Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

La pile du bain à traille de Champagne, located in the Ardèche department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, dates from the 4th quarter of the 14th century or from the 1st quarter of the 15th century. This monument, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 2006, is one of the oldest testimonies of the systems of crossing the Rhône before the construction of the bridges. It illustrates a medieval technique where a hemp cable (traille), stretched between two banks, allowed to guide the ferry and avoid its drift during the crossings.

The mechanism was based on a set of technical elements: the traille (main cable), the traillon (secondary cable connected to the tank) and the frog (fixing pulley). This system, which appeared at the end of the 15th century, gradually replaced simple, less stable bins. The Champagne pile, still visible today, marks the importance of river traffic on the Rhône in the 17th and 18th centuries, before the bridges became dominant in the 19th century.

Located at the end of the Rue du Port, in the immediate vicinity of the river, this pile is a vestige of Rhodanian river heritage. It recalls the intense economic activity linked to trade and travel prior to the industrialization of the means of transport. Its registration in 2006 underscores its historical and architectural value, although its current state and geographical accuracy are estimated to be poor (level 5/10 depending on the sources).

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