Mont Pilat or the Pilat massif is a mountainous area in the east of the
Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,00 ...
of France.
Name
The origin of the name "Pilat" is uncertain.
The word may have a Latin origin (''Mons Pileatus'').
Another legend says that the body of
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
was buried in the massif.
For a long time ''Mont Pilat'' designated the main mountain, with the double peaks or crests (crêts) of Perdrix and Oeillon.
Modern maps generally designate this area as ''Les Crêts''.
However, the
Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel
The (, ''lit.'' ''Superior Audiovisual Council''), abbreviated CSA, was a French institution created in 1989 whose role was to regulate the various electronic media in France, such as radio and television. The creation of the was a measure foun ...
(CSA) continues to use the term ''Mont Pilat'' to refer to the television transmitter on the Crêt de l'Oeillon.
The whole mountain range is commonly called ''Mont Pilat''.
The ''Communauté de communes des Monts du Pilat'' coordinates various administrative and developmental functions for the communes in the massif.
The term ''Pilat'' is also used to refer to the area that became the
Parc naturel régional du Pilat
Pilat Regional Natural Park ( French: ''Parc naturel régional du Pilat'') is a protected area of mountainous countryside in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. The park spans the departments of Loire and Rhône, and covers ...
in 1974.
Topography
![MC Pilat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/MC_Pilat.jpg)
The Pilat massif is part of the French Massif Central range. It lies in the extreme east of the range looking over the
Rhone valley.
The overall orientation of the massif is from south-west to north-east, creating a variety of climates.
The massif generally rises about above its surroundings.
Perdrix (Partridge mountain) rises to above sea level and Pyfara and Panère are high.
Pilat is separated from the
Monts du Lyonnais The ''Monts du Lyonnais'' are a range of low-altitude mountains and eastern foothills of the Massif Central located in the Loire and Rhône departments in France.
Geography
The monts du Lyonnais' highest summit is the ''crêt Malherbe'' (946 m).
...
to the north by the
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Saint-Étienne is the t ...
basin, the
Gier valley.
The
Gier rises at La Jasserie on the Perdrix mountain at about .
The river runs along the north side of the massif for before joining the Rhone at
Givors
Givors (; frp, Givôrs) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France.
Location
It lies at the confluence of the Rhone and the Gier about south of Lyon and on the main road between that city and Sain ...
.
The Gier receives the
Janon from its left at
Saint-Chamond St Chamond may refer to:
* Saint Chamond otherwise Annemund, bishop of Lyon
* Saint-Chamond, Loire, a French town named after him
* Saint-Chamond (manufacturer), informal name for the ''Compagnie des forges et aciéries de la marine et d'Homécour ...
.
The Janon from Terrenoire (now part of
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Saint-Étienne is the t ...
) to Saint-Chamond and then the Gier from Saint-Chamond to Givors create a valley in the coal basin that runs between the Pilat massif and the Riverie chain of the
Monts du Lyonnais The ''Monts du Lyonnais'' are a range of low-altitude mountains and eastern foothills of the Massif Central located in the Loire and Rhône departments in France.
Geography
The monts du Lyonnais' highest summit is the ''crêt Malherbe'' (946 m).
...
.
Climate
Pilat has a wide variety of plants, reflecting different climate zones in a relatively small area.
The Rhone valley on the south of the massif has a warm
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
.
Fruit trees and vineyards are cultivated on the south-facing slopes.
On the north side there is a cooler
continental climate
Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...
, with conifers, juniper and ferns. There is heavy snow in the winter.
On the crests, the altitude, winds and snow prevent the growth of trees. Vegetation includes
heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...
plants such as
heather and
bilberry
Bilberries (), or sometimes European blueberries, are a primarily Eurasian species of low-growing shrubs in the genus ''Vaccinium'' (family Ericaceae), bearing edible, dark blue berries. The species most often referred to is ''Vaccinium myrtillus ...
.
History
![Aqueduc du Gier-Chaponost-Plat de l'Air-Conduite sur arc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Aqueduc_du_Gier-Chaponost-Plat_de_l%27Air-Conduite_sur_arc.JPG)
Flint and pottery found in the municipality of
Saint-Genest-Malifaux show that humans were present in pre-historic times.
During the Celtic era the Pilat was shared by two Celtic peoples, the
Segusiavi
The Segusiavī (Gaulish: *''Segusiauī/Segusiawī'') were a Gallic tribe dwelling around the modern city of Feurs ( Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Segusiavis'' by Caesar (mid-1st ...
and the
Allobroges
The Allobroges (Gaulish: *''Allobrogis'', 'foreigner, exiled'; grc, Ἀλλοβρίγων, Ἀλλόβριγες) were a Gallic people dwelling in a large territory between the Rhône river and the Alps during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
...
.
They left many places of worship, arrangements of stones such as those at Château de Belize above
Chuyer,
the Rock Altar
Roisey and La Garde, the sacred precincts of Saint-Sabin and the peak of the Three Teeth,
and especially the "
Menhir
A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be foun ...
du Flat" near
Colombier.
In Roman times the water of the
river Gier was supplied to Lyon through the
aqueduct of the Gier
The Aqueduct of the Gier (French ''Aqueduc du Gier'') is an ancient Roman aqueduct probably constructed in the 1st century AD to provide water for Lugdunum (Lyon), in what is now eastern France. It is the longest and best preserved of four Roman ...
.
The water was collected above
Saint-Chamond St Chamond may refer to:
* Saint Chamond otherwise Annemund, bishop of Lyon
* Saint-Chamond, Loire, a French town named after him
* Saint-Chamond (manufacturer), informal name for the ''Compagnie des forges et aciéries de la marine et d'Homécour ...
and routed through tunnels, of which there are remains at
Chagnon and
Saint-Martin-la-Plaine
Saint-Martin-la-Plaine () is a commune in the Loire department in central France.
