Grenoble in the Time of Lesdiguières: The Last Constable

What you can expect:

• Immerse yourself in the 17th century, a time when the city was undergoing a transformation to become the 'Capital of the Alps.'
• Take a journey back to Renaissance-era Grenoble during the religious wars.
• Accompany an accredited tour guide who humorously embodies the character of Marie Vignon, dressed in historical attire.
• Être accompagnés d’une guide conférencière diplômée se glissant avec humour dans la peau de Marie Vignon, qu’elle incarne en costume d’époque
• Explore Grenoble in a small group, solo, with family, or friends during an immersive tour.

Program

Meet Marie Vignon, the second wife of the Constable of Lesdiguières, for a journey through Grenoble, the 'Capital of the Alps,' in the early 17th century. She will recount the rise of her husband, a provincial Protestant noble who became the second most influential figure in the Kingdom of France. From religious wars to places of refuge, from the scandal of their relationship to their marriage, from murders to witchcraft trials, discover, with the ambitious and powerful Marie, how her husband transformed the appearance of Grenoble.

Get to Know Your Guide/Character:

In 1590, Marie Vignon, a young Catholic bourgeois woman and the wife of a silk merchant in Grenoble, met the powerful François de Bonne de Lesdiguières. A Protestant captain and Commander-in-Chief of Dauphiné for King Henri IV of France, he was 33 years her senior. Their relationship, in every sense a mixed one, caused a scandal: rumors suggested that Marie had bewitched François to seduce him, and that she was nothing more than an ambitious courtesan. However, Marie Vignon faithfully stood by the side of the future Duke of Lesdiguières, Constable of France, throughout his ascent. She thus became a privileged witness to his destiny and the transformations he brought to Grenoble, ultimately turning it into a true 'Capital of the Alps.'