Location:
Rhône-Alpes region, along the axis of the A89 motorway, Violay is located 30 minutes from Lyon and Roanne, 1 hour from Saint-Etienne and Clermont-Ferrand. This tourist village, well known for its tower Matagrin and its highest point of the Monts du Lyonnais (Mont Boussuivre 1004 m), covers 2705 hectares and has about 1400 inhabitants. Located in the heart of the Mountains of Morning, Violay enjoys a splendid view over the plain of Forez, Monts de la Madeleine and the Alps.
History
Archaeological excavations on the territory of the municipality showed that Violay is a populated site so settled at least since ancient times. After the invasion of the Celts, Violay is under the control of Ségusiaves, people of Celtic Gaul. In the Middle Ages, around 1250, it is the line of Talaru, from Saint-Forgeux that leaves its mark Violay with the construction of two large houses: Noailly and Villette.
In medieval times the main sphere of influence comes from the powerful abbey of Savigny around which the noble families and is at the origin of several buildings in the village and the surrounding area.
In 1789, the Forez, Beaujolais and Lyonnais form a single department: Rhone-Loire. But November 19, 1793, Lyon took sides against the Girondins to the national convention then mostly represented by the mountaineers. In retaliation, the department is divided, leaving only a small area in Lyon, giving rise to the two existing departments: Rhône and Loire. Since 1793 Violay belongs to the department of the Loire, in the district of Roanne and Township Néronde.