Die, Drôme

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Administration
Commune of Die
Country	France
Région	Rhône-Alpes
Département	Drôme (sous-préfecture)
Arrondissement	Die
Canton	Die (chief town)
Mayor	Isabelle Bizouard (2001-2008)
Statistics
Land area¹	57.28 km²
Population² (1999)	(Diois) 4,668
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	26113/ 26150
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Die (pronounced dee) is a commune, former episcopal see and sous-préfecture of the Drôme département in southeastern France.

Die is best known for the Clairette de Die, a sparkling wine.

[edit] Diocese of Die

The Carthusian Polycarpe de la Riviere gives a St. Martinus (220) as first Bishop of Die. The oldest historically known bishop, St. Nicasius, attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325. After him are mentioned: St. Petronius, followed by his brother St. Marcellus (c. 463), confessor and miracle-worker; Lucretius (541-73), to whom St. Ferreolus of Uzes dedicated his monastic rule. For various reasons Abbé Jules Chevalier omits from the episcopal list: St. Maximus (sixth century); Wulphinus (end of eighth century); Exuperius and Saturninus (ninth century). Other bishops were: Hugh (1073-83), consecrated at Rome by Gregory VII, became a papal legate of the latter, presided over numerous councils for the reform of the Church, and subsequently became Bishop of Lyons; St. Ismido (1098-1115) of the noble house of Sassenage; Blessed Uric (1129-42), who opposed the Petrobrusian heresy in his diocese and became a Carthusian; Blessed Bernard (1173-76); St. Stephen (1203-8), formerly a Carthusian at the monastery of Portes; Blessed Didier (Desiderius) de Lans (1213-20).

After the eleventh century the Diocese of Die, long disputed between the metropolitans of Vienne and Arles, became suffragan of the archbishopric of Vienne. By Papal Bull of 25 September, 1275, in order to strengthen the Church of Valence in its struggle with the House of Poitiers, Gregory X united the Diocese of Die with that of Valence. This union, which lasted four centuries, was unfortunate for Die. It was annulled in 1687 by king Louis XIV, who, to combat Protestantism, appointed a Bishop of Die.