Romans-sur-Isère, Drome, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Romans-sur-Isère is a French commune located in the department of Drôme, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. At the heart of the Drôme and at the foot of the Vercors, Romans benefits from an exceptional heritage: architecture, natural spaces, gastronomy, leatherwork… it relies on its history to build its future by attracting, in particular, new attached entrepreneurs made in France.

Ideally located in the middle Rhône valley, at the foot of the Vercors, in the heart of the Drôme des Collines, on the right bank of the Isère, Romans has a remarkable architectural heritage which testifies to the development of the city around its collegiate church. Romans-sur-Isère offers through its geographical position an incomparable quality of life, driven by a strong local economic dynamism. Shops, bars and restaurants welcome you in the heart of the city center, the historic center at Marques Avenue, from the train station to Isère.

Romans-sur-Isère is a county town located on the right bank of the Isère, 20 km north-east of Valence (the prefecture of Drôme). With the neighboring town of Bourg-de-Péage, established on the other side of the river, it forms an agglomeration of around fifty thousand inhabitants (Romanais, Romanaise). The A49 Romans- Voreppe (Grenoble) motorway, extended by the D 532 passes nearby and allows easy access to Valence (20 km), Valence TGV station (11 km), Grenoble (75 km) and the sun highway (A7) 15 km to the west (in Tain-l’Hermitage). It is 104 km from Lyon by the A7.

History
The city of Romans was born from the foundation in 838, near a ford on the Isère, of an abbey by Barnard, archbishop of Vienne. The town of Romans was born from the foundation in 838, near a ford on the Isère, of an abbey by Barnard, archbishop of Vienne. French flagship of luxury shoes until the mid-1970s, the city had a population of 34,000 in the last census, in the heart of an urban basin of 50,000 inhabitants.

Middle Ages
The name of the city that grows around, from the XI century, derives from the name of the first parish, Saint-Romain. During the XI century, the monks of the abbey are replaced by canons, which is a chapter under the supervision of Father De Oliveira, son of the lord of Clérieux and Archbishop of Vienna. The church then became a collegiate church. The seignorial rights are in the hands of the chapter of Saint-Barnard, which thus combines spiritual and temporal power.

Around the Saint-Barnard collegiate church, merchants and artisans settled down and developed a powerful cloth industry. Its fame is important for nearly seven centuries. The first bridge over the Isère (the “Pont Vieux”) was built in 1049 in order to facilitate and intensify traffic, but also to allow the collection of a toll (hence the name of Bourg-de-Péage., town on the other side of the Isère, opposite Romans), thus providing income for the town. A market is also set up around the Saint-Barnard collegiate church; it still exists today on Place Maurice-Faure.

This urban core is threatened: to the north, by the lords of Albon, having taken possession of the lands of Peyrins; to the south, by the counts of Valence. In this climate of insecurity, the canons decided to build a rampart. The Jacquemart tower, former door of the Alms, dates from this period.

Trade intensified during the XIII century and the prosperity of the city was reflected in new construction undertaken by a great builder Abbot John of Bernini. He thus had a more solid bridge rebuilt and the Saint-Barnard collegiate church enlarged. It was at this same time that the suburbs developed outside the ramparts. But the supervision of the chapter became more and more burdensome and the Romans rose up in 1280: humiliated, the canons renounced the governance of the city.

The enrichment and independence of the city aroused the envy of the Dauphin, Lord of the Dauphiné, who annexed it in 1342. In 1349, it was in the same city took place the ceremony of linking the province of Dauphine in France. The act, known as the Treaty of Romans, was signed in the residence of the Dauphin, near the “Old Bridge”, followed by a religious ceremony in the Collegiate Church of Saint-Barnard.

Renaissance
The first tanners and tanners settled in the neighborhood of Presle in the late XIV Century. During the Hundred Years War, the city build a second rampart which included the suburbs: districts of Presle, Pavigne and Saint-Nicolas. This rampart began to be broken down around 1830. Remains are still visible: a tower rue des Remparts-Saint-Nicolas, the walls of the quai Sainte-Claire and the Saint-Romain cemetery.

