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VISITOR GUIDE

SaintBonnet

le-C

hteauCHARACTERFUL VILLAGE

OF THE LOIRE

Montbrison

ST ETIENNE

Roanne

Feurs

Le Coteau

La Grand CroixSt Bonnet

le Chteau

St Galmier

La Pacaudire CharlieuBelmont

PerreuxSt Haon

St Symphorien

Nronde

Bon

Noirtable

St Justen-C.

Firminy

Le Chambon F.

St Georges en C.

Bourg-Argental

Plussin

Rives de Gier

A71

Lyon

ClermontFerrand

Laloire

Puyde-Dme

Chazelles

Montrond les Bains

La Fouillouse

Haute-Loire

Loire

Saint

Montbrison

La Chaise-Dieu

Maps by ACTUAL Tel. +33 (0)325 712020 www.actual.tm.frNo unauthorized reproduction Reference number: 39-42/JMP/02-09

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By plane: Lyons Saint-Exupry A

By train: High speed train stSaint-Etienne-Chteau

and then TIL

Graphic design: mademoiselle-e.com Illustrations: Laetitia Deletraz - PrinImprimeurs - Photo credits: Franois Beyssac - Translation: graha


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The town and its history

Copy of Guillaume Revel Armorial la Diana, Montbrison.

Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau stands on a plateau870 metres above sea level on the edge of theancient lands of the Arvernians. The town deve-loped in the medieval era and became prospe-rous through trade in the 15th and 16th centuries.The remains of the centuries-old forticationsand elegant town houses provide much histori-

cal and architectural interest to any visitor ofSaint-Bonnet-le-Chteau.Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau owes its name toSaint Bonnet, Bishop of Clermont who died inLyons in 710 on his return from Rome. Tradi-tion says that his remains were carried fromLyons to Clermont along the Via Aquitania andnumerous parishes took his name as his cortgepassed through.

A medieval fortied town

It was probably at the beginning of the 12th cen-tury that the fortied castle was built to protectthe town from attack. This castle is no longerstanding; the Ursuline Convent was built over itsremains.

The Hundred Years War and the peasant upri -sings were features of the 16th century and ledSaint-Bonnet-le-Chteau to reinforce its meansof defence. By 1357 the perimeter of the townwas fortied with curtain walls punctuated withround towers and a deep wide moat. Six gatesprovided access to the town and these weredefended from outworks and towers. The townof Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau was contained withinthe limits of its fortied wall until the 1820s.

150 years of prosperous tradeThe 15th century was a time of prosperous trade.Rich families built for themselves grand dwel-lings many of which are still standing. In 1400the construction of a new church began on thespectacular position of a rocky peak. The collegia-te church (endowed for a chapter of canons) wasenlarged at various times through the centuriesand became a listed monument in 1922.

Repeated attacks

The decline of Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau began in1562 when the Protestant leader Baron des Adretsseized the town, sacked the church and burned itsarchives and generally pillaged, burnt and massa-cred. The beginning of the 17 th century was littlebetter for the town with passing troops conscrip-ting and pillaging its inhabitants, and the plaguerearing its ugly head. Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteaunever really got over this series of attacks.

The fortications

The rampart walk

An age-old industrial traditio

Despite these difculties, by the 17th cenSaint-Bonnet-le-Chteau had succeeded developing a ourishing lock-making inin the town and surrounding district. AfRevolution (which had briey renamed

town Bonnet-la-Montagne) the towns comercial and administrative activities expand new industries came to the fore suchgunsmithery in the 19th century and bowmaking for the game of ptanque in the century.

The International Museum oPtanque and Bowls

Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau is the home of tsteel ptanque bowl and the only site in world manufacturing the famous OBUT

bowls. The museum was set up and contto be run by the OBUT company (founde1955) and tells the story of the ancient gaof ptanque and its many variants as theplayed in France and throughout the woIn addition to a fascinating collection of jects, lms and pictures, the museum hatogether video lms which recount the vtechniques used in the manufacturing prover the years. The tour ends with coachfrom some of the greatest champions of game.


