Pilat

See also: Pyla

The Pilat is a mountainous solid mass on the buttresses of the Massif Central, which culminates with the Crêt of the Partridge to 1  432 meters of altitude.

Geography

The solid mass of Pilat is located in the department of the the Loire at the south-east of the town of Saint-Etienne. It dominates the valley of the the Rhone (located at South-east) and the valley of the Gier (located at North).

The solid mass is frontier with 4 departments: the the Rhone, the Isere, the Ardeche and the Haute-Loire.

Four communes of the solid mass are twinned with communes of these departments bordering:

Geology

During the last glaciation, the slopes north with the top of 900 meters saw being formed rock falls locally called Chirat S and which can cover more than one kilometer of slope.

Climate

One of the characteristic of Pilat is that one finds on a relatively small territory a large variety of plants related to the influence of several Climat S: Mediterranean, continental mountain dweller and .

One can thus distinguish several landscapes:

  • the valley of the Rhone: on its southern slope, hotter, Pilat is very influenced by the Mediterranean climate. One finds fruit trees there, vines…
  • the plate of Large-Wood: on the plate of Saint-Genest-Malifaux and on its northern slope, the influence of the continental climate there is very marked. The climate is much colder. Coniferous, Broom, Fern S… The vegetation approaches the Vosges. The winter is cold there, and abundant snow.
  • On the crêts, altitude, snow, the winds prevent the forest from progressing: it is the influence of a mountain climate. The vegetation is composed of plants of altitude. Heaths côtoient the callune and bilberries.

Water, resource of Pilat

Water is since antiquity resources important of Pilat. At the 19th century, many stoppings are built on the rivers (Gier, Furan, Ternay, Dorlay…) to feed the neighbouring cities.

History

At the time Celtic two Celtic people divided Pilat: the Ségusiaves and the Allobroges. They left us the name of Pilat which wants to say, in Celte, mountain broad ( pi : mountain and lat : broad) and also of many places of worship of which there remain especially heaps of stones ordered like the " Castle of Belize" above Chuyer, the Furnace bridge of the Rock between Roisey and Guard, crowned enclosures of Sabin Saint and the Peak of the Three Teeth and especially the Menhir of Flat beside Dovecote.

The origin of the name Pilat is however not certain, the word could have a Latin origin (" Mons Pileatus"). Another legend tends to say that Pontius Pilate, at the end of its life would have lived or would have died in the vicinity.

At the time prehistoric, the discovery of flint and pottery on the commune of Saint-Genest-Malifaux attests of a human presence.

At the time Roman, water of Gier was used to feed Lyon thanks to the aqueduct of Gier. Water was collected with the tops of Saint-Chamond, then conveyed using tunnel (of the vestiges still exist in Chagnon, with Saint-Martin-the-plain) or using viaduct (that of Chaponost is exemplary). At the time Roman, Pilat was used as border between two provinces ( Gaulle Narbonnese and the Lyons Gaulle ). From this time one finds the vestiges of many " ways romaines" , (Pélussin, Saint-Govern-of-Corner…).

Remarkable places

High points and collars

  • Crêt of the Partridge, culminating point of Pilat with 1  432 meters.
a table of orientation is established there from where one can see in the east the solid mass of the the Alps and the valley of the Rhone. In the west one distinguishes the solid masses there from the Haute-Loire.

Below Crêt of the Partridge, is located Jasserie where are the remainders of the first Ski lift of France and a springboard. The history of the ski is indeed very old, of the international Plays of winter were organized in Pilat as of 1910.

on November 1st 1944, the five team members of a American Dakota found death at the time of a crash landing between the crêt of Partridge and the crêt of Boot.

  • Crêt of Oeillon, culminating with 1  362 meters.

a television relay station is established there. The place is also used as take-off runway for parapente.

  • Cross of Montvieux (811 meters) and collet of Doizieu (946 meters).

Collars located between the crêt of Œillon and the crêt of monthivert. With proximity was the large-hotel of the pilat . Luxurious establishment built at the beautiful time in order to benefit from the climate, it burned in a fire in 1931.

  • Monnet Mount.

  • Three Teeth.

Culminating with 1213 meters, and forming a peak from 4 to 5 peaks (including 3 principal from where their names) the three teeth form a splendid whole in the south-east of the crêt of Œillon. the République term comes from a sect nun the fancies which was established with the hamlet of the Republic in 1794. They found there the republic of Jesus-Christ , a kind of mini state which has the role to await the arrival of the Elie prophet. The republic of Jesus-Christ will be then dissolved of force and its faithful will finish imprisoned!

the inauguration in 1832 of RN82 energy of Roanne to the valley of the Rhone, passing by the collar of the Republic made it possible more directly to join the valley of the Rhone without passing by Lyon. High-places of the tests cyclists of the Loire, a monument with the glory of Paul de Vivie (Vélocio) there was inaugurated in 1931. The construction of this road was not simple, its passage in Pilat presented many engineering problems and policies, the financing of work much more important than was envisaged. But this road allowed the opening-up of Pilat and the future development of the winter sports in this area.

  • Collar of the Cross of Chaubouret (1  201 meters)
  • Mount Chaussitre (1  240 meters)
It culminates with 1240 meters between Saint-Genest-Malifaux and Saint-Govern-of-Corner, the mount-chaussitre shelters some curiosities: source of Semène, Pierre Saint Martin's day, table of orientation with a splendid sight on the Mézenc, Lizieux and the mountains of Haute-Loire.

Curiosities

  • Vault and legend of Holy Sabin .
  • the chirats :
In fact rocky castings can sometimes reach more than one kilometer length which covers the sloping slopes of Pilat. There are three great sites:
*Le chirat of the Crêt of Oeillon
*Le chirat of Maupas in a small valley flows of Dorlay, with the top of Doizieux.
*Le large chirat near to the Jump of Gier
  • the jump of the Gier :
Below the Farm of Jasserie or it takes its source, the Gier form a cascade near large a Chirat. Thin filament of water in summer, with the autumn and spring it forms a cascade and a curiosity for the walkers joining the saw of Bosc in Jasserie.

  • Pierre of the Three bishops :

Located on the commune of Saint-Govern-of-Corner, this stone always seems to be used like limit between several territories. It marked at the time Gallo-Roman the border between three large provinces: Gaulle Lyons, Gaulle Narbonnese and Gaulle Aquitaine. Under Charlemagne, it was used as border between Aquitaine, Provence and Burgundy, it thus was used as demarcation at the time of the division of the empire in 843. With the Middle Ages, it delimited the archdioceses of Lyon, Vienna and of Puys. It is probably of this characteristic that its name comes, the bishops could thus gather on this stone without leaving évêché to them. It is however not very probable that such meetings have took place.

  • Giant Fir tree :

Situé near the Sauvignet Bridge enters the village of Tarentaise and the hamlet of the Republic, this fir tree dates from the 17th century.

  • Pierre Saint Martin's day :

Située near the Mount Chaussitre this vast stone is surrounded by a legend. Saint Martin's day while moving would have left its trace here. Since, according to a local belief, this stone would have the ability to help the young children to go.

  • Peaty :

One finds, like often in the Massif Central, of small Tourbière S, made up on the traces of old lake that plants ended up colonizing. The Peat bog of Giméle (on the commune of Saint-Govern-of-Corner) can be visited. The peat bogs of Pilat are the subject of protection measures.

Villages

Personalities of Pilat

  • Marcellin Champagnat, born the May 20th 1789 with Marlhes (the Loire), dead the June 6th 1840 with Saint-Chamond. He is the founder of the Company of the Little brothers of Marie, known as “Marist brothers of the Schools”, whose vocation was to promote primary school education in the campaigns. Marcellin Champagnat, declared worthy as of 1920 by the Pape Benoît XV was béatifié in 1955 by the pope Pie XII, then canonized on April 18th 1999 by the pope Jean-Paul II.
  • Gaston Baty, man of theater born with Pélussin.
  • Vélocio (alias Paul de Vivie), famous touring cyclist, a monument is dedicated to him to the Col of the Republic.

Regional natural park

Pilat natural park

Pilat is also the name given to the regional natural park which covers a territory of 700 km ². Created in 1974, this park gathers 47 communes of the Loire and the Rhone.

Activities in the park

The summer the excursion and the VTT allow a discovery of the park. It has many ways, the beaconing is regular there, of the panels regularly indicate run times on the 1  500 km of marked out paths. The winter, the practice of the ski touring is possible on the track of the Scandinavian Espace of High Pilat.

Quotations

  • At all times, Pilat had the privilege to attract the friends of nature, the tourists and the curious ones.

References

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