Valence
(Occitan:
Valença)
is a
commune
in south-eastern
France,
the capital of the
department
of
Drôme,
situated on the left bank of the
Rhône,
65 miles (105 km) south of
Lyons
on the railway to
Marseilles. Its inhabitants are called Valentinois or
the Valentinoises. Valence was a part of the
French Towns and Lands of Art and History and the city
received four flowers in the Concours des villes et villages
fleuris.
Formerly the duchy of Valentinois, it was ruled by the Duke of Valentinois, a title which is still claimed by the Sovereign Prince of Monaco, though he has no actual administrative control over the area.
Valence lies at the northernmost band of olive cultivation: the local saying à Valence le Midi commence, "at Valence the Midi begins" pays tribute to the city's southern culture.
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