Discover Saint-Priest-En-Jarez

When planning a trip to Saint-Priest-En-Jarez, modern and contemporary art, architectural and railway history, and geology offer distinct areas of interest. Alongside the MAMC+, points of interest include the Pont du premier chemin de fer and historic religious buildings; the Crêt de Saint-Priest offers a focus on geology. Before your visit, decide whether you would rather focus your stay on exhibitions, architectural history or geology.

Art at the MAMC+

The Musée d’art moderne et contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole (MAMC+) is located on Rue Fernand Léger in 42270 Saint-Priest-En-Jarez. Visitors can discover the exhibitions with the help of a museum guide. Exhibition journals are available at the museum reception and in the exhibition galleries, and also help visitors discover the exhibitions. For your planning, these are two distinct ways to explore: a guided visit and materials available at two locations in the museum. Check the latest visitor information before you travel. Opportunities to explore exhibitions with a guide may change, and the journals’ availability may also vary.

Bridge and architectural history

The Pont du premier chemin de fer is also located within the area of Saint-Priest-En-Jarez. It was built in 1827; the small Riotord stream flows beneath its arch. By decree dated 4 October 2001, the bridge is protected as a historic monument. The surviving bridge is connected with the Saint-Étienne–Andrézieux railway line, which, according to the municipality, ran through Saint-Priest-En-Jarez as France’s first railway line. The dates have distinct meanings: 1827 is the year the bridge was built, while 2001 is the year of the protection decree. The railway connection adds another historical dimension to the bridge’s construction and protection history.

The Church of Saint-Priest was built from 1850 to 1852 in the Roman-Byzantine style. At the Chapelle du Clos Bayard, the stained-glass windows are a point of interest in their own right: they date from 1866 and were created by Jean-Baptiste Barrelon. The information describes different aspects: for the church, the building period and architectural style; for the chapel, the year the windows were made and their creator. The windows were made after the church was built.

Geology at the Crêt de Saint-Priest

The Crêt de Saint-Priest, with its orientation table, consists of alternating coal-bearing sediments that are approximately 300 million years old. The Crêt is considered a quartz outcrop formed as the area changed under the influence of silica-rich thermal waters. These details address different geological questions: the sediment sequence gives an approximate measure of age, while the classification as a quartz outcrop relates to the area’s formation. This focus differs from the architectural history of the bridge, church and chapel.

Discover more destinations: Sury-Le-Comtal, Aveizieux, Saint-Georges-de-Baroille, L'horme, Chevrières, Renaison, Montbrison, Notre-Dame-De-Boisset

For the main travel overview: Loire.