The town dates from 1015, but Chateauneuf sur Isère was inhabited long before the Roman Empire. The Romans had already fortified the hillside where our medieval castle was to stand.
The ruling family of Chateauneuf established since 1060, lost its title to the Bishop of Valence at the end of the XIII century. Two remarkable individuals came from this family : St Hugues (1052-1132) Archbishop of Grenoble who encouraged the creation of the order of Chartreux and St Hugues, the abbot of Léoncel and of Bonnevaux, who was considered as one of the finest diplomats of his time. He was a leading force in the reconciliation between the Emperor of St Empire and the papacy of the XII century.
During the Renaissance, the religious wars lead to the destruction of our castle in 1585. The growing economy encouraged the development during the Middle Ages of molasse mining which the Romans had started. This sandstone was used among others in the construction of the town of Valence.
The subsistence farming of the Middle Ages gave way little by little to more speculative production such as wine and dry fruit.
|
 |
 |
The following centuries leading up to the revolution passed without any notable incidents. But in 1880 the irrigation of the territory by the Bourne Canal, enabled the plantation of production orchards.Their development continued between the two world wars and exploded in about 1950 making Chateaneuf the capital of the peach. |
|