Early in the XV century, the Romans’s drapery was exported to the Middle East and the rich merchants then built their mansions in the Gothic style blazing all over the city. In 1516, a rich and pious Romans merchant, Romanet Boffin, designed a Stations of the Cross in the city leading to the Calvary of the Récollets.

Modern times
During the second half of the XVI century, Romans had to endure a series of disasters: extreme cold, large droughts, plagues, etc. The Reformation is progressing in the region and there are many converts in Romans. In 1561, the followers of the Reformed religion threatened to expel the Cordeliers. The religious crisis is coupled with a social and anti-seigneurial crisis (against the canons). It reached its climax in 1562, when the land of Romans was ravaged in the name of Protestantism (the Saint-Barnard collegiate church was sacked) and during the Bloody Carnival of 1580.

Over the next two centuries, the city stagnated and the cloth industry disappeared as tannery and silk emerged. It was at this same time that the city was covered with convents and monasteries (Capuchins, Récollets, Ursulines, Saint-Just).

In 1642, with the Treaty of Péronne between the King of France, Louis XIII, and the Prince of Monaco, Honoré II, the latter became Duke of Valentinois and, as such, received rights of seigneurial justice over the city of Romans. In 1680, the village which had formed on the other bank of the Isère, opposite Romans, became Bourg-de-Péage, an independent community.

In 1788, following the Tiles Day and the Meeting of the Estates General of Dauphiné, the Estates of Dauphiné, the assembly of the province, opened in December in the convent of the Cordelier monks. Their proposals prepared the Estates General of 1789. From 1790 to 1795, Romans-sur-Isère was the district capital

Emergence of the footwear industry
After 1850, the Roman economy and society underwent major changes with the development of the footwear industry, for which 5,000 workers worked in 1914, at the origin of a powerful trade union movement. From the end of XIX century, Joseph Fénestrier imposes the first brand of shoe, “UNIC”. The city changed: its population reached 10,000 inhabitants, the ramparts were demolished, the docks built, the railway attracted numerous shoe workshops. To the east, along Avenue Gambetta, are built the Bon barracks, the college, houses rented to officers. In 1878 under the presidency of Mac Mahon (royalist), Gambetta pronounced his famous: “Clericalism, here is the enemy!” ” and sets the stage for the secular primary education free and compulsory. A plaque is affixed on Place Jean Jaurès, commemorating his passage.

After the First World War, the town took the name of Romans-sur-Isère. In the 1920s, the socialist mayor Jules Nadi had a garden city with a social vocation built near the road to Grenoble. The shoe industry then enjoys a certain prosperity, the population counts 17,000 inhabitants; the urban push is exerted towards the north, beyond the railway line. The Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes church was built in 1937, in the “modern Gothic” style. The world crisis of the 1930s was particularly dramatic for Romans’ footwear, which partly lived off exports. The creation of a large economic fair in 1930 appears to be one of the palliatives.

Post war
With the return of peace, the shoe industry once again flourished, in particular with Charles Jourdan who created stores all over the world; it employs 4,000 people. The population continues to grow, from 20,000 in 1945 to 30,000 in 1968. To accommodate them, new districts are covered with buildings such as the HLM city of La Monnaie, where up to 8,000 people live. Residential areas replace farmland all around the city.

But from 1974, the crisis deeply disrupted the shoe industry: foreign competition was fatal. Many companies close, leading to hundreds of layoffs: in 25 years, the workforce has increased from 4,000 to 1,000 employees. Decline also for the large industrial tannery: only the Tannerie Roux, one of the oldest in France, and the company of Tannerie Chaix remain. After the decline of these industries, others slowly set up in the 1960s in the industrial zone on the edge of the La Monnaie district: Cerca and FBFC: nuclear fuel, SEIM: automotive equipment, etc.