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THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH

With its three-tiered nave, six spans, and its apseat the end of the chancel, the style of the colle-giate church of Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau is veryreminiscent of Chaise-Dieu Abbey and consti -tutes what is known locally as Forez Gothicarchitecture.In the central nave the paintings around thekeystones up to the chancel have been particu-larly well restored and are faithful to the originalworks. The remarkable wooden pulpit* showsgilded panels with sculpted gures representingJesus in the temple, the four evangelists, and thegood shepherd and his sheep. In the chancel themarble high altar* dates from 1815.Unfortunately the original stained-glasswindows were lost during the Revolution; thecurrent ones date from around 1885.The Brotherhood of Saint Eloi, the townscorporation of locksmiths, funded the construc-tion of the second chapel on the south side. Thealtarpiece* dates from 1672. At the back of thechurch on the left is a large agstone showingthe following inscription: Here lies Pierre

Maisonneuve forever master of the Brotherhoodof Saint Eloi. Indeed tradition credits him withintroducing locksmithery to Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau. He lies in one of the twenty-two vaultsbuilt under the agstones to shelter the remainsof the churchs canons and benefactors.Situated under the collegiate church on thesouth side is the crypt* which holds one of themost beautiful series of murals to be found inthe Loire.Before leaving the collegiate church be sure toadmire, at the back of the nave on the right, theancient armoured and studded door tted with

an attractive Louis XV lock comprising twosheets of metal with ornamental apertures.

The crypt1

The walls of the crypt in the collegiate churchare entirely covered with restored murals whichdate from the rst quarter of the 15th century.They are some of the best preserved examplesof art under the Dukes of Bourbon and depict

numerous details of everyday life in the 15th cen-tury. Note the radiant originality of the concert ofangels with eight instruments.

The mummies 1

In 1837 the chance opening of one of the vaultsunder the agstones of the collegiate churchuncovered thirty perfectly preserved corpses. In-correctly designated by locals as mummies theirexcellent state of preservation was not down tosome kind of embalming technique but rather thepresence of alum and arsenic in the ground. Theircause of death remains a complete mystery butperhaps they were victims of the Black Death or

the ferocious Baron des Adrets.

The ancient library collection 1

Founded in the 14th century, the library of thecollegiate church holds a remarkable collectionof ancient works. Several volumes have retai-ned their vellum bindings dating from the 16thcentury. Of the more celebrated manuscriptsthere is the Lyons missal illustrated with a wealth

The musician angels - Detail of a mural

* Listed historic monuments.

of illuminations and a book of services forsolemn occasions (late 15th); however themain attraction of the collection is a seriesof thirty-six incunabula or printed workspredating 1500. One of the oldest is the BibliaLatina which was the rst printed bible to bepublished in France.

1The vault containing the mummies, the an-cient library collection and the crypt are opento the public who participate in guided tours.Contact the collegiate church for more details.

Detail of the sacristy door

QuizzQuestion 1What does the statue on the Epinac Towdepict?

Question 2Why is the south-east gate called the Ma

Gate?

Question 3Why is the church Collegiate?

Question 4How many of the medieval town gates su

Question 5What can you see from the observation pon the esplanade?

Question 6What was the GrandRue?

Question 7Why did metal working become a local itry?

Question 8What are the districts most famous mantured objects?

ers:

statueshowsSaintEloi,patronsaintoffarriersand wn.namedafterthehighwaymanLouisMandrinwhoedinthedistrict.

useithasachapterofcanons. MandrinGateandBaumeGate.enctothesouthandMontBlanctotheeast. astheHighStreetwhichranfromthenorth(now ForezStreet)toBeaumeGateinthesouth.

useoflargeresourcesofwoodfortheforgeand fortempering.

nquebowls.

The district of Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteauis situated in the region of Forez,

which has been designated a Land of art and historyby the french ministry of culture since 1998.


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The collegiate church was founded in 1400 on the site of the older13th century church and some parts of the l atter were used to buildthe chapels (1).The new church was built with a three-tiered nave with four spansand a chancel on two levels (the rst level made up f or the slopingterrain) with two spans which terminated in an apse. Spiral stair-

cases were installed to provide access to the towers erected overthe rst spans of the sides of the nave. By 1468 the north porch (2)and the three chapels in the south (3) had been added.A little later the sides of the nave were extended to the spans of thechancel (4) and then, at the end of the 15th century and the middleof the 16th century, a sacristy was added to the south side (5) andthe nave was enlarged by two spans to the west. Between 1511 and1640 the chapels of Saint Andrew (6) and later of Saint Cecilia (7)and nally of Saint Francis (8) were opened on to the new part.The sacristy of the Saint Andrew chapel (9) was installed in the17th century and the library (10) in 1717.From a plan by Mr Grange-Chavanis, 1994.

