Beauvallon is a commune in the Rhône, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, 25 km south-west of Lyon.
It was created on January 1, 2018 following the merger of the localities of Chassagny (1295 inhabitants), Saint-Andéol-le-Château (1734 inhabitants) and Saint-Jean-de-Touslas (832 inhabitants), now forming a territory of nearly 25 km² for a population of some 4000 inhabitants.
On the southern edge of the Lyonnais hillsides, presenting a discreetly hilly and still rural landscape, with agriculture still active (breeding, cereal production and viticulture), Beauvallon geographically provides the link between the Lyonnais mountains and the Rhône and Gier valleys, in part positioned on a granite plateau.
Its historical heritage, in particular the medieval village of Saint-Andéol, and its unspoiled environment make it a pleasant stopover near the Lyon metropolis, especially for lovers of green tourism.
A discovery of the new town can begin with the village of Saint-Andéol-le-Château which has developed around an old and fortified town dating from the 14th century, and well preserved. Until the Revolution, it was the heart of a prosperous seigneury belonging to the canons of the Saint-Jean chapter of Lyon, and which was administered in the name of the religious by a "lord captain". Despite the boom in craftsmanship and then the establishment from the 17th century of textile units (no longer present), the historic center has preserved its character.
On either side of a central street lined with centuries-old houses, it is accessed by the Porte Barre, which dates from the 13th century.
The now major heritage site of the village is Clos Souchon. It is an architectural ensemble formed from 1878 by one of the leaders of the future BSN Danone group. With his family, the Souchon-Neuvesels, after having inherited a house, he bought the neighboring medieval properties bordering the rue Centrale and the group thus formed soon occupied the southern part of the village.
A large family holiday home until the Second World War, the site then became a holiday camp dedicated to the children of employees of the BSN glassworks, then a training center. Since the 2000s, the Clos Souchon has been shared. A group seminar center has been maintained, but the town hall is also housed there as well as other public (library, lodging) or professional premises. A promenade park adjoins the whole. From the outside, one notices the composite character of the buildings (medieval elements, watchtower…) and inside, the premises accessible to the public are dotted with remarkable decorations (mosaics, sculptures, furniture…).
Then see the church with its 11th century Romanesque transept (Ionic columns, circular dome), the 16th century Gothic choir lit by 19th century stained glass windows, while the nave was rebuilt in the 19th century (but the materials remain diverse, between stones from local quarries and bricks). Inside, there is a medieval pilgrim's cross unearthed near the village in 1985.
The elements of the medieval castle dedicated to the "castle captain" adjoin the church. We can also see, in the small town still, traces of the ramparts of yesteryear, a monument dedicated to Nicolas Paradis, who bequeathed his fortune in the middle of the 19th century to erect the town hall-school, various crosses and, within the cemetery, a monument to the victims of a republican revolt in 1817.
In the village of Chassagny, the church dates for its oldest parts from the 12th century. However, the interior has Gothic architecture and there are elements of a baptismal font with swimming pool from the 16th century.
The castle of Chassagny rebuilt in 1570 but having kept the square keep of the previous building had moats now filled in and towers which were partially demolished during the Revolution. The property is still private and cannot be visited, as are all the remains of the Château de la Vaure, which had to undergo the throes of the Wars of Religion and then the Revolution.
In the village and its surroundings, also to see, the footbridge which spans the course of Mornantet (1864), a trough and a well of the XVIIth in the hamlet of La Charbonnière, and points of view on the locality of Montagny.
In the old town of Saint-Jean-de-Touslas, finally, we can observe an astonishing monument to the dead relating to raw art, and several fortified houses or private castles which bear witness to the prosperity of the nobles of yesteryear but also of the strategic character of this territory at the crossroads of thoroughfares: La Mouchonnière, Ecossieux (17th century, with an imposing dovecote housing nearly 800 terracotta nests), Le Mincieux, Barbalas, la Grande Grange.
A large stone cross dated 1669 on the hamlet of La Giberterie, the small bridge of the Combe d'Allier (1850) and, even more astonishing, all the naive mosaics relating to brut art (such as the monument to dead) decorating the walls of the sacristy, the work of Abbé Coignet, parish priest from 1903 to 1932. They are made up of pieces of glass, various architectural elements, pebbles… A chapel adjacent to the site houses a Virgin carved from a quince tree.
Note that in the presbytery garden, a collection of old tools can be seen. Information on +33 4 78 81 26 39.
In terms of sports and "nature" leisure activities, in the new town of Beauvallon, it is possible to book tennis courts with the Saint-Andéol-le-Château club (contact at +33 6 80 90 60 94 or +33 6 52 38 19 41) or that of Saint-Jean-de-Touslas (join +33 6 63 40 98 30).
For hikers, marked trails and loops have been set up to understand the heritage elements and natural sites of interest in the various villages, particularly in Chassagny and Saint-Jean-de-Touslas. Maps and information on +33 4 78 81 21 49 or +33 4 78 19 91 65.