In the 1990s, Romans’ economy was able to rely on excellent road and rail links thanks to the A49 motorway and the TGV. In 2004, a few names still defended the production of quality shoes: Jourdan, Kélian, Clergerie. A new commercial dynamic is announced with the opening of Marques Avenue, a factory outlet space, in the former Bon barracks. Robert Clergerie saves his company, sold in 2000 to a financial group, by buying it in 2005, on the verge of filing for bankruptcy. The company has saved 170 jobs and since 2005 has rehired nearly 80 employees, rising to 250.

Economy
Romans has long concentrated many luxury footwear industries. Innovation, know-how and quality remain the hallmarks of this city whose reputation as the capital of luxury footwear continues to endure through the companies Clergerie, Laure Bassal and numerous small units. A reputation that has allowed him to develop a commercial tourism, enhanced by the installation of Marques Avenue, 1 st village of French brands, which today attracts many investors around projects such as that of the city of talent, a center dedicated to sound, acoustics and digital cultures.

Living environment
But Romans is also the sweetness of life, the conviviality of its markets, a symphony of colors, smells and flavors, and above all the art of eating well, around two specialties: pogne, a brioche in crown shape with the subtle scent of orange blossom, and ravioli, a small square of fine pastry stuffed with cheese and parsley. Caillette, roast pigeon, gratin dauphinois, guinea fowl, peaches and goat cheese are also on the menu of restaurateurs with, to sprinkle them, wines from the neighboring Hermitage and Saint-Joseph vineyards.

Tourism
Ideally located in the middle Rhône valley, at the foot of the Vercors, Romans-sur-Isère offers through its geographical position an incomparable quality of life, driven by a strong local economic dynamism. Cutting-edge industries, gastronomy, village of brands, remarkable historical heritage, dynamic associative fabric, quality service and cultural offer, attractive real estate, numerous and modern services (A49 motorway and TGV station) are all assets that make this territory a sought-after and accessible destination.

In the heart of the Drôme des Collines, on the right bank of the Isère, Romans has a remarkable architectural heritage which testifies to the development of the city around its collegiate church. The historic center, largely preserved, with evocative street names (Péllisserie, Ecosserie, etc.), is ideal for a stroll.

At every turn, the city will reveal its secrets, its legends and its treasures. Certain facades, often modest in appearance, actually hide private mansions with architecture drawing its inspiration from the Italian Renaissance. Among the most remarkable monuments: the Collegiate Church of Saint-Barnard proudly enthroned on the banks of the Isère, the Way of the Cross of the Grand Voyage and the Recollets cemetery-Calvary, the Jacquemart Tower or the Convent of the Visitation, case of the Museum international footwear. Finally, the banks of the Isère, like those of Martinette, are perfect for strolling while enjoying the landscape all around the city (Vercors, Drôme des Collines, etc.)

Shops, bars and restaurants welcome you in the heart of the city center, the historic center at Marques Avenue, from the train station to Isère. A quick tour of the city center to discover the ready-to-wear boutiques on rue Jacquemart, with 20 stores located near the station for shopping.

The visit can continue on Place Ernest-Gailly, the town’s main square a 2-minute walk away. Then, taste delicious ravioli, a local specialty, on the terrace of a restaurant. For dessert, the town’s bakeries will share the local tradition of pogne de Romans. In the evening, the bars of the square remain open for a drink with friends, to the sound of the bell tower of the Jacquemart Tower.

Downtown
The City also has an undeniable cachet with its narrow streets where Romanesque, Italian Renaissance and Flamboyant Gothic styles rub shoulders, its mansions, most of which are listed, but also its collegiate church, a very beautiful architectural ensemble, founded in 838, which conceals treasures, and again its proud Jacquemart who, from the top of his tower, has given rhythm to the daily life of the Romans since 1429.
An ancient center of great wealth which is today the subject of an ambitious revitalization project for which the famous architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte laid the foundations.

Balmes district
The Balmes district is located about 5 km from the center of Romans. Les Balmes is located on the Drôme cycle route, on the route to Saint Jacques de Compostelle and near the Vercors. Hiking and mountain biking trails also leave from the village.