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THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH

Franois Beyssac

13th century

End of the 14th century1st quarter of the 15th century

Middle of the 15 th century(before 1468)

2nd half of the 15th century

End of the 15th century -Middle of the 16 th century

Beginning of the 16th century(before 1511)

Middle of the 16 th century

17th century

1716-1717


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The walking route

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Tourist ofce

Car park

Point of interest on the trail

Explorer trail

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Baume Gate

Chtelaine Gate

4 2, Julliard Square

Various parts of the facade of this little crafts-mans house are original and date from the rsthalf of the 15th century. Note the lancet arch overthe shop window, the base of the rst oor andthe steps leading up to the door.

5 7, Chtelaine Street

Access to Chtelaine Street for the delivery of

goods was complicated by its steep slope; never-theless it was the preferred address of the townswell-to-do during the Renaissance.This house dates from the rst half of the 15thcentury and is remarkable for the diversity of itswindow frames.

6 8, Chtelaine StreetThe Dupuy Townhouse*

This superb townhouse was built for the Du-puy family in the 15th century. A spiral staircaseconnects its four oors. Sadly, a coat of armsabove the entrance has been obliterated. A remar-kable angular turret, surmounted by a conicalroof, embellishes the faade.

7 13, Chtelaine StreetThe Epinac Townhouse*

Built in the 15th century and one of the oldestdwellings in Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau, the Epinactownhouse was probably enlarged in the 16thcentury by the family of the Archbishop of Lyons,Pierre dEpinac, whose coat of arms are still

clearly visible.

8 Mandrin GateChtelaine Gate

These two gates stand a dozen yards apart andare connected by a pair of lateral walls. One ofthe gates has an oratory dedicated to Our Lady ofGood Help and probably dates from the me-

11 The Ursuline conventand the hospital

Of the two convents established in Saint-le-Chteau in the 17th century only the Uconvent survives. It was built in 1620 on wishes of pious ladies who wished to liveligious community. Franoise de Bermonduced the Ursuline Order to France and to live out the rest of her days here in 162community of nuns was broken up in 179

make way for the poorhouse which evenbecame the current hospital.Built in a U shape, the building uses thesloping terrain to impressive effect. The lwing was built in the 1850s to satisfy the of the hospital. The right wing contains akable chapel* which was consecrated in 1

12 3, Dessous-les-RempaStreet

This house dates from the beginning of thcentury as can be seen by the wrought-iron the windows; this method of defence quent at the time and only a few rare examremain in the town today.

13 Dessous-les-RempartsStreet

The ancient Dessous-les-Remparts Street from Lagnier Square to Commandant MaSquare. The houses situated on the west sof the street backed on to the west wall otown, which is the origin of the street nam

Under-the-Ramparts Street).

14 The town hall

The rear part of the town hall once belonthe White Penitents of Confalon, a brotheso named for their pale garb, who disbanduring the Revolution.

1 Commandant MareySquare

The old marketplace is dedicated to the memoryof Commandant Marey, a hero of the French Re-sistance who protected Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteaufrom German attack in the Second World War.It was also the site of a spring which providedwater for animals and the wash-house.

2 Baume Gate

One of the rare remains of the fortications andonce protected by a drawbridge, the Baume Gatewas one of six gates which served the town. Ithas undergone various modications over thecenturies but the line of the old gates pointedarch can still be seen. The small tower on thecorner was probably added at the end of the 15thcentury. In 1935 a re destroyed part of the cur-tain wall between two towers on the west side.

3 2, Suchet Square*

The architectural features of this house alludeto the rst half of the 16th century and share thesame Italianate style with other houses in Chte-

laine Street.

dieval period (Chtelaine was in fact the localname for the Virgin). The statue dates from the18th century but the gate is much older, attestedas early as 1372.

