The general councils of Grenoble, open to all citizens, still played a significant role from 1588 to 1598.A symbol of identity and urban autonomy, they also strengthened the loyalty to the king as expressed by their members, many of whom were prominent citizens of the town.However,after the death of Henri III in 1589, these good instruments of obedience were transformed into dangerous seats of dissidence.After the return of Grenoble to the royal camp,the councils,which were composed of numerous ex-leaguers, became a lobby able to prevent protestants from returning to the city’s politic life until the beginning of the seventeenth century,when the role of these councils declined.