The church of Balmes
Today, the image of the Balmes district is closely linked to the Saint-Roch chapel or Balmes chapel of the same name. In 1913 the priest Marius Clément Bayard acquired land on which this chapel was built at the end of the First World War. InFebruary 1942, Father Michel Collin (a priest from Lorraine) takes refuge in Romans, in the presbytery of the Récollets church, he claims to be a priest of Infinite Love. In Romans he will find a Dutch priest, Father Lods, and Brother Marie-Bernard. Thereafter, a mystical atmosphere will reign. Brother Marie-Bernard would be of royal blood and recognized by the Vatican as a contender for the title of lieutenant of the Sacred Heart in the kingdom of France. He calls himself the White Cavalier. Later, they took refuge in the chapel of Balmes where Father Lods painted a fresco showing the White Rider crossing the Old Bridge.

At Christmas time, a large nativity scene is set up and welcomes many visitors. For the inhabitants, a visit to the Balmes crèche has become a tradition during the end of the year celebrations.

The Balmes school
The Balmes primary school welcomes around 40 students who can benefit from the on-site canteen, but no REP (Priority Education Network) or CLIS (Class for School Inclusion). It has elementary classes but also kindergarten classes.

Historical heritage
Romans-sur-Isère, which already benefits from an exceptional geographical location, also has a rich and varied architectural heritage.

Historical Center
Romans-sur-Isère owes its fame to the shoe industry. The development of this activity from the 19th century as well as the work of leather, from the Middle Ages, shaped the image of the city. It is first and foremost a medieval town, and was for a long time one of the most important towns in the Dauphiné. The preservation of its historic center bears witness to this with many remarkable 15th and 16th century buildings. Alleys and squares are an invitation to multiple routes to admire a typical architecture, marked by the use of molasse stone, so characteristic with its worn appearance and its ocher tone. Many mansions remain, and are to be discovered during the events offered throughout the year to visitors.

Stroll to appreciate the different spaces and neighborhoods that structure the city: the rue Pêcherie and its artisans leading to the Saint-Barnard collegiate church, la Presle, the tanners’ quarter, the Saint-Nicolas district and its small streets, Place Maurice Faure, a market square lined with several mansions, Place Jules Nadi, for its part, bears witness to the urbanism of the 19 century: a shaded square with its bandstand built in 1893, the military circle and the former Banque de France.

Collegiate Church of Saint-Barnard
Founded on the right bank of the Isère, the Saint-Barnard collegiate church stands on the very site of the first church, built in 837, by Barnard, archbishop of Vienne. In the tenth century, the Benedictine monks were replaced by a college of canons, hence the name collegiate church. Entirely built in mosaic, the Saint-Barnard collegiate church combines the Romanesque period (lower part of the nave) and the Gothic period (upper part, choir and transept).

The upper part of the nave is raised on Romanesque walls and the ribbed vault is raised to 24 meters from the ground. The Romanesque capitals of the nave are surmounted by remarkable sculptures of biblical characters, animals and acanthus leaves. Devastated several times, rebuilt, restored, enlarged, raised, the collegiate church as we know it today is the result of an architecture built from the 11th to the 18th century. The collegiate church has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1840. In the choir of the church, the 14th century murals, of Mediterranean inspiration, display a great wealth of designs and colors. The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament houses one of the jewels of Roman heritage, the embroidered hanging of the Mystery of the Passion. This 16th century work illustrates, in nine embroideries, the Passion of Christ. The stained glass windows of the Apocalypse, made in the year 2000 by the German artist Georg Ettl, in collaboration with the studio Thomas Vitraux, depict the Apocalypse of the apostle John. They are located on the western facade of the collegiate church.

Jacquemart Tower
Door of the first rampart built in 1164, then dungeon of the Montségur fortress until 1835, the tower was raised in the 15th century to allow the installation of a monumental clock. It has a large bell and an automaton called Jacquemart which strikes the hours since 1429. The Jacquemart in carved wood and zinc measures 2m60. His costume has varied according to the times and regimes. Polish lancer under the First Empire, troubadour under the Restoration, he was dressed, more than a century ago, in the uniform of the Volunteers of 1792 in order to recall the role of Romans in the beginnings of the French Revolution. The 37m high tower was restored in 1884. The current bronze bell dates from 1545 and weighs 2,300 kilos. In 1970 the carillon of the Jacquemart Tower was raised to 18 bells. The 19th bell was added in 2015.

