Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez

In the past, Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez enjoys a rich heritage and the town remains an invitation to travel through time. This village of Drill through the centuries, as evidenced by many buildings, but it was not without some troubles or injuries.

• The Devil's Bridge: Despite the many dangers which the village has faced, Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez contains architectural treasures like the Devil's Bridge, a historical monument since 1921. It is located a few kilometers from the town, at a place called jacks. It is a high, narrow bridge with two arches dating from the 14th century. The Mare is a small river it spans. This bridge seems to lead nowhere. Yet it has facilitated communications between the plains and mountains for several routes converged on him. We think it facilitated the passage of mules loaded with lime extracted Sury-le-Comtal towards Velay. It does not explain otherwise the presence of a bridge that was not really necessary for crossing a river of this size except during floods, the Mare River is a very capricious.
• Church: Ranked by the Fine Arts in 1939, the church in the heart of old town, is also a gem to discover. Built largely in the 12th century, it has a Romanesque facade, while its bell tower is Gothic. A mix of genres gives it a charm and personable individual. In the 15th century, its arcaded belfry with three bells (clearly visible in the drawing of Revel) has been replaced by the openwork spire of Gothic windows moldings. The current boom has been built in 1852 and its coverage of red tiles redone in 1955. The chorus that follows an expansion of the church dates from the mid-nineteenth century. Restoration, currently tend to restore this beautiful building to its splendor of yesteryear.
• The Chapel of St. Catherine's Outside the Walls, the Chapel of St. Catherine, 12th century, sits proudly. Romanesque style, it consists of a rectangular nave of 14 feet 7 and a choir apse semi-circular, slightly narrower than the nave. The triumphal arch semicircular which forms the entrance to the choir, is an arcaded belfry, one of the most elegant Forez unfortunately orphan bells. Its original purpose is unclear. It could be a parish church, a cemetery chapel and also a chapel dedicated to St. Catherine. The tower and the south wall of adobe, gravestones and Romanesque, are remarkable elements of this chapel. It now houses the library.
• The manor Colombier Le Manoir du Colombier, whose construction dates back to 1636, is located north of town. Slots crown the enclosing wall surmounted by a magnificent corbelled shrine resting on stone brackets. These defenses were no longer the 17th century and were installed as decorative. The present building probably replaced an older building.
• The house of the 15th century: A house totally preserved in its state of the 15th century still exists in the heart of the village. Few visible from the street, she hides a private courtyard and magnificent fireplaces and beautiful ceilings. A stone stove used to keep food warm. Its mullioned windows were perfectly preserved and the overhang of the roof supported by wooden brackets resting on stone brackets. It has just been acquired by the City Council.
• The Renaissance house: Nestled in the heart of the village, date from 1556 adorns one of its emblems. One can admire the beautiful rich facade of a Madonna and Child in a niche in one corner. A recent restoration is to restore this beautiful house a special radiance.
• The walls: No text does not specify the date of manufacture (found mention of their existence in 1286), but what remains provides a serious approach. The oldest part dates from the 13th century, the latest in the fifteenth. For descriptions of fortifications, consisting of two embattled pregnant, have an interesting document, the drawing of William Revel commissioned around 1450 by the Duke of Bourbon for information on the fortresses which he had in Forez. Several watchtowers were staggered along the walkway. Despite the accuracy of the drawing, several items are missing: neither the Chapel of St. Catherine, nor are there Colombier probably because they are outside the walls. The great tower, the centerpiece of the fortifications, was the dungeon, the last bastion of resistance. It was essentially a defensive function and allowed to watch over the neighborhood. Top 27 meters, the tower collapsed July 16, 1852.
• Home of the Armorial:

• Bouthéon The hotel, recently restored, houses a museum devoted to space Forez the Middle Ages. It is an evocation of the life of Drill in the 15th century through architecture, landscape, political organization and many other elements to be discovered by visiting several rooms to go to meet a permanent exhibition developed around the Armorial of William Revel.
• Coat of arms for William Revel: In the middle of the 15th century, Charles I, Duke of Bourbon asks his herald, William Revel to identify the arms of all the important families living on its territory. He also designed all the fortresses located in Bourbonnais, Auvergne and Forez. This collection of over 500 pages in color, is preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale de France. It is a masterpiece of detail that gives us valuable information about architecture and civil and military life Forez in the late Middle Ages. A copy made in the 19th century is preserved at the Diana, Montbrison. The Drill, the Middle Ages were in their territory many strongholds, whether in the plains or in mountains. Today, and since 1450, we are fortunate to know these fortified villages through a consistent and comprehensive book: the coat of arms for William Revel.
• A study of recovery from the center of town Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez was performed and suggested the joint development of a cultural and tourist hotel in Bouthéon just restored. This project is part of an overall pattern of recovery of assets across the Drill, led by the Country of Art and History of the drill, label the Ministry of Culture and Communication. It aims to initiate a thematic network linking all the fortified sites of the country's Drill, could then spread across the department and interdepartmental level with the Auvergne also concerned by the Armorial. In fact, this old hotel is situated on an area favorable to the entrance of the village, beside an ancient castle gate. This site offers a reception area and inviting special reference to a discovery of the fortified village intra and extra muros.
• Tours: The space is interactive and can be visited freely. However, visits will be arranged through the Tourist Office Forez-Loire, Pays d'Art et d'Histoire and the Association Saint-Marcellin Living Heritage. Educational products have also been introduced for school children. Thus, students can discover a way illustrated the daily life in the 15th century in the region. They will have the opportunity to complete their gains since the Middle Ages is part of this history in the curricula of elementary schools and colleges. The House Armorial opened its doors March 12, 2005.
• The site works on the opening hours of City Hall: Monday to Friday from 9am to 12am and from 13:30 to 17h. On Sundays and public holidays from 14h30 to 18h. Free admission.

The second Saturday in December is held each year a large fair, which was mainly agricultural but is now also a fair of local products with some festive entertainment for children.