Suze-la-Rousse (; ) is a commune in the

Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.

department in southeastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, situated in the heart of the Rhône Valley vineyards

Location

Suze-la-Rousse is located southeast of

Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux (; ), sometimes known as -en-Tricastin, is a commune, an administrative region, in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Name The settlement is attested as ''Augusta Tricastinorum'' (1st c. AD), ''Trikastinoi ...

and north of

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

. It extends over the left bank of the river Lez and commands an uninterrupted view of the Mont Ventoux, the Lance mountains, and the foothills of the

Dauphiné Alps The Dauphiné Alps () are a group of mountain ranges in Southeastern France, west of the main chain of the Alps. Mountain ranges within the Dauphiné Alps include the Massif des Écrins in Écrins National Park, Belledonne, Le Taillefer range ...

. The neighbouring settlements are

Bollène Bollène (; Provençal: ''Bouleno'') is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Geography Bollène is a commune located in the north of the Vaucluse department next to the j ...

, Rochegude, Tulette,

Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes (; Provençal: ''Santa Celha dei Vinhas'') is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Nearby cities are Orange and the smaller Bollène. It is also not far ...

, Bouchet,

La Baume-de-Transit La Baume-de-Transit (; ) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Drôme department A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or oth ...

, Solérieux et

Saint-Restitut Saint-Restitut (; ) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Drôme department A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other de ...

History

In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, Suze-la-Rousse was the most important town of

Tricastin The Tricastin () is a natural and historic region in the southern Rhône valley of southeastern France comprising the southwestern portion of the Drôme department and the northwestern portion of Vaucluse and centered on the modern town of Saint-P ...

. Suze castle was built in the 12th century by the princes of Orange on the site of a hunting lodge given by Charlemagne to his cousin Guillaume de Gellone. With its fortified medieval walls, this fortress dominated the surrounding area and guaranteed it occupants perfect security. During the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

, the princes of Orange made it their country retreat.

Population

Wine

At the foot of the castle is the location of the University of Wine, a department of the University Institute of Valence. The facility, with its laboratories and tasting rooms is unique in Europe, and offers courses in oenology, marketing, and management for the wine industry.

International relations

Suze-la-Rousse was twinned with the town of Gouvy in Belgium in 2003.

References

Communes of Drôme {{Drôme-geo-stub