The heritage of Étoile-sur-Rhône

Car park at Place de la République, between the fire station and the post office.

(S/E) Make your way to the bottom of the car park (village map by the roadside). Cross at the pedestrian crossing, very close to No. 29, to find the Chapelle des Pénitents opposite. If you head to the right, you can see the entrance to the chapel.

Return to the car park and head right towards the Post Office, at the top left of the car park. Climb the steps to the right of the Post Office and turn left to go round the front of the Temple.

Turn round and head back down to the Grande Rue (with a florist on the corner). Cross the street to find the remains of the Porte Aiguière opposite.

Turn left and walk up the Grande Rue on the right-hand pavement; 10 metres further on, on the right, you’ll find the Pilori.

Carry on straight ahead (ignore the road on your right despite a ‘Sentier du Patrimoine’ sign instructing you to follow it) and walk a few steps until you reach the steps leading up to Notre-Dame Church. Look above the door to see the Charter of the Franchisés.

Walk a few more metres, pass the war memorial pressed up against the church wall, and look at the corner of the building to see the grain measure leaning against the wall.

Turn right behind the church, climb a few steps and follow the narrow lane to the right which winds round the building. At the very end, look to the right to see the entrance to Notre-Dame Church.

(1) Turn left, go under the porch and walk up Rue Vente-Cul. It curves to the left and leads to a small square. On the left is the former vicarage.

Walk a few steps further to see the Chapelle des Pénitents slightly to the right opposite.

Carry on straight ahead along Rue de la Roche and, at the end, turn left down Rue Monestier. After No. 8, you’ll find some steps on the right leading up to Château Saint-Ange.

Return to the street and follow it to the right. After No. 6, turn right again into the narrow staircase-lined alley. Turn left at the corner of the house to go down to Rue Barelière. Cross the street and head straight ahead on the left into Rue de la Peyrouse, which leads uphill. Pass two flights of steps and you’ll reach the top of the street. Turn left in front of No. 1 (there’s a view if you turn round), cross a small square and continue straight on to reach Place de la Peyrouse.

Head down a narrow lane on the left and carry on to No. 9. Just after this, turn left and go down another paved slanting street (Rue de la Fontaine Couverte) which joins the main street. On the left-hand corner, beneath the house, is the Fontaine Couverte.

Turn right and walk up the Grande Rue to Place de la Fédération. On the right is the Monument de la Fédération.

Cross the square to the left to reach the Lavoir.

(2) Facing the information board, turn left, go up the wide steps and cross the car park at Place d’Armes. At the very end, cross at the pedestrian crossing and continue straight ahead along the paved path. 50 metres further on, turn left and enter the Parc du Château.

(3) Follow the path on the right to the viewpoint overlooking the village. Return via the other path (there are only two!) to the entrance gate. Turn left towards the water tower. Turn left into Rue de Laye, which winds its way down, skirting the park’s retaining wall.

Let the road take you down two streets to the right and continue along Rue des Fontaines, which leads to the entrance to the Château de Diane de Poitiers.

Turn right onto Place Léon Terisse and, at the end, on the right, you’ll find the Renaissance Tower.

Turn right and walk down the main street to No. 45, where the Town Hall is located (during opening hours, you can go inside and visit the courtyard).

Continue down the Grande Rue and head towards Place de la République (S/E).

There are a few ‘Sentier du Patrimoine’ signs at certain points along the route, but the description does not necessarily take these into account or refer to them.

The places underlined in the text or the waypoints refer to locations where information boards are situated.

Drinking water points in the Parc du Château, as well as bars and small shops.

More information on Étouil’s heritage

The Chapel of the Penitents
The earliest records relating to the Brotherhood of the White Penitents date from the early 18th century. In 1714, the Penitents purchased a house and a garden on which they built the chapel.
They held their meetings there until 1791. From 1794 to 1804, the chapel hosted meetings of the ‘Friends of Liberty’. Until 1878, it served as a school before becoming a theatre. In 1975, it was restored by a local association.

The Temple
“As the French Revolution had paved the way for a certain degree of freedom of worship for Protestants, the first half of the 19th century saw a growing number of worshippers attending religious services. However, it appears they had to make do with a venue unsuitable for worship, particularly in winter. The question of finding a suitable place of worship therefore soon arose.

The Aiguière Gate
“The wall encircling the town comprised six gates, which served not only to defend the market town and the Château des Poitiers but also to control entry and exit.

Of these six gates, only a few remains survive. Here, a pillar topped with a stone ball marks the site of the town’s former western gate, known as the Porte Aiguière.

