Municipalities of the Pays Viennois

 

 This village has a surface area of 1100 hectares and a population of 1183. It is surrounded by agricultural land which is suitable for any type of crop. To the north, the landscape gradually rises.

A vast plateau dominates the northern part of the municipality. The apex is not the Bel Air pass, as many people think, but the well located on the Faïta trail at an altitude of 362 m. The southern slope used to be covered in vineyards, which were destroyed by phylloxera in 1870. New vines were planted around 1880, but the vineyards never returned to their former condition, and now they are gone.

The first church in Villette-de-Vienne was built in the 1000s thanks to very large donations made during the big 'end-of-the-world' scare. All that remains of it are two stones embedded in the wall of the present-day church, which was built between 1830 and 1850.

Villette-de-Vienne and its castles

Feuillant Castle

We must go back to 1293 to pick up the trail of this castle.
At the time, it was called "Maison Forte" and belonged to François de Maubec, the Lord of Serpaize and Chuzelles.

In 1820, Mr Feuillant inherited it from Joseph Grammond, Baron de Montval, and it thus became Feuillant Castle. Mr Satre, the Mayor of Villette/Serpaize, acquired it in 1890. It subsequently fell into ruins, and finally disappeared in 1974.

Illins Castle

This castle was built around 316 by Constantin I. In the early 14th century, quarrels between the church of Vienne and the Lords of Illins led to a struggle known as the 'Illins War'.

At that time, the castle was referred to as a 'den of bandits and thieves', which is how the 'Brigands' quarter (near the castle) obtained its name.

Gallo-Roman Remains

The Head of Tutela

This bronze head of a goddess, with the hair gathered into a chignon (bun) at the back and wearing a tiara whose engraving indicates that it was donated by L. Litiglus, quaestor to the colony of Vienne, was discovered in 1859 at Villette/Serpaize, in a field belonging to Mr Chazel. It is probably a copy of a 10th-century Greek original.

It is currently on display at the Gallo-Roman museum in Fourviere.