Saint-Martin-d'Hères (; frp, Sant-Martin-d’Èra) is a commune in the
Isère
Isère ( , ; frp, Isera; oc, Isèra, ) is a landlocked department in the southeastern French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.department in southeastern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...
of the city of
Grenoble
lat, Gratianopolis
, commune status = Prefecture and commune
, image = Panorama grenoble.png
, image size =
, caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...
and is adjacent to it on the east.
History
The commune was created around 1100 where the church of St. Martin was located. During the
middle ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
it was administered at some points by the lords of the Castle of
Gières
Gières () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. It is part of the Grenoble urban unit (agglomeration). The archaeologist Joseph Chamonard (1866–1936) died in Gières. Grenoble-Universités-Gières station has rail con ...
, and at other times by the
bishop of Grenoble
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Grenoble–Vienne-les-Allobroges (Latin: ''Diocesis Gratianopolitana–Viennensis Allobrogum''; French: ''Diocèse de Grenoble–Vienne-les-Allobroges'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church i ...
, who had religious and seigniorial disputes with the former. The city remained a mostly rural area, until the 19th century, when it saw its first industrial developments with the opening of roads and railways. In the 1950s and the 1960s the city saw a "new era" with a significant demographic expansion caused by the installation of the University of Grenoble.
The city is limited at the north by the
Isère
Isère ( , ; frp, Isera; oc, Isèra, ) is a landlocked department in the southeastern French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.dykes and the channelization of the Mogne and Sonnant streams.
Population
Education
Saint-Martin-d'Hères is the home of the
Université Grenoble Alpes
The Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA, French: meaning "''Grenoble Alps University''") is a public research university in Grenoble, France. Founded in 1339, it is the third largest university in France with about 60,000 students and over 3,000 resea ...
main campus "Domaine Universitaire de Grenoble", a center of
higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...
in the region. The university features the ''Centre universitaire d'études françaises'' (CUEF). The CUEF offers
second language
A person's second language, or L2, is a language that is not the native language ( first language or L1) of the speaker, but is learned later. A second language may be a neighbouring language, another language of the speaker's home country, or a ...
instruction in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, and attracts students from a variety of foreign countries. Several universities in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
sponsor study-abroad programs affiliated with the CUEF.
Personalities
*
Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet (; born September 3, 1975) is a French- Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a goalie coach for Lausanne HC of the National League (NL). He previously played for HC Lugano and HC Fribourg-Gottéron and ...
- Goalie for the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
Tristan Vautier
Tristan Vautier (born 22 August 1989) is a French professional racing driver.
Racing career
Formula Renault
Born in Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Isère, Vautier began his career in the French Formula Renault Campus series in 2006, where he finishe ...
- racing driver
*
Suzanne Balguerie
Suzanne Berchut, called Suzanne Balguerie (29 June 1888 – 17 February 1973) was a French operatic singer (dramatic soprano). Admired by Fauré, Dukas, Poulenc, and Messiaen, she was one of the greatest sopranos of the interwar period.
Life ...
- French soprano died in Saint-Martin-d'Hères on 17 February 1973.
*
Aurélien Panis
Aurélien Panis (born 29 October 1994 in Saint-Martin-d'Hères) is a professional French racing driver. He is best known for being the son of the former Formula 1 driver, Olivier Panis. From 2017 he is one of the two drivers of Zengő Motorsport ...
- racing driver
Sights
*
Arboretum Robert Ruffier-Lanche
The Arboretum Robert Ruffier-Lanche (3 hectare) is an arboretum located on the campus of the Université Grenoble Alpes at 2233 rue de la Piscine, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France. It is open daily without charge.
The arboretum ...