Population
Twin towns
Saint-Martin-la-Plaine is twinned with:
* Igensdorf, Germany, since 1992
See also
*Communes of the Loire department
The following is ...
, and aqueducts such as the one at
Chaponost
Chaponost () is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.
It is known for its Roman aqueducts.
Monuments
The Roman aqueduct of the Gier, estimated to be 75 km long, was built under Hadrian's reign during the second century ...
. During the Roman era Pilat formed the border between the provinces of
Gallia Narbonensis
Gallia Narbonensis (Latin for "Gaul of Narbonne", from its chief settlement) was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in Southern France. It was also known as Provincia Nostra ("Our Province"), because it was the ...
'' and ''
Gallia Lugdunensis
Gallia Lugdunensis ( French: ''Gaule Lyonnaise'') was a province of the Roman Empire in what is now the modern country of France, part of the Celtic territory of Gaul formerly known as Celtica. It is named after its capital Lugdunum (today's Lyon ...
''.
There are remains of Roman roads in places such as
Pélussin and
Saint-Régis-du-Coin.
On 1 November 1944 a U.S. Army
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...
crashed due to bad weather carrying five crew members, army nurse lieutenant
Aleda E. Lutz and fifteen wounded of whom some were German prisoners. There were no survivors. It took several hours for help to arrive. The crash occurred in the hollow of La Botte not far from La Jasserie, where a monument was raised in 2002 commemorating the accident.
Administration
![PilatCarte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/PilatCarte.gif)
The Pilat is mostly located in the
Loire department southeast of the city of
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Saint-Étienne is the t ...
and southwest of the cities of
Vienne
Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.[Givors
Givors (; frp, Givôrs) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France.
Location
It lies at the confluence of the Rhone and the Gier about south of Lyon and on the main road between that city and Sain ...]
.
The massif is bordered by the departments of
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...
,
Isère
Isère ( , ; frp, Isera; oc, Isèra, ) is a landlocked department in the southeastern French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.[Ardèche
Ardèche (; oc, Ardecha; frp, Ardecha) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It is named after the river Ardèche and had a population of 328,278 as of 2019.][Haute-Loire
Haute-Loire (; oc, Naut Léger or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche ...]
.
The communes of the ''Communauté de communes des Monts du Pilat'' are
Bourg-Argental
Bourg-Argental (; frp, Lo Bôrg-Argentâf; oc, Lo Borg d'Argentau) is a commune in the Loire department in central France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Loire department
*Ary Bitter
Ary Bitter (1883–1973) was a French artist, ...
,
Burdignes,
Colombier,
Graix,
Jonzieux,
La Versanne,
Le Bessat
Le Bessat () is a commune in the Loire department in central France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Loire department
The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France.
The communes cooperate in the foll ...
,
Marlhes
Marlhes () is a commune in the Loire department in central France.
Population
, Twin towns
Marlhes is twinned with:
* Féouda, Togo
* Charette, Quebec, Canada
Personalities
Marcellin Champagnat, catholic saint and founder of the Mari ...
,
Planfoy,
Saint-Genest-Malifaux,
Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette,
Saint-Régis-du-Coin,
Saint-Romain-les-Atheux,
Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue,
Tarentaise and
Thélis-la-Combe.
Attractions
Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez
Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez () is a commune in the Loire department in central France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Loire department
The following is a list of the 323 communes of the Loire department of France.
The communes cooperate ...
lies in northern Pilat. Once it was a fortified 13th century monastery, but after the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
it became a village. The high country around the Crêt de la Perdrix and the Crêt de l'Œillon is popular for cross-country skiing in the winter.
The region is attractive to motorcyclists, with winding roads leading through bright valleys and deep forests, and with magnificent views of the Alps and the Massif Central.
The ''Saut du Gier'' waterfall near the head of the Gier is in the
Pilat Regional Natural Park
Pilat Regional Natural Park (French language, French: ''Parc naturel régional du Pilat'') is a protected area of mountainous countryside in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of southeastern France. The park spans the Departments ...
.
It is a trickle in the summer, but a waterfall in autumn and spring.
The ''Pierre des Trois évêques'' (Three Bishops' Stone) is in the commune of
Saint-Régis-du-Coin.
It marked the meeting point of three provinces of Roman Gaul: Lyon, Narbonne and Aquitaine.
Under
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...
the stone marked the point where Aquitaine, Provence and Burgundy met, and was used as a reference point during the partition of the empire in 843 AD.
In the Middle Ages it delineated the Archdioceses of Lyon, Vienna and Puys.
The ''Pierre Saint-Martin'' (Saint Martin's Stone) is located near Mont Chaussitre.
According to legend, Saint
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...
left his mark here when he moved.
Since then, according to local belief, the stone would be able to help young children to walk.
Gallery
File:Pilat cret oeillon.jpg, Crêt de l'Oeillon with the France Info
France Info (stylised as franceinfo:) is a French public broadcasting service produced in collaboration with France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde and the Institut national de l'audiovisuel.
The service includes a radio ...
antenna
File:Cbote.jpg, Crêt de la Bote
File:Pilat trois dents.jpg, Les trois dents (the three teeth)
File:Barrage de Saint-Genest-Malifaux.JPG, Lake Saint-Genest-Malifaux on the River Semene in winter
File:Chapelle Saint-Sabin Véranne.jpg, Chapelle de Saint-Sabin above the village of Véranne
File:Vue du village de Malleval 1.png, Village of Malleval
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilat massif
Massif Central
Landforms of Loire (department)
Landforms of Rhône (department)
Mountain ranges of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Pontius Pilate
Gallia Narbonensis