VIENNE

dpartement, Poitou-Charentes rgion, west-central France. It was created mainly from the historic province of Poitou (q.v.), and from neighbouring parts of the provinces of Touraine, Berry, and Anjou. Most of the dpartement, which has an area of 2,699 square miles (6,990 square km), occupies the lowland Poitou threshold of the Paris Basin, between the Massif Central and the highlands south of the Loire River. As the natural approach from the southwest to the Paris region, it has been the scene of many battles. Among the most memorable were the defeat of the Saracens (Arabs) in 732 by the Frankish leader Charles Martel and the English victory over the French in 1356 at the Battle of Poitiers. The dpartement is crossed southnorth by the Vienne River and by its tributary, the Clain, which joins it near Chtellerault. The climate is mild, with warm summers; rain is abundant, especially in winter. The region is essentially rural. Cereals, fruit, vegetables, and fodder crops are extensively cultivated. Tobacco is also grown, and mushrooms are exported from Chtellerault and Loudun. Forests and woodlands abound. Poitiers is the capital of the dpartement and its largest town. Chtellerault, where there is some industry, is the only other town of considerable size. The dpartement's other towns are small agricultural market centres, and some have Romanesque churches. Chauvigny, on a promontory above the Vienne River, has the ruins of several feudal castles. Charroux, in the south, has extensive remains of a great abbey, half of which was demolished in the 19th century. The dpartement is also rich in megalithic remains. It has three arrondissements, Poitiers, Chtellerault, and Montmorillon; Vienne is in the educational division of Poitiers. Pop. (1987 est.) 381,700. town, Isre dpartement, Rhne-Alpes rgion, southeastern France. It lies along the Rhne River where the latter is joined by the Gre River. In ancient times Vienne was the capital of the Celtic tribe known as the Allobroges. It was conquered by the Romans in 121 BC and was subsequently one of the most important towns of Gaul until Roman rule of the area ended in AD 275. Late in the 9th century the town became part of the Holy Roman Empire, and it was transferred to French sovereignty in 1450. The old town lies in a depression that is surrounded by steep hills. Vienne is among the richest French repositories of Roman and medieval buildings. The town's Roman temple dates from the early 1st century AD. It became a Christian church in the 5th century, was used as a club for the Jacobins during the French Revolution, and was restored to its original aspect in 1860. The ruined Roman theatre on the slopes of nearby Mount Pipet could seat more than 13,000 spectators and is still used for theatrical performances. In the centre of the town, excavations in the 1960s and '70s uncovered the walls of a 1st-century theatre and temple consecrated to the Eastern divinity Cybele. On the right bank of the Rhne, excavations have uncovered Roman residential and industrial quarters extending over 10 acres (4 hectares). Vienne has three important medieval churches. Near the Rhne Bridge is the 9th-century Church of Saint-Andr-le-Bas, which was rebuilt in the 12th13th century. The former Abbey Church of Saint-Pierre was begun in the 4th century and is one of the oldest Christian churches in France. It now houses a museum of Roman sculptures and other antiquities. The largest church in the town is Saint-Maurice Cathedral, which was built in the 12th15th century. Present-day Vienne is a marketing centre for the agricultural produce of the Rhne River valley. Its industries include textiles, metallurgy, and footwear. Pop. (1982) 25,414.