Convent of the visitation
The former convent of the Ordre de la Visitation Sainte-Marie (order founded in 1610) has housed the International Shoe Museum since 1971, labeled Musée de France. The Italian-style gardens, the staircase, the rooms and the 17th century chapel, building registered as a Historic Monument. This convent had been established on a 15th century fortified house which belonged to a noble of Romans. The latter donated it to establish a monastery. From the installation of the first nuns in 1632, the work continued until the end of the 17th century (period of construction of the chapel and the grand staircase). More than a century later, the Revolution put an end to monastic orders and the nuns were expelled. In 1802, the community was reconstituted and devoted itself to the education of young girls.

From 1860, the central body of the current building as well as the south wing, along rue Saint-Just, were built, spacious gardens were laid out and the three wings of the building were embellished with an elegant gallery on arcades. In 1906, the religious community was again expelled. The buildings then housed the higher school for young girls, then, after World War II, the college and annex of the Triboulet high school. In 1971, the buildings were saved from destruction by the installation of the museum.

The walls
Of its medieval past Romans preserves multiple traces, in particular of the ramparts. In the 11th century, the city acquired its first enclosure, of which only the Jacquemart Tower remains today. In the 13th and 14th century, a new wall was built to encompass new districts. The latter is present until the middle of the 19th century. Subsequently, the development of the city and the roads lead to its almost total destruction. We can now admire several elements of this enclosure, from west to east: at the top of the Côte des Chapeliers as well as along the cemetery, quai Sainte-Marie and Rue Bistour. These various remains bear witness to the urban development of the city, to the role of defensive works, fundamental to understanding the development of cities in the Middle Ages.

Calvary of the Recollets
The so-called “Great Voyage” Stations of the Cross and the Recollets Calvary cemetery, which marks its culmination, is a unique monument. Classified as a historical monument, it is made up of 21 stations scattered around the historic center and 19 stations located on the site of the Calvary. The Calvary was founded in 1516 by Romanet Boffin, a Roman merchant, imitating that of Friborg in Switzerland. A place of pilgrimage, its vocation is to replace the pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the Holy Land, which is very expensive and has become very difficult due to the Turkish conquest. Many Stations of the Cross were then built in Europe between the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century. From the start, the pilgrimage to Romans was very successful.

The Stations of the Cross and Calvary have known many vicissitudes. It remains today a living heritage; every year on Good Friday, several hundred people make the Great Voyage. It is above all a remarkable monument that the city strives to restore and enhance. The celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Stations of the Cross in 2016 was an opportunity to make it better known. At the same time, a major restoration campaign was initiated in 2016. The work completed in June 2017 made it possible to open the site of the Calvary to visitors, in particular with guided tours with Town and Country of Art and History during Heritage Days, on September 16 and 17, 2017.

La Martinette
This stream alone symbolizes a large part of the city’s history. Inscribed in the landscape, it bears witness to both the history of the tannery and the preservation of a natural space. Water, very present in Romans, was at the origin of the development of the city. From the 9th century, canals were built to control and use the force of water. The Martinette, named after Martinet, a large hammer actuated by a water-driven mechanism was at the origin of a prosperous craft and industry until the 19th century. The only source of energy, many paddle wheels were installed on its course, driving mills and fireworks. It was particularly closely linked to the tannery in the Presle district, one of Romans’ main activities at the start of the 19th century. La Martinette, with the virtual disappearance of industrial activities, now crosses the city peacefully and remains, despite urbanization, a haven for nature. Flora and fauna make up the richness of the route accessible to walkers who in spring can discover marsh irises and consoudes, emblematic flowers of this canal, as well as the song of the siskins of the alders or the wagtail of the streams.

