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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Château de Vizille, built in the early 17th century by François de Bonne, the first Duke of Lesdiguières and the last connetable of France, is a symbol of Dauphinian architecture. The estate, enlarged from 1600 under the direction of architects Pierre La Cuisse and Guillaume Le Moyne, includes a French-style park with a large canal of 800 meters, some beds, and a statue of Hercules. The castle passed into the hands of six successive Dukes of Lesdiguières, then of the Dukes of Villeroy, before being sold in 1780 to Claude Perier, an industrialist and supporter of revolutionary ideas.

In 1788, the castle became a key place of the French Revolution by welcoming the assembly of the general states of Dauphiné, forbidden in Grenoble. This meeting, following Tile Day, marks a political turning point. The estate, transformed into a textile factory under Perier, was partially destroyed by fire in the 19th century, including the palm room and the battle gallery, witnesses of the 1788 assembly. After several changes of owners, including the Casimir-Perier family, the state acquired the castle in 1924 to make it a place of republican memory.

Ranked a historic monument in 1862, the estate was transferred to the Isère department in 1973. Since 1983, it has been home to the French Revolution Museum, attracting more than 800,000 visitors annually. The park, redesigned in the 19th century in English, is labeled 'remarkable garden' and hosts a contemporary art biennial since 2011. The site, rich in biodiversity, also includes an animal park and ephemeral landscape works, while maintaining family archives of the Perier at the Isère Departmental Archives.

The castle is also linked to local legends, such as that of the wall built in one night by the devil, as well as to cultural events, such as the shooting of scenes of the film L-Aigle with two heads by Jean Cocteau in 1948. Today, the estate combines historical heritage, museum and natural spaces, while remaining a symbol of republican values.

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