(south of Vercors). On this plateau were found stones from the quarry, extracted and brought to Die. The first certified bishop of the Ancient Diocese of Die was Nicaise in 325, the only Gallic church representative at the First Council of Nicaea. The diocese was later merged with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Valence in 1276, yet again separated at the end of the 17th century, before its suppression during the French Revolution. Remains The Die and Diois museum (Musée de Die) in the centre of town shows the multiple and imposing remains of the Roman era, but also tells the story of the Diois during prehistory, the Middle-Ages of this episcopal city and the devastation caused by religious wars. Population Economy Apart from agriculturalists and wine producers, the economy is still composed of many little companies, of craftsmen, of tourism providers and local retailers. Die is also the economic and social centre of all the Diois, it offers schools and professional centres. Public and administrative services also allow the well-being of this valley. Tourism The commune of Die is composed of less than 5000 inhabitants. The city concentrated on small industries, such as furniture and shoes during the 1960s and 1970s, and thus missed the opportunity of mass tourism. Nowadays, Die receives an important number of tourists during summer, from foreign countries such as The Netherlands and Belgium, making the most of camp sites around the Drôme valley. On the contrary, in winter the tourists come from the surrounding regions to do winter sports at the Col du Rousset ski station (located in the Vercors Mountains). The most popular activities are: skiing (France’s Handisport Ski Championship), snowshoe hiking, sled dog racing (International competition of Alpirush). In 1992, it is here that the International Mountain Race Competition was won by a Columbian. Agriculture The cooperative winery Clairette de Die, which is the biggest Diois employer, had the idea a few years ago to adopt the brand name “jaillance” to be better known by the competing cooperative wineries, to be better identified by consumers and to optimise its power in sales and exports. Twin towns – sister cities Die is twinned with: Wirksworth, United Kingdom Varallo Sesia, Piedmont, Italy Frankenau, Germany Kiskunfélegyháza, Bács-Kiskun, Hungary Dhouge, Senegal See also Communes of the Drôme department Parc naturel régional du Vercors References External links Gazetteer Entry Communes of Drôme Subprefectures in France Dauphiné