The bandstand
The bandstand, built in 1888 on Place Jules Nadi, remains a testimony to the Belle Epoque, when Romans, a garrison, trade and craft town, gave new attention to leisure and music. The 1880s were marked in France by the development of musical societies and kiosks that housed their performances. From the perspective of the Revenge on Prussia of the 1870 war, the garrisons were reinforced. This is how the men of the 75th Infantry Regiment settled in 1888-89 in the Bon barracks (today Marque Avenue), which had just been built. During the summer, military music resounds every week under the kiosk. The period was also marked by the rise in the standard of living, made possible in Romans by the strong development of the production and trade of footwear. In 1886, the Association of Employees and Commercial Travelers took the initiative to launch a subscription for the construction of the kiosk, which was also financed by the municipality. The small octagonal building is topped with a bulb in the shape of a Chinese pagoda, very fashionable at the end of the 19th century, supported by eight elegant wrought iron columns.

In the 1960s, the bulb was badly damaged and removed and destroyed. Over time, the zinc works and the wooden floor deteriorate, two columns split: the time has come to restore the kiosk and give it back its musical vocation. In 2018, seven months of work allowed it to regain its former glory, with its restored bulb. It will thus once again be able to host musical events throughout the year.

Cultural heritage
The “city and country of art and history” label enjoyed by Romans is based in particular on the richness of the city’s history. The municipal archives house real historical treasures and the Resistance Museum offers a poignant look at local resistance during the Second World War.

Shoe museum
A detour is also required by its international shoe museum. Because it is to the work of leather and shoes that Romans owes its fame. Housed in an exceptional building, a former convent of the Visitation, this museum houses a unique collection in the world which traces 4000 stories on five continents.
It is nonetheless resolutely turned towards contemporary creation. Stylists, designers and researchers come here regularly to seek inspiration.

Resistance Museum
Installed in the former convent of the Visitation of Romans, the Museum of Resistance and Deportation is both a history museum and an archives and documentation center.

Municipal archives
An essential place to understand local history, the archives service keeps more than 3 km of documents from the 13th century to the present day. A rich library made up of books, periodicals, local newspapers relating to the history of Romans, Drôme and Dauphiné. The service keeps more than 7,000 references of works from the 15th to the 21st century, 300 titles of periodicals as well as numerous guides, dictionaries, specialized press on history and research methods. Old illustrations from Romans and the surrounding area: postcards, photographs, glass plates, plans, posters… More than 130,000 digitized images are freely accessible on the archives website.

The city of music
The Departmental Conservatory of Music and Dance of Romans is a specialized artistic education establishment, which has more than 600 students and an educational team of 44 teachers (including 4 musicians intervening in schools). The resource poleis the home of the Cité de la musique. It allows individuals to consult specific works (CDs, journals, etc.). It includes a multimedia space with playlists listening, and a parthothèque to access the scores. The Resources Pole animates the City of Music and emphasizes musical innovation, music and digital arts (MAO), multimedia. The 4000 m² building has two performance halls, an auditorium with 270 seats and an amplified music room with 300 standing places. Place of life where musical genres and different interests come together with the Cordonnerie and the Conservatory. The structure offers a musical season with about sixty concerts of all styles and events, support for creation, support for amateur practices, the establishment of cultural actions, access to training and resources.

Art school
The municipal art school is a local artistic facility, open to all, intended for the teaching of plastic arts, but also for awareness and contemporary creation. Its main objective is to promote the discovery and access to the visual arts, in diversity, through artistic practice and by confronting innovative works and ideas. The school offers a wide range of workshops, for children, adolescents and adults. These workshops offer multiple actions in the field of drawing, painting, collage, volumes, photography. Classes are supervised by artistic teachers. Each year, this teaching is structured around a theme that highlights the creativity of the students during an end-of-year exhibition.

Events and festivals
Carnival of Romans, music festival, national holiday, I say Musik, Romans celebrates Christmas, discover the major events that animate the life of the city.

