High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Vienne is a commune in south-eastern France, located 20 miles (32 km) south of Lyon, on the Rhône River. It is the second largest city after Grenoble in the Isère department, of which it is a subprefecture. The city's population was of 29,400 as of the 2001 census. Before the arrival of the Roman armies, Vienne was the capital city of the Allobroges, a Gaul people. Transformed into a Roman colony in 47 BC under Julius Caesar, Vienne became a major urban center, ideally located along the Rhône river, then a major axis of communication. The town later became a Roman provincial capital. Numerous remains of Roman constructions are still visible in modern Vienne. The town was also an important early bishopric in Christian Gaul. Its most famous bishop was Avitus of Vienne.