Chénelette () is a commune in the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

department in eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. While there have been settlements in the region since before the

Roman conquest of Gaul The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and Brittonic tribes fought to defend their homelands ag ...

, the modern village of Chénelette first appears in records dating to the 14th century. Today it has a population of approximately 300 people.

Geography

Chénelette is a small village of approximately 300 people (2012) located in the north-west of the Rhône Department, notably in the

Beaujolais Beaujolais ( , ) is a French ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) wine in the Burgundy wine, Burgundy region. Beaujolais wines are generally made of the Gamay grape, which has a thin skin and is low in grape tannins, tannin, but like most ...

region. The surrounding landscape is one of forests, mountains (of the Massif Central), and pastures; and is frequented by hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. The village has an elevation of 660 meters, and is located approximately 60 kilometres north-northwest of

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

(as the crow flies) and about 375 kilometres south-south west of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

(as the crow flies). It lies between

Roanne Roanne (; ; ) is a commune in the Loire department, central France. It is located northwest of Lyon on the river Loire. It has an important Museum, the ''Musée des Beaux-arts et d'Archéologie Joseph-Déchelette'' (French), with many Egypt ...

and

Mâcon Mâcon (), historically Anglicization, anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home t ...

History

Chénelette has its roots from the Middle Ages when, in the fourteenth century, a castle was built at the peak of the Mont Tourvéon (to the east of the village) by Louis de Pieux. Today the ruins of this castle can still be seen by climbing to the top of the mountain, which requires a considerable hike. Chénelette has been significant to the region because it has been a point of convergence for travellers from surrounding areas. During World War Two this region was occupied by German forces and was known for its considerable resistance.

Demographics

References

Communes of Rhône (department) Beaujolais (province) {{Rhône-geo-stub

Geography

History

Demographics

See also

References