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Here, at the top of the hill, you find yourself in front of one of the impressive viewpoints of the village, which overlooks the bay of Piopolis and the head of the lake and the blue mountains of Maine, of the Appalachian chain.
This viewpoint is on the former lands of Godefroy Grenier, one of the sons of the ancestor Edmond Grenier. On these lands there was once a forge and a farm. The street that is now called Rue de la Vieille Forge has existed since the early 1900s, but the development that took place there only dates from 2008. Through its streets, this neighborhood in the making recalls certain facets of the evolution of Piopolis.
To get there, you climbed a hill that marked the memories of children who passed through Piopolis. It was called the “Côte du village”, which means “Village hill”, and it lives up to its name! We met there in the winter to slide, and in the summer the young people met at the cross which is about halfway there. Formerly, the surroundings of the cross provided a very beautiful view of the lake, from where one could contemplate the storms and the beauty of the landscape.
This wayside cross has a special history. It is said that it was two brothers in charge of fetching provisions for the general store by the lake, who found themselves caught in a storm. Frightened, they made a promise to God to donate to the church as a thank you if they made it out unscathed. Heaven listened to them, and they donated a gold gospel holder to the church, then erected this cross which quickly became a meeting place where several masses were held, before finding its solitude in approaching the 21st century.
As you walk through the streets of the development back to the heart of the village, pay attention to the names of the streets in the development: you will learn more about the forge and about a very particular craftsman.