9 The rampart walk

Inside the ancient walls the path round the batt-lements links Chtelaine to Hpital Street underthe old town.

10 The collegiate church*Whatever the approach, the visitor to Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau cannot miss the grandiosesilhouette of the church. Built in the 15th and 16th

centuries on its rocky peak, the church seems todefy the heavens and the force of gravity. Thechurch, the pulpit and the high altar of the chan-cel are all listed historic monuments (see over formap and details).


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windows and the spiral staircase are typical ofthe period. Note the wealth of decoration aroundthe windows.

18 Grand Faubourg SquareAfter the demolition of the wall, around 1820,the area surrounding Grand Faubourg Squareunderwent development. In 1860 the townscouncillors decided to build a replica of the ori-ginal ornamental fountain, which had previouslybeen demolished, and add a cast-iron copy of a

statue held in the Louvre.

19 Valeyre House

Opposite the fountain stands a pretty housewith a central tower and a spiral staircase. Thesetwo architectural elements hint at an elegantconstruction in dressed stone under the rende-ring.

The BouchetalTownhouse

Mullionedwindow

Rue des Fours Banaux

15 32-34, Dessous-les-Remparts StreetThe Vinols Townhouse

The Vinols Townhouse and several other similardwellings were probably built within a shorttime of each other and constitute a special archi-tectural group in the town. Dating from the lateRenaissance, their style shows a marked breakfrom the houses built in the 15th and early 16th

centuries.The architecture associates a rather clumsymix of Gothic mullioned windows (with stoneuprights or lintels) and the classical style of therest. The townhouse comprises two buildingsseparated by a courtyard and once linked bya gallery and staircase which have since beenremoved. Access to the courtyard is through apassage with ogival vaults. In the second halfof the 16th century the street-side building wasenlarged and the facade renovated.Particularly well restored, the townhouse is nowhome to Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau Tourist Ofceand, with its listed facade, is undoubtedly themost spectacular building in the town.

16 The Verchre-de-la-BtieTownhouse

This townhouse undoubtedly dates from theend of the 16th century. It includes a remarkableelevation from the 18th century looking overCommandant Marey Square and is the only oneof its size in the district. It was built for the Ver-chre de la Btie family of whom some membersattained high ofce, becoming priests and clerics

at the collegiate church, counsellors to the king,and castellans of the hunt of Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau and Marols.

17 The Bouchetal Townhouse*

This dwelling seems to have been built for theBouchetal family, an apothecary in the mid-16th century. The classical pilas ters standing onvoluted consoles either side of the casement

20 Prsident-Doumer Avenue

Paul Doumer Avenue, named after the presi-dential visit to Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau of 26thNovember 1931, is built over the old moat. Themoat fell into disuse relatively early; by the 17thcentury gardens were beginning to appear intheir stead and openings were made in the townwall to provide access to them. From the begin-ning of the 19th century it became town councilpolicy to buy up these gardens with a view to

building a walkway and a market place. Thewalkway was soon bordered with new buildingwhereas the town wall was gradually broughtdown to give the older town dwellings a viewout of the town.

21 Fours Banaux Streetand Place

In medieval times the towns inhabitants bakedtheir own bread in communal ovens knownas fours banaux. The use of these ovens wascompulsory and allowed the local lord to collect

a tax called the banalit.

22 10, Fours BanauxStreetThe Nanaste Townhouse*

This 15th century townhouse belonged to thecastellan of the hunt of Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau,Pierre Guyon, known as Nanaste. It has beenseverely mutilated over the years with part ofits roof removed, the gutting of the ground oor

to make way for a garage and the loss of themullioned windows.

23 24, GrandRue

This building, comprising two distinct hoonce joined by a spiral staircase, dates frothe second half of the 15th century. The groor was originally built to house two shoarcades.

FOR MORE INFORMAT

Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau Tourist7, place de la Rpublique 42380 Saint-Bonnet-le-Ch

Tel. +33 (0)477 5tourisme@cc-pays-st-bonnet-le-cha

www.cc-pays-st-bonnet-le-cha

The district of Saint-Bonnet-le-Chteau issituated in the region of Forez, which has been

designated a Land of art and history by thefrench ministry of culture since 1998.

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