Viviers, Ardèche

Viviers
Commune
270x250px
Coat of arms
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Ardèche
Arrondissement	Privas
Canton	Bourg-Saint-Andéol
Intercommunality	Rhône aux Gorges de l'Ardèche
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Martine Mattei
Area1	34.15 km2 (13.19 sq mi)
Population (Jan. 2018)2
INSEE/Postal code	07346 / 07220
Elevation	55–400 m (180–1,312 ft) (avg. 71 m or 233 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Viviers (French pronunciation: ​[vivje], also Viviers-sur-Rhône; Occitan: Vivièrs) is a city in the department of Ardèche in southern France. It is the smallest city in France by area and population.

The administrative and religious capital of Vivarais, the town of Viviers, on the right bank of the Rhône, in southern Ardèche, retains an important heritage from its rich past, including many listed monuments. These include the Town Hall, in the former bishops' palace; the 18th-century Hôtel de Roqueplane, now the seat of the diocese; the Cathedral of St Vincent, Romanesque, flamboyant Gothic and 18th-century in style, with its choir decorated by Gobelins tapestries and its marble high altar; the 16th-century Knights' House (Maison des Chevaliers) with its Renaissance façade, decorated with medallioned busts; and the Grande Rue with the elegant mansions of Beaulieu and Tourville, both dating from the 18th century.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	3,389	—
1975	3,194	−0.84%
1982	3,282	+0.39%
1990	3,407	+0.47%
1999	3,413	+0.02%
2007	3,869	+1.58%
2012	3,908	+0.20%
2017	3,730	−0.93%
Source: INSEE

History

Viviers became the capital of the Gaulish Helvii tribe following the decline of nearby Alba-la-Romaine.

In late Roman times, it also became a bishopric and the capital of the pays Vivarais. Today, it is still the see of the bishop of Ardèche.

In the 6th century, Venant de Viviers served as the Bishop of Viviers.

See also

• Communes of the Ardèche department
• Diocese of Viviers
• Viviers Cathedral