2007 Monte Carlo Rally

Valence (US: , French: [valɑ̃s] (listen); Occitan: Valença [vaˈlensɔ]) is a commune in southeastern France, the prefecture of the Drôme department and within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhône, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Lyon, along the railway line that runs from Paris to Marseille. It is the eighth-largest city in the region by its population and has 64,726 registered inhabitants in 2018 (132,556 inhabitants in the urban area (unité urbaine). The city is divided into four cantons. Its inhabitants are called Valentinois.Located in the heart of the Rhone corridor, Valence is often referred to as "the door to the South of France", the local saying à Valence le Midi commence ("at Valence the Midi begins") pays tribute to the city's southern culture. Between Vercors and Provence, its geographical location attracts many tourists. Axes of transport and communications are the A7 and A49 autoroutes, the RN7, Paris/Marseille TGV line, as well as the Rhône. In addition, the Valence agglomeration is equipped with a marina, a trading port, two railway stations (Valence-Ville and Valence-TGV) and an airport. Its business is essentially turned towards the sectors of agriculture, metallurgy, engineering and electronics.The commune, founded in 121 BC, after the invasion of Gallia Narbonensis by the Romans, it moved quickly to become the largest crossroad behind Lyon. With its growing importance, Valence gained the status of Roman colony. Over the centuries, the town grew and grew. Today, many vestiges of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, but also from the 17th century, 18th century and 19th century are visible in the city centre. The city is historically attached to the Dauphiné, of which it forms the second largest city after Grenoble and is today part of the network of French Towns and Lands of Art and History. 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. Monuments in Valence include the Maison des Têtes, built between 1528 and 1532 by Antoine de Dorne, the Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral, built between 1063 and 1099 under the leadership of Bishop Gontard and also the monumental fountain designed by the architect Eugène Poitoux. The city has many historical monuments, most of which are in Vieux Valence. Inscribed on the list of floral towns and villages of France, Valence is one of the seventeen municipalities of the Rhône-Alpes region to be labeled "four flowers" by the Concours des villes et villages fleuris, i.e. the maximum level.

Valence Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Apollinaire de Valence) is a Roman Catholic church in Valence, Drôme, France. The cathedral is in the Romanesque architectural tradition. It is dedicated to Saint Apollinaris of Valence. It is the seat of the Bishop of Valence.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Valence (–Die–Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux) (Latin: Dioecesis Valentinensis (–Diensis–Sancti Pauli Tricastinorum); French: Diocèse de Valence (–Die–Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux) is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in southern France. The contemporary diocese is co-extensive with the department of Drôme. The Cathedral of Valence was originally dedicated to Saints Cornelius and Cyprianus (Bishops of Rome and of Carthage, both mid-third century martyrs), but in 1095, during his visit to France to rouse up the aristocracy for a Crusade to liberate the Holy Land, Pope Urban II rededicated the cathedral to Saint Apollinaris, one of Valence's sixth century bishops. The Cathedral had fourteen Canons, including a Dean, a Provost, the Archdeacon, a Theologian, and the Abbot of S. Felix.In the Great Western Schism (1378–1417), the Bishops of Valence-et-Die were all appointed by and were loyal to the Popes of the Avignon Obedience. Pope Pius VI, who had been taken prisoner and deported from Italy by troops of the French Directory, was imprisoned in the fortress of Valence. After six weeks he died there, on 29 August 1799. His body was buried in the chapel, and a month later, on First Consul Napoleon's orders, given a public funeral and buried in the town cemetery.

The canton of Valence-4 is an administrative division of the Drôme department, southeastern France. Its borders were modified at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is in Valence.It consists of the following communes: Valence (partly)

Valence-Ville station (French: Gare de Valence-Ville) is a railway station serving the town Valence, Drôme department, southeastern France. It is situated on the Paris–Marseille railway, and is the southern terminus of a branch line to Grenoble. The station is owned and operated by the SNCF and served by both TGV and TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes trains.

The arrondissement of Valence is an arrondissement of France in the Drôme department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It has 101 communes. Its population is 292,801 (2016), and its area is 1,516.3 km2 (585.4 sq mi).

Bourg-lès-Valence (French pronunciation: ​[buʁ lɛ valɑ̃s]; Occitan: Lo Borg de Valença) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is a suburb of Valence. The archaeologist and Hellenist Fernand Courby (1878–1932) was born in Bourg-lès-Valence. In 2014–2019, Bourg-lès-Valence was twinned with the town of Shusha (Shushi) of the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, but de jure part of Azerbaijan. In 2019, the administrative court of Grenoble declared the partnership treaty null and void due to the municipality having exceeded its power by unilaterally signing it and France's non-recognition of the de facto state.

Guilherand-Granges (French pronunciation: ​[ɡijʁɑ̃ ɡʁɑ̃ʒ]) is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France. It is a suburb of Valence, Drôme. It is one of the most populous commune in the Ardéche department, after Annonay and Aubenas, and before Tournon-sur-Rhône.

The canton of Guilherand-Granges is an administrative division of the Ardèche department in southern France. It was created at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is in Guilherand-Granges.It consists of the following communes: Châteaubourg Cornas Guilherand-Granges Saint-Péray Saint-Romain-de-Lerps

The canton of Valence-3 is an administrative division of the Drôme department, southeastern France. Its borders were modified at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is in Valence.It consists of the following communes: Beaumont-lès-Valence Beauvallon Montéléger Portes-lès-Valence Valence (partly)

The École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs des Systèmes Avancés et Réseaux (Esisar) is an engineering school of the Grenoble Institute of Technology.

The canton of Valence-2 is an administrative division of the Drôme department, southeastern France. Its borders were modified at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is in Valence.It consists of the following communes: Chabeuil Malissard Montélier Valence (partly)