Biviers
Encyclopedia
Biviers (ˈbivje) is a commune
in the Isère
département in south-eastern France.
on the D1090 road, at the foot of Mount Saint-Eynard, on a limestone
scree
located on the East side of the Chartreuse mountains
.
Towards the South-West, Biviers faces the Belledonne
range, in the Grésivaudan section of the Isère River
valley. In the North-West direction, the village leans against a 450 metres (1,476 ft) tall limestone cliff, above the scree. The cliff is subject to constant erosion and rock slides frequently "blast" during the summer time, with great noise and much dust.
Mount Blanc can be seen from many places in the village and is only 105 kilometres (65 mi) in line of sight.
Biviers can be subdivided in three main sectors:
Biviers is a member of the intercommunality as of 1 January 2009.
The 2005 census showed that women represent 50.5% of Biviers' population versus 49.5% for men. This population is aging fairly fast:
Montbives is a fortified house, built during the XIVth century and sitting just below the middle section of the village. It boasts a massive square tower and an impressive kitchen with carved stone pillars.
The château de Serviantin dates back from the XVth century. The name stems from Abel Servien
who was born there in 1593 and who later served as a minister for Louis XIII
. Its square tower can be seen from chemin de la Grivelière and is a classified historical monument.
The château de Franquières is more recent and dates back from the XVIIth century. It was built between 1601 and 1610 by the Aymon de Franquières family. During the French revolution
, the property belonged to the scientist Laurent-Aymon de Franquières who was elected as the first revolutionary mayor of Grenoble in February 1790 but who knew he was seriously ill and thus resigned in favor of Joseph Marie de Barral. When he died the same year, the property went to Anne-Marie Franquières – most probably his sister – and then to the related McCarthy family in 1809 who renovated it in 1836. In 1852 it moved to Baroness of Vignet, then Charles de Vignet who sold it in 1880 to Félix du Bourg whose family owned it till 1924 when it was sold to the Forest-Colcombet. Finally, it was bought in 1959 by the OVE (Oeuvre des Villages d'Enfants).
The church of Biviers was probably built around 1500. Shortly after the French revolution
it was seriously damaged by a violent storm which destroyed its roof, its stained glass windows and even some furniture. It remained unused from 1794 to 1805, but then was significantly modified: it was repaired in 1822, its choir was elevated in 1829, so was its tower in 1845 and its nave in 1873. New bells were acquired in 1883 and placed in a new tower, while the choir was rebuilt in 1885.
Curiously, the water system that feeds Biviers does not tap water from the Chartreuse limestone mountains where the village sits, but from the Belledonne granitic range that towers the valley across the Isère river
.
The Syndicat Intercommunal des Eaux de la Dhuy (SIED) organizes potable water distribution among 8 villages:
An inverted siphon carries water from Belledonne to reservoirs at the foot of the Chartreuse cliff. Work is under way in the upper part of Biviers (Chatelard) to build a new 6000 cubic metre water tank which is planned to be ready by 2010.
The most impressive monuments close to Biviers are the mountains that surround it such as Dent de Crolles
in the Chartreuse range, or Grand Pic de Belledonne in the Belledonne
range.
, Corenc
, and Bernin
as close followers (in that order). In 2007, the net taxable revenue (including salaries) per family went up to €82113
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Isère
Isère
Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
département in south-eastern France.
Geography
The village of Biviers lies 10 km (6.2 mi) North-East of GrenobleGrenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
on the D1090 road, at the foot of Mount Saint-Eynard, on a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
scree
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
located on the East side of the Chartreuse mountains
Chartreuse Mountains
The Chartreuse Mountains is a mountain range in eastern France, stretching to the north from the city of Grenoble to the Lac du Bourget. It is the southernmost range in the Jura Mountains and belongs to the French Prealps....
.
Towards the South-West, Biviers faces the Belledonne
Belledonne
Belledonne is a mountain range in the Dauphiné Alps in southeast France. The southern end of the range forms the eastern wall of the mountains that surround the city of Grenoble....
range, in the Grésivaudan section of the Isère River
Isère River
The Isère is a 286 km long river in southeastern France, in the Rhône-Alpes région. Its source is in the Alps on the border with Italy, near the ski resort Val d'Isère. It flows into the Rhône River in Pont-de-l'Isère, a few km north of Valence...
valley. In the North-West direction, the village leans against a 450 metres (1,476 ft) tall limestone cliff, above the scree. The cliff is subject to constant erosion and rock slides frequently "blast" during the summer time, with great noise and much dust.
Mount Blanc can be seen from many places in the village and is only 105 kilometres (65 mi) in line of sight.
Biviers can be subdivided in three main sectors:
- The upper part of the village is a cliff starting from an elevation of 900 metres (2,953 ft) and culminating at 1358 metres (4,455 ft).
- The middle section – between 500 metres (1,640 ft) and 900 metres (2,953 ft) – is a forest and is a favorite destination of hikers. The slope is steep and averages 20%. This section is sparsely populated.
- The lower section sits on flatter ground and is where most inhabitants live, the lowest point of the village being at 311 metres (1,020 ft).
Administration
Jannick Moussin is the current mayor of Biviers. She is assisted by:- Jean-Claude Becquaert: 1st counselor
- Agnès Simon: 2rd counselor
- Jean-Philippe Raguin: 3th counselor
- Thierry Ferotin: 4th counselor
- René Gautheron: 5nd counselor
Other counselors are:- Eric Bernardon
- Eric Bouvier
- Catherine Cœur
- Marie-Thérèse Couture
- Frank Debaecker
- Béatrice Denise
- Gilbert Goncalves
- Robert Guyon
- Joëlle Martin-Borret
- Claude Sénéchal
- Lucien Vullierme
Biviers is a member of the intercommunality as of 1 January 2009.