The Carnival of Romans
Rich in the Carnival of 1580, the Romans have been celebrating the event for several decades in the neighborhoods in the city center. Animated by the city of Romans and the artistic associations of the Roman basin, around the collective “la Marmite”, the workshops of artistic practices make it possible to train the inhabitants and to involve the greatest number, small and large. Dance, circus, music, make-up, costumes… the Carnival of Romans continues to bring together the ingredients of a “popular and spontaneous theater pitting street against street, brotherhood against brotherhood” around multiple meanings.

The Festival of Music
In Romans, registrations start in April of each year. The city coordinates the initiatives. She can also make the link with bars and restaurants and coordinate music in public spaces.The first Fête de la Musique is launched on June 21, 1982, symbolic day of the summer solstice, the longest of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, by Jack Lang and Maurice Fleuret. The music will be everywhere and the concert nowhere”! (…) The Festival will be free, open to all types of music, without hierarchy of genres and practices” and to all French people.

National Holiday
Visible from the quays of the Isère, the Fireworks display is traditionally drawn every July 13 at 10:30 p.m. from Saint Romain park. Around 11 p.m., the proximity of Place Maurice Faure welcomes the dancers for the traditional popular ball. On July 14, commemorations take place at the Monuments of the Provincial States of Dauphiné, at 9 a.m., Place Carnot, with wreath laying and speech by the Mayor of Romans.

I Say Musik
Since 2001, Je Dis Musik has always given pride of place to emerging musicians. From year to year, the promise to promote music has not failed, and it is in turn that the places Ernest Gailly and Maurice Faure welcome other surprises, such as open-air cinema, fairground arts…. with the constant concern to please young and old alike.

Christmas in Romans
For the end of the year celebrations, Romans-sur-Isère lights up! With a sound and light show, fireworks, a night parade, illuminations and monumental decorations! Christmas in Romans is also a magical and timeless universe with an enchanted forest in the heart of the city center, meetings with Santa Claus, a ride to the Lampions, choirs, but also 2 major events not to be missed. The first takes place from December 18 to 24 with the Christmas Market, the second on December 19 and 20 with the Truffle Gourmet Days.

International Festival
An inter-generational event, it has already welcomed more than 8,000 artists from five continents. The open-air shows take place in sublime places, such as the Gardens of the International Shoe Museum. The specificities intersect and assemble to the spectator’s greatest happiness. Meetings, exchanges, discoveries, traditions and heritage; the involvement of nearly 350 volunteers going well beyond the elementary “helping hand”; it is, each time, a range of elements to discover the world and its secrets.

Green spaces
Discover the 50 hectares of Roman green spaces. Walks, relaxation, sport, games, each place has its own characteristics. In 2014, the town of Romans-sur-Isère benefited from the “flower town” label with “two flowers” awarded by the National Council of towns and villages in bloom of France to the competition of towns and villages in bloom since 2008.

Saint-Romain
Located above the Cité de la Musique, this park offers a splendid view of the Isère and the Vercors as a reward to all those who have climbed the steps to reach it.

Champ-de-Mars
Between Place Jean-Jaurès and Rue Bozambo. Fountain, games and multiple species of shrubs and trees are to be discovered there, whether crossing to reach the historic center or taking a break on the benches. Cedars line the war memorial, plane trees under which the pétanque players meet, near the Fanny (statue by artist Eva Roucka that the loser must go and kiss when in the game there is 13-0).
Children’s games

Nicole Algan
Opposite the entrance gate of the shoe museum (rue Bistour and rue Colonel J. Martin), its trees and statues encourage you to dream or accompany you in your reading. Nicole Algan, sculptor, is the author of 6 Golems in white cement and 3 in gray cement, 2 m high.

Pierre Brunet
In the city center, bv Marx Dormoy, a stone’s throw from the Europe roundabout and close to Marques Avenue, enjoy a moment of family relaxation in this shaded park.

Edith Piaf
Francis Chirat Street. Continue your walk on the quays by taking a walk through this park where the games will appeal to your children, and depending on the time of day, you can observe the biodiversity (hedgehogs, bats and a multitude of other species).

Little Prince
Rue Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, La Monnaie district.

The Yews
Vincent d’Indy Street

Dumaine
Just behind the Roger-François Gymnasium. Health and fun course, games, skate park.