Peyrus

The last village before climbing the Vercors via the Col des Limouches, nestled in a fold of the Monts du Matin, the commune of Peyrus lies at the mouth of the Grès valley and covers an area of 1070 hectares.

The site has revealed traces of Neolithic occupation. Peyrus was first mentioned in 1198, when the monks of Léoncel established a cellar. The original hamlet was located where the cemetery is today, on the road to Saint-Vincent-la-Commanderie. It was built around the Saint-Pierre priory, founded by the Chaise-Dieu abbey. Ravaged during the Wars of Religion, Peyrus regained a certain prosperity from the 18th century onwards, with the development of industries (cloth, paper) favored by the abundance of water. After having been a hamlet forming part of the lands and mandements of Châteaudouble, in 1790 Peyrus emancipated itself and became a commune of the canton of Chabeuil.