Le Figaro Lyon
The ancients say that they linked the fortified castle of the Viennese Dauphin, formerly opposed to the count of Savoy.
It only took a few digs on the construction site of the new Saint-Laurent-de-Mure school to reveal one of these legendary tunnels to all the residents.
Or at least its entrance, specifies the municipality.
Heritage associations quickly spotted it, despite the privacy screens installed in this formerly Dauphiné commune in eastern Lyon, even having their existence noted by a bailiff.
“We don't know much about these tunnels, which is why we would have liked excavations to be undertaken and a historical analysis carried out
,” explains Françoise Alcaraz to
Le Figaro
.
The former head of the municipal police wrote to the town hall for an investigation to be carried out.
At the head of the Préserver Saint-Laurent-de-Mure association, she has been fighting against the school project for several months because of
“the removal of 5,000
square meters of trees”
.
An appeal against the building permit was even filed before the administrative court.
“
We don't know much about these tunnels, which is why we would have liked excavations to be undertaken and a historical analysis carried out ,
”
explains Françoise Alcaraz.
Facebook/Preserve Saint-Laurent-de-Mure
Rival families
“There is a centenarian in the town and people a little younger who remember using these tunnels
,” insists Françoise Alcaraz.
Built in the Middle Ages, it is said that they were then used in the 19th century by two families of neighboring notables so as not to cross paths
.
The Coche and Focachon would have dug galleries to connect to the tunnels, under the Bois du Baron park.
Allegations which will remain among historical fantasies since the tunnel was finally backfilled.
The letters from the associations - for whom these tunnels constituted a new avenue of recourse - remained a dead letter.
The project owner would have carried out the necessary surveys in terms of security assures the municipality, specifying also having followed the opinion of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (Drac) in matters of heritage.
“The entrance was discovered during an electrical connection, outside the site area
,” explains an employee of the mayor to Le
Figaro.
The Drac told us that, to the extent that the work is not affected by a development project likely to harm it, there were no preventive archeology excavations to be carried out
.
And the municipality to be open to possible development of this heritage.
In the meantime, schoolchildren will be able to take their seats next school year on the benches located a few meters above the medieval tunnels.
Even if it means digging galleries to reach them during recess.