Pic et prieuré de Montverdun

Montverdun

An isolated volcanic basalt butte in the middle of the Forez plain, the Pic de Montverdun (410 m) has been occupied since the Neolithic and offers a 360° panorama over the mountains of the Forez and the Lyonnais. Legend attaches to it the figure of Saint Porcarius: around 732, this fifteenth abbot of the monastery of Lérins is said to have fled the Saracens to retire as a hermit to his native Forez, where he was killed; a spearhead kept as a relic recalls his martyrdom. Documented history begins in 970, when the place is cited among the possessions of the abbey of Savigny; a priory was established there around 1010. In 1233, by agreement between the Archbishop of Lyon and the Count of Forez, the monastery was given to the Benedictines of La Chaise-Dieu. A fortified stone enclosure was raised from the end of the 12th century and extended up to the 14th; the complex retains a gallery of 1442 on oak pillars, 17th-century frescoes and a sundial on the bell tower. Monastic life died out around 1700. After various uses, including a school from 1870 to 1895, the association of the Amis du Pic has been restoring the site since 1968; church, priory and ramparts have been protected as historic monuments since 19 June 1981.

Getting there : At the top of the peak overlooking the village of Montverdun (42130), Forez plain; the priory is open to visitors and an orientation table is set up to the north-west of the summit; also reachable on foot by the Chemin de Céladon from Saint-Étienne-le-Molard.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound