Pierres dorées
The Pierres dorées ( German golden stones ) are limestones that are widespread in the area northwest of Lyon ( France ), the "land of golden stones", but also in Mont d'Or and Beaujolais .
It is an Aalen Crinoid limestone , which is colored by iron oxides . Crinoid deposits have facets that reflect light.
The land of the Pierres dorées
The land of the Pierres dorées includes around 40 French municipalities . A quarry was used in each village to meet local building needs. Before 1914, some plants were so active that they supplied not only the Beaujolais , but also the Lyonnais and parts of Switzerland .
Today all quarries have been abandoned ( Jarnioux , Ville-sur-Jarnioux Marcy ...). That of Saint-Jean-des-Vignes is theme park Pierres Folles ( German crazy stones become), a room for geological and oenological discoveries, which is open to the public all year round.
The Lafarge company mines the limestone in Belmont-Charnay-Saint-Jean-des-Vignes to make cement from it.
List of communes in the land of the Pierres Dorées
(in brackets: worth seeing)
- Alix
- Ambérieux d'Azergues
- Anse
- Bagnols (Château)
- Belmont-d'Azergues
- Le Bois-d'Oingt
- Le Breuil
- Chamelet
- Charnay
- Châtillon
- Chazay d'Azergues
- Chessy-les-Mines
- Cogny
- Curis-au-Mont-d'Or
- Denicé
- Frontenas
- Jarnioux
- Lacenas
- Laughassagne
- Legny
- Létra
- Liergues
- Lozanne
- Lucenay
- Marcy
- Moire
- Montmelas-Saint-Sorlin (Château médiéval)
- Morancé
- Oingt (Bourg)
- Pommiers
- Pouilly-le-Monial
- Rivolet
- Saint-Cyr-le-Chatoux
- Saint-Germain-sur-l'Arbresle
- Saint-Jean-des-Vignes
- Saint-Laurent-d'Oingt
- Sainte-Paule
- Saint-Vérand
- Ternand
- Theizé
- Ville-sur-Jarnioux (circuit des cadoles de Collonge)
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Bénévent Tosseri, La-pierre-doree-tresor-du-Beaujolais-meridional , in www.la-croix.com of August 20, 2013