Échirolles

Échirolles
Échirolles
	Échirolles town hall with Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People reproduced on its façade
	Location of Échirolles
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Isère
Arrondissement	Grenoble
Canton	Échirolles-Est, Échirolles-Ouest
Intercommunality	Agglomeration community of the Grenoble Alpes Métropole
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Renzo Sulli
Area 1	8 km2 (3 sq mi)
Population (2007)	35,383
• Density	4,400/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	38151 /38130
Elevation	217–395 m (712–1,296 ft) ; (avg. 237 m or 778 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Échirolles is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.

It is the second-largest suburb of the city of Grenoble, and is adjacent to it on the south. In the 1999 census, Échirolles had a population of 35,383. Its inhabitants are called the Échirollois (feminine : Échirolloise(s)). The commune has a land area of 7.86 square kilometres (3.03 sq mi).

History

Former industrial village, the majority of its inhabitants worked in the viscose factories, a fabric which was invented in Échirolles in 1884 by French scientist and industrial Hilaire de Chardonnet, before becoming universally famous. The process for manufacturing viscose was then patented by three British scientists, Charles Frederick Cross, Edward John Bevan and Clayton Beadle, in 1891.

Famous people

Thernand Bakouboula footballer
Seynabou Benga handball player
Stephane Biakolo footballer
Vincent Clerc (b. 1981), rugby footballer of Stade Toulousain and of the French national team.
Mélissa Theuriau (b. 1978), journalist.
Calogero (b. 1971), pop/rock singer, composer and song-writer.
Laure Péquegnot (b. 1975), skier.
Gérald Hustache-Mathieu (b. 1968), film director and scenarist.
David di Tommaso (1979–2005), football player.
Sami Bouajila (b. 1966), actor.
Guilbaut Colas (b. 18 June 1983), freestyle skier.
David Lazzaroni (b. 4 February 1985), ski jumper.
Sandrine Aubert (b. 6 October 1982), alpine skier.
Jonathan Tinhan footballer