Chaponost

The Roman aqueduct of Gier was undoubtedly built in Ier century of our era. Bringing water of Gier since Saint-Chamond (the Loire), the aqueduct contributed to the water supply of the town of Lugdunum.

Sixty fifteen kilometers length, it crosses twenty-three communes: eleven in the Loire and twelve in the Rhone.

This hydraulic work of great technicality extends on seven kilometers on the commune of Chaponost, appearing with the free air in form d' arches or of wall (sites of the Dish of the Air, of Guichardet, Garon, the Dove and Gagère) or of reserves of hunting (site of the Dish of l' Air) and of escape (site of Gagère), or passing under ground (in particular site of the Madonna).

The aqueduct of Gier is atypical from the reticule facing which covers it.

Indeed, the use of this facing is unique in France, its use being not very widespread apart from the Central and Southernmost Italy. The réticulé facing is composed of small stones with square face, posed on the angle, joints inclined with 45 degrees. Levelling courses with double brick row rythment the rise in the piles of the arches. To the angles of these last, the réticulé facing is limited by substructures cut and assized to the horizontal.

The gate of the enclosure and a portion of the ditches is only testimonys remaining of the medieval castle of Chaponost. Its current site is occupied by the places Maréchal Foch and of May 8, 1945. The castle was obviously made up an enclosure strengthened of less than 40 meters on side sheltering a church, seigneuriaux buildings and some houses. It was surrounded by a water ditch, supplied with a source of Merdanson. A drawbridge crossed these ditches in the North-East, giving access to the principal door of the castle.

The restored medieval door is the only vestige of the castle still of rise. It would be characteristic of the period going from the XIV to the XVI century. It is composed by a convex moulding of the oven walls which penetrates the concave moulding of the gothic arch.The thickness of the wall is of 1,30 Mr.

This building, built in 1881, represents testimony of a formerly important activity on the commune: the laundry. This disappeared activity, the laundrette underwent some architectural transformations (ensablage basin, entirely closed space…) and was useful fo the warehouse during years at the municipal engineering services. This is within the framework of the reorganization of the center borough and in particular of d' creation; a way connecting the street Martel to the Boulevard of the Flowers which the common one wished to give again its original aspect with the public laundrette.

The great dispersion of the ground on the commune of Chaponost, divided into cereal cultures, vines, meadows and wood, had caused an important parcelling out of the properties. After the Revolution, the number of the small holders strongly increased. To facilitate their task in pieces often distant from their dwelling, much then small rudimentary buildings built. The latter allowed them to shelter in case of the bad weather, to take their meal with the shelter of the sun or the rain and to store their tools. The huts are still very numerous on the commune (58 listed). Of plan rectangular and covered with two sides of roof, they are some stone time, often out of cob, rough coat or not rough-cast. Most recent are out of blast-furnace slag or cement hardcores. Fifty pourcent between them that have a door for opening. Some have sometimes a small window on one on the sides.