Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The iron mines of Saint-Priest, located in the department of Ardèche in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, constitute an emblematic industrial site of the 2nd half of the 19th century. Prospected in 1839, they were officially granted in 1855 to the Loire and Ardèche company, marking the beginning of an intensive operation that lasted until 1913. The site is distinguished by its technical infrastructure, including well No. 9, 100 metres deep, equipped with a 35 horsepower extraction machine and masonry horse riding.

The remains of mines, including wells Nos. 2 and 9, were listed as historic monuments in 1995, with an extension of protection in 2025 for the technical equipment of well No. 9. These installations, now in ruins, illustrate the mining methods of the time. Well No. 2, of similar structure, has a ground-floor building built in rubble, with bays in the middle of the hanger emphasized by brick chains. These architectural elements reflect 19th-century industrial construction techniques.

The history of the mines in Saint-Priest was marked by conflicts for obtaining the concession, as evidenced by the study by Élie Reynier on the legal battle between 1843 and 1849. This site, which is now closed, offers an overview of the working conditions and economic issues related to the extraction of iron in Ardèche. The buildings, although partially in ruins, remain material witnesses of this industrial period, now protected for their heritage value.

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