ClasséMonument · protected 1852Aiguille (pyramide de la Spina du cirque)Photo: Jean-Louis Lascoux · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Pont Saint-Martin · Photo: Jacques MOSSOT · CC BY-SA 4.039historic monuments
History of Vienne · Monuments historiques
39 historic monuments, the oldest from Antiquity
A protected historic area (site patrimonial remarquable) is on the ministry’s list; its rules are still being drawn up. The Culture ministry lists 39 historic monuments in Vienne: 22 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 16 inscrit (the second level). 1 has no protection level on the list. That’s 12 for every 10,000 residents, more per resident than 89% of compared French towns; the median compared French town has 2.5. We have photos of 34 of them.
Monuments historiques
39
12 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
22
the highest protection
Inscrit
16
the second level
Oldest part
Antiquity
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
14%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Vienne in 34 photos
Nearly every classé monument, photographed. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Église Saint-André-le-BasClassé
OdéonClassé
Théâtre antique (restes)Classé
Vestiges gallo-romains dits Jardins de CybèleClassé
Temple d'Auguste et de LivieClassé+29See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
How old
How old Vienne’s monuments are
Each monument once, by the oldest part the list dates.
Prehistory & Antiquity to the 4th c.12
Middle Ages 5th–15th c.10
16th to 18th century Renaissance to Revolution13
19th century 1801–19000
20th century and later since 19012
22 of 37 dated monuments have parts from before 1500. The oldest dated: Aiguille (pyramide de la Spina du cirque) (Antiquity). 2 monuments have no date on the list.
Map
Where Vienne’s monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscritWithin 400 m of Église Saint-Maurice, anciennement cathédrale
13 of 22classé monuments stand within 400 m of Église Saint-Maurice, anciennement cathédrale, with 18 of the town’s 39 monuments.
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
39 monuments by protection
22 Classé16 Inscrit1 Level not given
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point. 10 monuments have no point on the map.
Classé
22 classé monuments in Vienne
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 8 of the 22 are protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséArchaeological site · protected 1994Enceinte romainePart of the building is protectedPhoto: User:Otourly · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséArchaeological site · protected 1942Mur romainPhoto: Jacques MOSSOT · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséMonument · protected 1840Temple d'Auguste et de LiviePhoto: Abderitestatos · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTheater · protected 1840Théâtre antique (restes)Photo: User:Otourly · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséArchaeological site · protected 2012Vestiges gallo-romains dits Jardins de CybèlePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Gordito1869 · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1840Église Saint-André-le-BasPhoto: User:Otourly · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1840Église Saint-Maurice, anciennement cathédralePhoto: SashiRolls · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséTown gate · protected 1924Porte de la Cour de l'AmbulancePhoto: SashiRolls · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséFountain · protected 1924Fontaine du Jeu de PaumePhoto: SashiRolls · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTheater · protected 1929Théâtre municipalPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Yannig38 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséChurch · protected 1862Église Saint-Pierre-le-Bas (ancienne)Photo: SashiRolls · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséArchaeological site · protected 1957OdéonPart of the building is protectedPhoto: User:Otourly · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1924Maison, 12 à 18 rue des ClercsPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Yannig38 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1921Maison, 19 rue des OrfèvresPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Annexus69 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1921Maison, 45, 47 rue MarchandePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Romainbehar · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1992Maison, 9, 11 rue des OrfèvresPhoto: Jacques MOSSOT · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséFountain · protected 1924Fontaine, place de l'Hotel-de-VillePhoto: Yannig38 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Archaeological site · protected 1984Gisement archéologique comportant des structures romaines
Archaeological site · protected 1927Oppidum romain du Pipet (ancien)Part of the building is protected
Aqueduct · protected 1946Aqueduc romain entre la place Jouvenet et la base du cimetière
Inscrit
17 inscrit monuments in Vienne
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared. 1 of them has no protection level on the list.
All 17, A to Z
Abbaye Saint-Ferréol (ancienne)Ancienne abbaye de Saint-André-le-HautChapelle Saint-ThéodoreChâteau de la Bâtie (restes)Église Notre-Dame-de-l'IsleÉglise Saint-André-le-HautFontaine, place JouvenetMaison, 1, 3 rue de la Table-RondeMaison, 13 rue de BourgogneMaison, 32 rue MarchandeMaison, 32, 34 rue des ClercsMaison, 4 place du PiloriMont SalomonMonument aux mortsMurs romains (restes)Restes du portique romain, dit du ForumVilla Vaganay
6 more, named only by their kind
6 more are named in the list only by their kind: 5 houses (maisons) and 1 other, most from the 16th century. The 6 with an address are in the list above, by it.