The Pillory
"Situated to the north-east of the Esplanade de la Poste, this structure consists of three distinct elements: a square pedestal topped by a cylindrical shaft and a curved column at the top.

According to Father Vincent, this pillory was intended to display convicted criminals in the public square, visible to all as they left Mass.

Charter of the Franchisees
A rarity in the region, a marble plaque bearing engraved Latin inscriptions is set into the monumental portal of the Church of Notre-Dame d’Étoile, ensuring its eternal preservation. This Charter of Liberties, visible to all, was engraved on 21 February 1244 on the northern tympanum of the church’s porch. This public display bears witness to the generosity of Count Aymar III of Poitiers and the privileges granted to the villagers of Étoile, namely, to exempt them from all direct levies. This concise charter is likely to be the origin of Étoile’s motto, ‘Non licet omnibus’ (it is not permitted to all).

The grain measure
The only remaining trace of the old market hall, this grain measure enabled the villagers to measure out grain and had been installed here for convenience. Carved from a single block of stone, the size of each hole corresponded to the ‘setier’ (73.06 litres in Etoile), the ‘eymine’ (half a setier) and the ‘quarte’ (a quarter of a setier). Each of the openings was sealed with a wooden board whilst being filled, then opened to allow the grain to flow out.

Notre-Dame Church
The Church of Notre-Dame in Étoile-sur-Rhône is one of those elements of Étoile’s heritage that cannot reasonably be covered in a single instalment. And what better way to begin this vast subject than with its beginnings? Yet that is no easy task.

The Old Rectory
This building was constructed in two phases: the oldest part was probably built in the 13th century, and it was subsequently altered over the centuries, with an extension added in the late 17th–early 18th centuries.
Certain architectural features (semicircular and pointed arch openings, the use of a groined vault) bear witness to its origins.

St Catherine’s Chapel and Hospital
According to Father Vincent, the origins of this hospital date back a very long time (a document from 1328), but it was destroyed by the Huguenots. Rebuilt from its ruins, this building can still be seen today on Rue de l’Hôpital.
In the 17th century, it took in the poor, the elderly and the infirm, as well as soldiers and foundlings. It was during this period that Louis XIV granted the hospital the revenues from the leper colony at Étoile and those from the Hôpital de La Vache (now Beauvallon).

The Château Saint-Ange
Also known as the Manoir Saint-Ange, this building takes its name from the Poterlat de Saint-Ange family, who owned the property in the 17th century. It served as the seat of the jurisdiction of the castellan of Étoile (the Châtellenie).

The Covered Fountain
To reach the covered fountain from the Place de la Peyrouse, we invite you to take a picturesque little alleyway, paved mainly with pebbles from the Rhône. This alleyway, which bears the same name, already existed in the 17th century. The covered fountain is one of the oldest structures built in the town. Its position offers a glimpse of the street level in the Middle Ages.

The Federation Monument
Like a trophy, this ten-metre-high commemorative monument was unveiled by two men from the Drôme on 8 October 1893: Minister Maurice Faure and the future President of the Republic, Émile Loubet.
Built from blue stone from Chomérac, this monument was erected to commemorate the assembly of 29 November 1789, which took place on the Plaine d’Etoile in the hamlet of La Paillasse.

The Grand Lavoir:
To kick off this new feature, we’ll be looking at one of the iconic monuments of 19th-century Étoile: the ‘Grand Lavoir’ situated on the Place d’Armes. It seems that ‘since time immemorial’ a washhouse of a classic rectangular shape and similar size has stood there, though it is clearly in need of repair.

Castle Park
Now a municipal park, only a few remains of the old castle are left, the keep having disappeared entirely. This park, covering around 2,000 m², offers an unmissable view of the village as well as the Rhône Valley and the Monts de l’Ardèche. It is a must-visit spot for photography enthusiasts and those enjoying a leisurely stroll within our commune.

Diane de Poitiers Castle
The main part of the Etoile citadel, the castle likely belonged to the bishops of Valence before being ceded to the Poitiers family. This castle consisted of an original pentagonal keep, which you can see marked on the map of the municipal park.

The Renaissance Tower
This tower contains a spiral staircase which probably led to a fine residence or a 15th–16th-century townhouse. These stairs were incorporated into a private building in the 1900s. Whilst demolishing buildings on what is now Place Léon Lérisse, the contractor made a significant discovery when he came across this spiral staircase.

Town Hall
The town’s coat of arms is carved from a block of limestone on the street-facing façade. It features the town’s motto: “Non Licent Omnibus”, which could be translated as “not permitted to all”.