To enjoy a panoramic view of Vienne, the vineyards and part of the Rhône valley, the Pipet belvedere is ideal. But Mont Pipet is much more than a pretty vantage point. In Roman times, the rocky outcrop was laid out in a vast platform, a vast sacred area with temples. An impressive set with the theater and the forum below.
In antiquity, a platform, more than 120 m long, constituted a sacred area with temples, statues of divinities, thus forming a cultural space linked architecturally to the theater, the tiers of which are leaned against the outcrops of the rock below. The importance of the masonry which supported this esplanade is still visible.
At the start of the Middle Ages, the kings of Burgundy transformed the site into a fortress with a square keep. It was handed over to the Church of Vienna in 1023 and became the possession of the canons of the cathedral in 1285. Its strategic location could only create conflicts. In 1633, Cardinal Richelieu ordered the destruction of all the strongholds of the region aof Dauphiné.
Finally, the Viennese dedicate the site to the Virgin Mary with the installation of a statue and the construction of a pilgrimage chapel in honor of Our Lady of La Salette.
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