Last modified: 2022-03-11 by ivan sache
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![[Flag]](../images/f/fr-6m-pb.gif)
Flag of Pierre-Bénite - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 21 September 2021
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The municipality of Pierre-Bénite (10,397 inhabitants in 2019;
448 ha; municipal website) is located just south of Lyon.
Pierre-Bénite (Petra Benedicta in 1339) is named for the Holy Stone (pierre bénite), an emergence of granite located on the edge of the river, which was used as a mooring for the boatmen who came to sign themselves before continuing on a journey that could prove to be dangerous. The stone was moved on 9 December 1986 to the side of the Town Hall.
Pierre-Bénite, once the "vegetable garden" of Lyon, was separated from Oullins on 24 April 1869. The town is now the gate of Chemistry Valley. The production site, the technical center and the environmental chemistry research center of Arkema (before 2004 Atofina, the chemistry branch of Total) is located there. Other significant industries are Hermès (luxury leather industry) and Ateliers A.S. (silk printing). Pierre-Bénite is also the site of the Lyon Sud Hospital, one of Europe's biggest healing complex. The hospital has 1,000 beds and the neighboring Faculty of Medicine teaches 4,000 students every year.
Olivier Touzeau & Ivan Sache, 23 September 2021
The flag of Pierre-Bénite (photo) is white with the municipal coat of arms, "Azure a rock or engraved with a Latin crosslet sable per bend flanked by two rings per bend sinister the dexter one bigger surmounted by a six-pointed mullet all the base vert the chief gules two keys argent saltirewise with lozengy pommety rings".
The coat of arms features a realistic representation of the Blessed Stone (photo,
photo,
photo,
photo), which has a small clam dug on top, a cross engraved below it, and two metallic rings used to moor the boats.
Olivier Touzeau Ivan Sache, 23 September 2021