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Origin and history

The Château du Grand Perron, located in Pierre-Bénite in the Métropole de Lyon, finds its origins in the 1st quarter of the 16th century. Originally, it was a medieval fortress protecting the borders of the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire. The first certified owner, Robert Ruffi (died 1183), was canon of Lyon. This strategic site, separated from the neighbouring estate of Longchêne by a valley, played a defensive role for the city of Lyon.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the castle belonged to Antoine Besson, canon of Saint Paul, then to his nephew Claude Besson, authorized by François I in 1518 to strengthen it. Unable to bear the costs, Claude gave the estate in 1521 to Guidobaldo Gondi (future Antoine de Gondi), Florentine banker and butler of the king, and to his wife Marie-Catherine Pierrevive, governess of the children of France. The couple rebuilt the castle, which twice welcomed Catherine de Medici. Their son, Albert de Gondi, the future Marshal of France, is sometimes associated with the estate under the name of Sieur du Perron.

In 1555, abandoned, the castle was sold to Albisse d'Elbène, an Italian noble, and then to his descendants. In 1564 Catherine de Medici made a last visit. The estate then changed hands several times: acquired in 1582 by the Camus de Riverie family, then in 1675 by Lambert de Pontsaintpierre, provost of the merchants of Lyon. Without a direct heir, the castle was finally ceded in 1762 to the Chaplaincy of Charity, becoming a hospice.

The Renaissance architecture of the castle, in the shape of a U with a Corinthian portico and a monumental staircase, reflects its past prestige. The central façade and staircase have been listed as historical monuments since 1979. After serving as a refuge (revolutionaries, Hungarian refugees in 1956) and hospital during the Asian influenza epidemic in 1957, the site is now integrated into the Centre hospitalier Lyon Sud and is not open to the public.

The coat of arms of the family owners (Ruffi, Gondi, Elbène, Camus de Riverie, Pontsaintpierre) testify to their influence. Among the remarkable elements, a monumental fireplace with the Gundi weapons, now displaced, and a 16th century chapel, destroyed and replaced. The current remains recall its turbulent history, between noble power, charitable functions and medical use.

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