The town of Décines-Charpieu is located in the heart of the old district of Velin, in an area known as the Lyon Plain which belongs, geographically speaking, to the Bas-Dauphiné region. The topography is the result of glacial movements in the quaternary period, which covered the entire region from the Alps to the Rhone- Saône confluence, leaving its mark on the landscape in the form of moraine hills (hills of Charpieu and Mollard), along with deposits of sand and gravel. The 4-metre long granite block known as Pierre-Frite, on Place Montaberlet, is a vestige of that period which no doubt eliminated any trace of earlier human presence.

The earliest identifiable traces date back to the late Neolithic age (2500 BC) or early Bronze age (1800 BC).

But it wasn't until the arrival of the Gallo-Romans that relatively large settlements came to Décines.

From a Parish to a Town

At the end of the 10^th century, feudalism was well-installed and medieval fortifications abounded, as can be seen on top of the feudal mound of Moléron (11^th century), where a wooden tower was erected to keep watch over the Dombes and Monts-d'Or areas. This mound, now deprived of its tower, can be seen near Jonage canal. The mound was rebuilt some 10 metres south of the original site to make way for the Eastern Ring-road..

In the 17^th century, the Archpriest of Meyzieu indicated the existence of a parish in Décines, probably established in the 5^th or 6^th century. The clergy, which held great importance in Medieval society, possessed an obéance (ecclesiastic property administered by a Canon) in Décines and a priory (small monastery) in Charpieu.

During the French Revolution in 1789, the old parishes were transformed into towns, sometimes grouped with other parishes. This was the case for Décines and Charpieu, which constitute the current town. It and the rest of the Velin area, became part of the new département (county) of Isère.

Industrial development

At the end of the 19^th century, Décines was a rural town, only marginally affected by the industrial revolution. In 1876, the population was 1047, with 60% of its inhabitants working in agriculture. The local economy was focused on market gardening and Décines seemed destined to become a residential town for the bourgeois of Lyon seeking a more tranquil setting.

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But with the coming of the railway (Lyon's east line) in 1881, and the construction of Jonage canal (1895), which split the town in two parts, linked by a single bridge, the city was transformed, not just physically but also by the arrival of labourers come to work at construction sites. These changes led to the creation of new services: a fire-fighting brigade and a post office.

In the early 20^th century, Lyon's industrial development continued to spread eastward, as far as Décines. In 1907, the Société des Films set up in Décines, later acquired in 1912 by the company Gifrer, which continues to make mostly pharmaceutical products here.

From 1922 to 1925, S.L.S.A (Lyon Artificial Silk Company) set up production in Décines, where it built a very large factory, as well as tenement housing for 1000 workers, along with a school and church. From 1921 to 1931, the local population increased 328%, reaching 6842 residents. The new population settled mostly on the outskirts of the old village and town centre.

From a Village to a City

The new main road of the city is Avenue Jean Jaurès. The City Hall moved down the hill to a new building in 1932. The transition from an historic centre to an economic centre was accomplished rather hastily and housing cropped up in a mostly dispersed and disorganised manner. The economic crisis of the 1930s broke the growth pattern and the population dropped slightly (6078 according to the census of 1936), but the town authorities continued the development of the local area to catch up with the earlier expansion.

Two large factories came to Décines in 1957 and 1958 (NORMACEM and SARB), whereas Société Lyonnaise de Textiles (formerly S.L.S.A.) shut down in 1959. A few years later, its buildings and tenements were bought by the company Rhône-Poulenc.

From 1954 to 1962, the population again increased, at an annual rate of 5 to 6%. In 1965, Décines had 12,849 inhabitants. In the 1960s, the first high-rise apartment buildings began to appear.

In 1968, Décines was transferred from Isère département to that of the Rhône, and in 1969 it joined the Greater Lyon Urban Community.

With the intensive construction activity of the 1970s and 80s, Décines saw the emergence of new quarters: Prainet II and its high-rise apartment buildings; Champ-Blanc, Bonneveau, the new quarter of Montaberlet and its single-family homes.

In the 1990s, the city centre became more dense, with the construction of buildings on Rue de la République and Place François Mitterrand. In 1999, the population of Décines stood at 24,193.