: Propriété "Les Champollion", Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
  5. ^ (in French) ledauphine.com, Dans trois ans, Vif aura son Musée Champollion.
  6. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Vif, EHESS (in French).
  7. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  8. ^ "Annuaire des villes jumelées | AFCCRE".