Mont Pilat
Pilat viewed fromSaint-Chamond, Loire
Highest point
Peak	Crêt de la Perdrix
Elevation	1,432 m (4,698 ft)
Coordinates	45°22′57″N4°34′21″E / 45.382477°N 4.572537°E /45.382477; 4.572537
Geography
Mont Pilat
Country	France
Department	Rhône,Loire

Mont Pilat or thePilat massif is a mountainous area in the east of theMassif Central of France.

The origin of the name "Pilat" is uncertain.The word may have a Latin origin (Mons Pileatus).^[1]Another legend says that the body ofPontius Pilate was buried in the massif.^[2]

For a long timeMont Pilat designated the main mountain, with the double peaks or crests (crêts) of Perdrix and Oeillon.^[3]Modern maps generally designate this area asLes Crêts.^[4]However, theConseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) continues to use the termMont Pilat to refer to the television transmitter on the Crêt de l'Oeillon.^[5]

The whole mountain range is commonly calledMont Pilat.^[6][7]TheCommunauté de communes des Monts du Pilat coordinates various administrative and developmental functions for the communes in the massif.^[8]The termPilat is also used to refer to the area that became theParc naturel régional du Pilat in 1974.^[9]

The Pilat massif is part of the French Massif Central range. It lies in the extreme east of the range looking over theRhone valley. The overall orientation of the massif is from south-west to north-east, creating a variety of climates.The massif generally rises about 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above its surroundings. Perdrix (Partridge mountain) rises to 1,431 metres (4,695 ft) above sea level and Pyfara and Panère are 1,390 metres (4,560 ft) high.^[10]Pilat is separated from theMonts du Lyonnais to the north by theSaint-Étienne basin, theGier valley.^[11]

TheGier rises at La Jasserie on the Perdrix mountain at about 1,300 metres (4,300 ft).^[12]The river runs along the north side of the massif for 40.3 kilometres (25.0 mi) before joining the Rhone atGivors.^[13]The Gier receives theJanon from its left atSaint-Chamond. The Janon from Terrenoire (now part ofSaint-Étienne) 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 theMonts du Lyonnais.^[14]

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 warmMediterranean climate.Fruit trees and vineyards are cultivated on the south-facing slopes.On the north side there is a coolercontinental climate, 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 includesheath plants such asheather andbilberry.

Flint and pottery found in the municipality ofSaint-Genest-Malifaux show that humans were present in pre-historic times.During the Celtic era the Pilat was shared by two Celtic peoples, theSegusiavi and theAllobroges.They left many places of worship, arrangements of stones such as those at Château de Belize aboveChuyer,the Rock AltarRoisey and La Garde, the sacred precincts of Saint-Sabin and the peak of the Three Teeth,and especially the "Menhir du Flat" nearColombier.

In Roman times the water of theriver Gier was supplied to Lyon through theaqueduct of the Gier.The water was collected aboveSaint-Chamond and routed through tunnels, of which there are remains atChagnon andSaint-Martin-la-Plaine, and aqueducts such as the one atChaponost. During the Roman era Pilat formed the border between the provinces ofGallia Narbonensis andGallia Lugdunensis.There are remains of Roman roads in places such asPélussin andSaint-Régis-du-Coin.

On 1 November 1944 a U.S. ArmyDouglas C-47 Skytrain crashed due to bad weather carrying five crew members, army nurse lieutenantAleda 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.^[16]

The Pilat is mostly located in theLoire department southeast of the city ofSaint-Étienne and southwest of the cities ofVienne andGivors. The massif is bordered by the departments ofRhône,Isère,Ardèche andHaute-Loire.

The communes of theCommunauté de communes des Monts du Pilat areBourg-Argental,Burdignes,Colombier,Graix,Jonzieux,La Versanne,Le Bessat,Marlhes,Planfoy,Saint-Genest-Malifaux,Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette,Saint-Régis-du-Coin,Saint-Romain-les-Atheux,Saint-Sauveur-en-Rue,Tarentaise andThélis-la-Combe.^[17]

Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez lies in northern Pilat. Once it was a fortified 13th century monastery, but after theFrench Revolution 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.^[6]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.^[7]

TheSaut du Gier waterfall near the head of the Gier is in thePilat Regional Natural Park.^[18]It is a trickle in the summer, but a waterfall in autumn and spring.

ThePierre des Trois évêques (Three Bishops' Stone) is in the commune ofSaint-Régis-du-Coin.^[19]It marked the meeting point of three provinces of Roman Gaul: Lyon, Narbonne and Aquitaine.UnderCharlemagne 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.^[20]

ThePierre Saint-Martin (Saint Martin's Stone) is located near Mont Chaussitre.According to legend, SaintMartin of Tours left his mark here when he moved. Since then, according to local belief, the stone would be able to help young children to walk.

• 
  Crêt de l'Oeillon with theFrance Info antenna
• 
  Crêt de la Bote
• 
  Les trois dents (the three teeth)
• 
  Lake Saint-Genest-Malifaux on the River Semene in winter
• 
  Chapelle de Saint-Sabin above the village ofVéranne
• 
  Village ofMalleval

Citations

Sources

• Subranges of the Massif Central
• Landforms of Loire (department)
• Landforms of Rhône (department)
• Mountain ranges of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• Pontius Pilate
• Gallia Narbonensis

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• Articles with short description
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• Coordinates on Wikidata
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