Demography
The inhabitants of Biviers are known as (ˈbivjeʁwa). From 1999 to 2007, natality rate was 0.81% vs. a mortality rate of 0.55%. Despite the positive difference, population decreased on average by 0.2% per year during the same period.| 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2005 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 679 | 964 | 1733 | 2147 | 2258 | 2385 | 2391 | 2344 |
The 2005 census showed that women represent 50.5% of Biviers' population versus 49.5% for men. This population is aging fairly fast:
| age | 0 – 19 | 20 – 39 | 40 – 59 | 60 + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| men 1999 | 28.2% | 16.7% | 33.1% | 22.1% |
| men 2005 | 27.9% | 13.6% | 30.2% | 28.4% |
| women 1999 | 26.5% | 18.2% | 32.6% | 22.7% |
| women 2005 | 24.6% | 14.7% | 31.2% | 29.6% |
Places, monuments and curiosities
The château de Serviantin dates back from the XVth century. The name stems from Abel Servien
Abel Servien
Abel Servien, marquis de Sablé et de Boisdauphin, comte de Roche-Servien and comte de La Roche des Aubiers was a French diplomat who served Cardinal Mazarin and signed for the French at the Treaty of Westphalia...
who was born there in 1593 and who later served as a minister for Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
. Its square tower can be seen from chemin de la Grivelière and is a classified historical monument.
The château de Franquières is more recent and dates back from the XVIIth century. It was built between 1601 and 1610 by the Aymon de Franquières family. During the French revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the property belonged to the scientist Laurent-Aymon de Franquières who was elected as the first revolutionary mayor of Grenoble in February 1790 but who knew he was seriously ill and thus resigned in favor of Joseph Marie de Barral. When he died the same year, the property went to Anne-Marie Franquières – most probably his sister – and then to the related McCarthy family in 1809 who renovated it in 1836. In 1852 it moved to Baroness of Vignet, then Charles de Vignet who sold it in 1880 to Félix du Bourg whose family owned it till 1924 when it was sold to the Forest-Colcombet. Finally, it was bought in 1959 by the OVE (Oeuvre des Villages d'Enfants).
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
it was seriously damaged by a violent storm which destroyed its roof, its stained glass windows and even some furniture. It remained unused from 1794 to 1805, but then was significantly modified: it was repaired in 1822, its choir was elevated in 1829, so was its tower in 1845 and its nave in 1873. New bells were acquired in 1883 and placed in a new tower, while the choir was rebuilt in 1885.
Curiously, the water system that feeds Biviers does not tap water from the Chartreuse limestone mountains where the village sits, but from the Belledonne granitic range that towers the valley across the Isère river
Isère River
The Isère is a 286 km long river in southeastern France, in the Rhône-Alpes région. Its source is in the Alps on the border with Italy, near the ski resort Val d'Isère. It flows into the Rhône River in Pont-de-l'Isère, a few km north of Valence...
.
The Syndicat Intercommunal des Eaux de la Dhuy (SIED) organizes potable water distribution among 8 villages:
- BerninBerninBernin is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
- Biviers
- CorencCorencCorenc is a commune in the Isère département in south-eastern France. It is a suburb of Grenoble. In 2007 its population was 3,773.-Geography:Corenc is situated in the Alps and is near the border between the départements of Isère and Hautes-Alpes.-Economy:...
- La TroncheLa TroncheLa Tronche is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Isère department...
- MeylanMeylanMeylan is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-Twin towns: Didcot, United Kingdom, since 1985 Gonzales, USA, since 1985 Planegg, Germany, since 1985...
- Montbonnot-Saint-MartinMontbonnot-Saint-MartinMontbonnot-Saint-Martin is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
- Saint-IsmierSaint-IsmierSaint-Ismier is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-Twin towns:It is twinned with the English town of Stroud in Gloucestershire.-References:*...
- Saint-Nazaire-les-EymesSaint-Nazaire-les-EymesSaint-Nazaire-les-Eymes is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-References:*...
An inverted siphon carries water from Belledonne to reservoirs at the foot of the Chartreuse cliff. Work is under way in the upper part of Biviers (Chatelard) to build a new 6000 cubic metre water tank which is planned to be ready by 2010.
 |
The most impressive monuments close to Biviers are the mountains that surround it such as Dent de Crolles
Dent de Crolles
The Dent de Crolles is a karstic mountain of the Chartreuse Mountains range, 17 km north east from Grenoble, Isère . It has a characteristic "tooth-like" profile which is well-known sight of the Isère Valley seen from the Grenoble area...
in the Chartreuse range, or Grand Pic de Belledonne in the Belledonne
Belledonne
Belledonne is a mountain range in the Dauphiné Alps in southeast France. The southern end of the range forms the eastern wall of the mountains that surround the city of Grenoble....
range.
 |
 |
Economy
In recent years, Biviers posted the highest income tax per active family in Isère with an average salary income per family above €48000, with Saint-IsmierSaint-Ismier
Saint-Ismier is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-Twin towns:It is twinned with the English town of Stroud in Gloucestershire.-References:*...
, Corenc
Corenc
Corenc is a commune in the Isère département in south-eastern France. It is a suburb of Grenoble. In 2007 its population was 3,773.-Geography:Corenc is situated in the Alps and is near the border between the départements of Isère and Hautes-Alpes.-Economy:...
, and Bernin
Bernin
Bernin is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
as close followers (in that order). In 2007, the net taxable revenue (including salaries) per family went up to €82113