15th c.1
16th c.4
18th c.1
What’s protected
Houses and homes are the largest group in Vienne
Each monument under the main domain Mérimée gives it.
Houses & homes12
Religious buildings8
Bridges & engineering4
Tombs & cemeteries2
Military & fortified1
Public & civic1
Archaeological sites1
Houses & homes: 12 of 39 monuments (31%). 8 are religious buildings, 3 of them classé.
Mérimée files each monument under one main domain: a château with its chapel counts once. 10 have no domain on the list.
Protected area
A protected historic area is on its way in Vienne
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR84-73 | ZPPAUP October 21, 2009 | Still being drawn up |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
When protected
Vienne’s list has grown since 1840
Monuments by the year they were first protected.
1924 · 5
1840186018801900192019401960198020002020
First protected, in 1840: Église Saint-André-le-Bas, Église Saint-Maurice, anciennement cathédrale and Temple d'Auguste et de Livie. That was France’s first list of monuments historiques, drawn up in Prosper Mérimée’s time as inspector. 5 were protected in 1924 alone. 2 have been added since 2011.
Age of homes
14% of homes in Vienne were built before 1919
Main homes by when they were finished, beside the median compared French town (the tick).
14%
Before 1919
12%
1919–45
26%
1946–70
29%
1971–90
8.8%
1991–2005
10%
2006 on
VienneMedian compared French town
14% of its main homes were built before 1919; the median compared French town has 7.4%. More of them were finished between 1971 and 1990 than in any other period (29%).
INSEE, census 2023: main homes (résidences principales) only; second homes and empty homes aren’t dated.
Born before 1900
24 people born in Vienne before 1900
The 20 best known on the line, and eight of them below.
Aignan d'Orléans
Nicolas Chorier
Charles Chabroud
Charles Danthon
André François Bron de Bailly
Étienne Donna
Thomas Couturier
Alexis Decomberousse
Lucien Butavand
Pierre Étienne Rémillieux
Jean-Pierre Joliot
Abel-Antoine Ronjat
Charles Gueidan
Alexandre Grellet
Paul Decœur
Camille Jouffray
Mathias Saint-Romme
Michel Berthaud
Louis Lombard
Joseph Brenier
4506007509001050120013501500165018001950
Ad
Aignan d'Orléans358–453 · French priest
NC
Nicolas Chorier1612–1692 · French historian,lawyer and writer
CC
Charles Chabroud1750–1816 · French politician
AF
André François Bron de Bailly1757–1847 · French general
AD
Alexis Decomberousse1793–1862 · French playwright
PÉ
Pierre Étienne Rémillieux1811–1856 · French painter
MB
Michel Berthaud1845–1912 · French photographer, active second half of 19th century
JB
Joseph Brenier1876–1943 · French politician
Everyone born in Vienne Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Towns its size
Vienne has the 3rd most monuments of 41 towns its size
Compared French towns of 30,100 to 33,500 residents, by historic monuments.
Vienne39
#3 of 41for monuments per resident (12 per 10,000). Most per resident: Paris 3e, Nevers and Vienne.
The median town of these has 3. 4 of the 41 have none.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Vienne
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vienne | 31,778 | 39 | 22 | Yes |
| Pont-Évêque | 6,213 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ampuis Rhône | 2,769 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Estrablin | 3,677 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Loire-sur-Rhône Rhône | 2,746 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Chasse-sur-Rhône | 6,588 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Communay Rhône | 4,540 | 0 | 0 | — |
In brief
Vienne in brief
Aiguille (pyramide de la Spina du cirque), from Antiquity, is the oldest monument in Vienne. All told, the list holds 39 historic monuments, 22 of them classé, including Pont Saint-Martin. Its housing is old: 14% of homes date from before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town. For its size, it has more historic monuments than 89% of compared French towns.
Its classé monuments cluster together: 13 of them stand within 400 m of Église Saint-Maurice, anciennement cathédrale. Only 2 of the 41 towns nearest its size have more historic monuments. Villa Vaganay carries the Architecture contemporaine remarquable label.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Vienne
How many historic monuments are there in Vienne?
The Culture ministry lists 39 historic monuments in Vienne: 22 classé and 16 inscrit.
Which monuments in Vienne are classé?
22, among them Aiguille (pyramide de la Spina du cirque), Enceinte romaine, Gisement archéologique comportant des structures romaines, Mur romain, Temple d'Auguste et de Livie and Théâtre antique (restes).
How old are the monuments of Vienne?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from Antiquity.
Is Vienne a protected historic area?
One is on the way: a site patrimonial remarquable for Vienne is on the ministry’s list, but its rules are still being drawn up.
When were monuments in Vienne first protected?
The first in 1840, the latest in 2019.
How old are the homes in Vienne?
14% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.