Saint Laurent district

You are now on Saint-Laurent Street, in the heart of the district of the same name. This is the oldest district of the city. Located on the right bank of the Isère, it is known as "Little Italy" because of its pretty, colourful facades and the fact that most of its inhabitants came from the Apulian region, in Italy. In fact, you'll still see many pizzerias in this district today. In the 16th century, it was the site of the Mint, where coins were struck until 1732. In the 18th century, more and more people lived on this side of the Isère River and the craft industry flourished. Skins were tanned, gloves were produced, hemp was woven and even playing cards were made here! Of all these skills, glove-making was the only one that stood out and continued in the 19th century. Did you know that Grenoble was once the glove capital of the world? Its fame began in 1606 when a Grenoble craftsman became perfumer and glove-maker to the King of France! Up until the 20th century, the city was renowned for its high productivity and the quality of its gloves! One out of every two families made a living from this activity, and from the famous long kid glove that was being snapped up the world over, as far away as Australia! If you'd like a pair, two traditional shops remain, selling gloves made in the Grenoble tradition. Also, it was here that the Olympic flame was carried from the Chartreuse massif during the 1968 Winter Olympics of Grenoble.