Mont Pilat

Mont Pilat or the Pilat massif is a mountainous area in the east of the Massif Central of France.NameThe origin of the name "Pilat" is uncertain. The word may have a Latin origin (Mons Pileatus). Another legend says that the body of Pontius Pilate was buried in the massif.For a long time Mont Pilat designated the main mountain, with the double peaks or crests (crêts) of Perdrix and Oeillon. Modern maps generally designate this area as Les Crêts. However, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) continues to use the term Mont Pilat to refer to the television transmitter on the Crêt de l'Oeillon.The whole mountain range is commonly called Mont Pilat. The Communauté de communes des Monts du Pilat coordinates various administrative and developmental functions for the communes in the massif. The term Pilat is also used to refer to the area that became the Parc naturel régional du Pilat in 1974.TopographyThe Pilat massif is part of the French Massif Central range. It lies in the extreme east of the range looking over the Rhone valley. The overall orientation of the massif is from south-west to north-east, creating a variety of climates. The massif generally rises about above its surroundings. Perdrix (Partridge mountain) rises to above sea level and Pyfara and Panère are high. Pilat is separated from the Monts du Lyonnais to the north by the Saint-Étienne basin, the Gier valley.