The municipalities of the Pays Viennois

Seyssuel is criss-crossed by many footpaths, allowing visitors to discover and admire the natural wealth of its fauna and flora.

At the beginning of the century, Seyssuel had 516 inhabitants. Its population, which has been falling since 1856, is mainly employed by agriculture. This municipality was not industrialised in the 19th century as was its neighbour Chasse sur Rhône, from which it has been separated since 1853. At least its ground was able to accommodate the installation of tileries, and its underground permitted the operation of barium mines. The vineyards which had been the town's main source of income in the 19th century were almost completely destroyed by phylloxera between 1875 and 1880. Thanks to the efforts of wine growers, 90 hectares of vines were being cultivated in 1901, but grapes were gradually abandoned in favour of other crops, particularly fruit trees.

To conclude this brief introduction, we should point out an important fact: that the centre of Seyssuel life was displaced throughout the 19th century. The picturesque hamlet of Cuet had held the role for a very long time, but in 1829-1830, the municipality, which was still Seyssuel and Chasse sur Rhône combined, built a new church and chose a relatively isolated plot of land at the western end of the 'Les Gardes' area.

After the centre of religious life had moved, municipal and educational activities followed.

It began with the creation in 1855-1856 of the present-day Public Square and then, ten years later, the boys' school and town hall building was constructed. Finally, in 1888, the town had a girls' school built. This school was still operating, and its original external appearance was still largely unchanged, in the 2003-2004 school year. With the construction of the current church in 1893 to the east of the public square and of two beautiful houses, Laurent and Chautant (1895 and 1896) to the west, the new village centre (the 'church square') thus had a relatively recent appearance at the beginning of the century; in terms of its buildings, not much different from how it looks today.

Steam trains have run alongside the municipality at the bottom of the slopes (Les Gardières) since 1855.

Now that we have covered a few key facts, we would like to take a chronological look at certain events as noted in the minutes of town council meetings in 1901 and 1902.