  In this paper we explain how to define "lower dimensional'' volumes of any
compact Riemannian manifold as the integrals of local Riemannian invariants.
For instance we give sense to the area and the length of such a manifold in any
dimension. Our reasoning is motivated by an idea of Connes and involves in an
essential way noncommutative geometry and the analysis of Dirac operators on
spin manifolds. However, the ultimate definitions of the lower dimensional
volumes don't involve noncommutative geometry or spin structures at all.
