You’re beginning to know Lyon’s history by heart… the astronomical clock in Saint-Jean cathedral or the mysteries of Île Barbe… You need something to sink your teeth into again! And just in time. We think we’ve got just what you’re looking for. Just 50 km from Lyon, come and visit a city as famous for its architectural treasures as it is for its mouth-watering speciality…
Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise, the medieval city
Perched on a rocky spur, Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise proudly overlooks part of the Monts du Lyonnais. Its Gothic collegiate church from the XVᵉ century (listed as a Monument Historique in 1920) offers one of the finest panoramas in the region. In its cobbled streets, you’ll discover old stone and half-timbered houses, as well as the ramparts and Porte Riverie, intact vestiges of medieval times.But Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise is not just about its architecture: it’s also about its crafts. Carpentry, hat-making and, above all, tanning have made the town’s reputation over the centuries.
By the way, do you know what the inhabitants of Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise are called ? Certainly not the “Saint-Symphosiens”! Fortunately, history has simplified things: instead of stumbling over this machine-gun of whistling syllables worthy of the famous “Arch-Duchess’s sock”, the inhabitants are called Pelauds, in reference to the tanners – those “peleurs de peaux” – who left their mark on local history. In fact, the commune even changed its name during the French Revolution: renamed “Chausse-Armée “, it supplied soldiers with huge quantities of shoes and footwear thanks to its intense tanning and shoemaking activity.
The capital of dry sausage
We’ve saved the best for last, of course. To omit gastronomy for a commune close to Lyon would be an affront. Because in Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise, sausages are made like nowhere else. Small, plain, curved or peppered, there’s something for every taste. The commune is home to several salting companies, from the smallest to the largest, including Cochonou, emblematic sponsor of the Tour de France.Dry sausage in Saint-Symphorien… it’s clear that this whistling “s” is part of every conversation (or should we say converssassions)!