Monuments to visit Rhône-Alpes

Unique witness to the Roman circus, not «Tomb Pilate's tomb» as a few romantic people would like to believe, the Pyramid stands in the middle of Fernand-Point Boulevard. This obelisk (because in fact pyramid, it is an obelisk…) placed on the central land of the hippodrome of the ancient city, marked the tank race. Up to 15.50 m and wide of 4 m at the base, there are few similar in the Gallo-Roman world. Note that this exceptional monument has been the subject of restoration.

The few known Gallo-Roman odéons served, like their Greek models, choral singing, recitals or public readings. Located in the north of Mont Saint-Just, this 72 m small theatre could contain 2 000 to 3 000 people (like the current Olympia…). Probably built under Emperor Hadrian (117-138 after Jesus Christ), on a previous building, this odéon would have been used for about four centuries. According to current knowledge, Vienna and Lyon would be the only cities to boast of having both a theatre and a odéon.

Urfé Castle, known as Urfé's Horns, was born of the rivalry of two great feudal women who fought the roannais territory in the th century. To get to the Count of Forez, and to resist him, the sire of Beaujeu installs a post of surveillance above Champoly, facing the fortifications of the Count in Saint-Just-en-Bridge, Cervière, Crozet and Roanne. A modest beginning, around 1130 a large isolated tower at the top of a rock is erected. The burden of maintaining this strategic position was entrusted to the Raybe family, who cleverly knew how to take advantage of it, taking a long balance between the two overlords, until the day when, in 1234, she made a final bid to Count de Forez. Two centuries later was built the castle we know. Guichard of Urfé, seneschal from Quercy, chamberlain of the Duke of Orleans, was probably the director, before being murdered. The family was continued with the descendants of Arnoul, brother of the deceased. The fortress was built in Renaissance style by Anne d'Urfé, the brother of L'Astrée. Anne lived as a provincial chief of the League until 1618. Last consolidated in 1704, the heavy building resisted the storms until the Revolution. She then belonged to Durand-Antoine de Meaux, guillotiné in Feurs in 1793. His heirs will regain their property and their current descendants still possess them, but the fortress will never be restored.

The Canal Canal in Digoin, a long 55 km long (37 m distance - 10 locks), was built from 1832 to 1838 with the aim of complementing the little navigable course of the Loire. Thus it allowed to develop relations with the North and East of France - expedition of tile, wire and fabrics of Roanne and Charlieu, mineral waters of Saint-Galmier, Vichy or Sail-sous-Couzan…, imported coal from the North, Rouen cotton, ores, Sablons de Nemours for glass plants… - while contributing to the glass. economic growth in the region with the establishment of many plants along its banks (brick, mills, arsenal…). Expanded to the Freycinet template in 1905, it saw at its peak (1938) 3 217 boats carrying 459 304 tonnes of cargo. Before the motorisation, the boats were hâlés by men and horses (or mule) at 12 km a day. However, the appearance of rail and the development of the road network had gradually been due to him and the canal was completely abandoned for freight transport in the s. On the other hand, it has been very successful because it is now very much appreciated for recreational boating. It is connected to the Centre Canal and the side canal to the Loire.