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Château de Vizille-Museum of the French Revolution

Castles & Country Houses, Gardens & Parks, Museums & Art Centres
Château de Vizille-Museum of the Revolution, is a museum to commemorate and display the fact that the French Revolution started here. The modernised castle-museum, is surrounded by 100 ha of landscape park.

Vizille became during the French Wars of Religion a centre of Protestantism. After its peace settlement in 1593, the estate was bought by the leader of the Protestant Army, the Duke de Lesdiguières, where he built an impressive castle in order to highlight his importance as (last) Connetable and hence his position at court.

The Duke de Villeroy, sold the estate around 1780 to Claude Perier, who had a decade later, over 400 workers at the Château for the fabrication of printed cotton. Vizille would play an important role in the start of the French Revolution. 

In May 1788 King Louis XVI decided to curb the power of the Parliament of Dauphiné in Grenoble, which was highly dissatisfied, and on June 7, they were prohibited to meet altogether. The Parliament reacted by throwing the roof tiles onto the King's Guard. This event is known as "Tile Day".

In July, the liberal Claude Perier invites these members of Parliament to held the forbidden assembly at the Château (in the room of the Jeu de Paume). This banquet, hosted by Perier, is known as the "Assemblé de Vizille".  

The "Assemblé de Vizelle" asked for the convocation of the Etats-Généraux, the Parliament in Paris, which marked the beginning of the French Revolution. It allowed Claude Perier and his family to survive the Revolution unharmed.

The Perier family kept the castle until 1895. In 1924 it came into the hands of the state, who handed it over to the Community Counsel of Isère in 1973.

For more detailed information about history and visits, see website.

 

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Château de Vizille-Museum of the French Revolution

Place du Château
38220 Vizille
France