Saint Pierre de Boeuf
History
Originally St Pierre de Boeuf is called Ager Bocius or Villa Bocius; Bocius comes from the Celtic name Boscum which means wood or forest. In the 10th century, was written St Pierre de Bocio ("Sancti Petri de Bocio"), During the centuries 13th and 15th St Pierre de Buectz. Buectz which became Beus, patois pronunciation of "wood".The language used in the village was Franco-Provençal. Celte appellation boscum (wood) was (bosc) or (bos) in franco-provençal, but (bos) in Latin means (beef).
Before the 15th century the administrative acts were written in Latin, we find for the village the name Sanctus Pétrus de Bové. During François the first the "françois" (langue d'oïl) replaced the Latin, thus the translation Saint Pierre de Bœuf. For fidelity to its Celtic origin, the inhabitants of St Pierre de Bœuf will be named the petribociens: petri (stone) bocien (Boscum: wood)
Legend of Saint Pierre de Boeuf
Once upon a time, in the year 1570, in Condrieu city, a terrible hurricane arrives upon the village, overthrowing everything in its path. The stream of Albuet (today of Arbuel) was transformed into a torrent and the city was completely flooded. Almost all the people who were outside perished.Jean Cellard, his wife and his son, seated on their cart, were carried away by the waves. The child was thrown on the neck of his beef, which offered him a safety crampon with his horns. This furious tempest, so rapidly occurring, calmed down likewise.The beef caught by the waters of the Rhone swam a very long time. He reached the bank in a hamlet not far from the river where the inhabitants lavished on him and the child the necessary care. When the little Peter saw himself safe, he wept his good parents and naively told that his mother had told him that St. Peter had walked on the water
He had prayed to support the beef, and that, without the horns of the animal, and without the protection of his blessed patron, whom he had invoked, he would surely have drowned.They gave thanks to the saint, and covered the child with care. The next day, an emissary sent to Condrieu, found the mother, who, having no longer any attachment in that village, went to rejoin her son.Eight years later, Pierre became a blacksmith. On the door of his house he had a St Peter and a wooden beef carely carved. His clients called his shop as St Pierre de Boeuf, and the hamlet became village, has since then been named honorably.
The Coat of Arms
In 1979 the municipality acquired its own Coat of Arms whose meaning: The dolphin in the red backround refers to the historical belonging of the village to the Kingdom: Coat of Arms of the County of Forez. The anchor in the yellow backround refers to the attachment of the village to the Rhone river.
History of textile
Lyon was once the capital of silk. In the Rhone valley, St Pierre was a stage since the textile industry was one of the first industries in the village. It is represented by the spinning of cocoons and the weaving of silk fabrics. These were the two main activities in St Pierre de Bœuf.As early 1835, there is a large silk mill located in the lower part of the village. In 1856, we find a weaving. From 1891, there was a velvet factory. According to the number of factories, one might think that the textile industry was a negligible activity. And yet, it was not. In 1851, 1872, 1881, the textile activity occupied respectively 17%, 35%, and 34% of the active population. In 1852, 300 looms of silk weaving exist in St Pierre de Boeuf. They work for the Fabrique Lyonnaise.
The revolts of the textile workers in Lyon from 1831 to 1834 proved to the manufacturers that "the concentration of the trades in a city is a danger for their freedom and a cause of insecurity".
During the 19th century, the weaving workshops of the village used the steam power with coal from St Etienne and transported to the village by river and later by rail. From the beginning in 1905, St Pierre de Bœuf knew industrial period with the construction of a modern factory built by a Swiss firm (Baumann Ainéen & cie) employing, before the First World War, 400 people. The industrial epic lasted until 2001 and ended with a complete liquidation and demolition of the buildings in 2013.
History of the bargees
The history of the Commune has always been linked to that of the Rhone. From time to time, this impetuous river, has always had an important place. In the past, the bed of the Rhone flew just below the village, and there was even a port.
The inhabitants of St Pierre were fishermen. Besides, several families of the village lived only thanks to their fishing production.
At that time, people used nets, the square: flat net in the shape of a square whose corners were connected to a stick by a string; The nettle: net in the form of a funnel; Or cavio: large string with hooks and weighted with pebbles.
These strings could be of impressive length. There are still some traces of this past. If you have the opportunity to stroll along the towpath, you may see here or there a mooring ring or a "doll".
Jules Janin
Jules JANIN was born in St Etienne on February 16, 1804. He was a writer, a poet, a renowned literary critic, linked with the great minds of his time: Victor HUGO, Léon DAUDET (son of Alphonse) ... He was a member of the Académie Française and Editor of the "Journal des débats".
The Janin shared their activities between Lyon, where they assumed important official duties, and their numerous properties at St Pierre de Boeuf and in the Pilat. They had privilege of burial in the church of St. Peter. By way of succession, Jules JANIN became owner of one of the houses in the middle street and next to that of his uncle doctor (now Municipal Foyer).
Tree of Freedom
Located on the towpath, an enormous plane tree overhangs the ball games: It is the tree of Liberty. It was planted at the abdication of Louis Philippe in 1848 to celebrate the second Republic. It is said that at the foot of this plane tree two bottles were buried: one containing wine and the other containing a message for future generations. Nowadays these two bottles must be destroyed by the Roots of the tree, but go know ...
The chapel of Chezenas
Built in 1705 for the family of Baron Bellet of St Trivier, it was given in joint ownership to the inhabitants of Chezenas on September 3, 1807.
Of Roman style, it is stocky and massive. Inside is a St Vincent, patron of the vine growers. The altar is dominated by a processional cross of the 18th century. The chapel of Chezenas was restored in 1988.
At present, the association "Les Hameaux de Chézenas" is responsible for its restoration, embellishment and management because some children are still baptized.
Churches of Saint Pierre de Boeuf
The first church of St Pierre de Bœuf was erected around the year 750, it is the old chapel located in the middle street. It was dedicated to the Apostle St Peter. At that time, the parish usually took the name of the patron saint of the church.
The present church, located on the square in front of the town hall, was built on the site of the church of the Priory dedicated to St Martin which was built in the year one of Roman style it had the form of a Greek cross. In the XVIIth century following the departure of the monks it became parochial church. It was razed in 1863 because it risked collapsing.
The construction of the present church began on 2 February 1863 and its inauguration took place in July 1864, but work continued until 1883. This new church was dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul.