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Base Mérimée: Monuments historiques · France

Forges de Bonpertuis

Apprieu, Isère, France

The record

Designation
Historic monument, registered (inscrit), in part
Protection
inscrit MH partiellement
Extent of protection
Le four à cémenter l'acier (cad. AI 358) : inscription par arrêté du 3 mars 2003
Protection dates
2003/03/03 : inscrit MH
Type
grosse forge
Main period of construction
3e quart 19e siècle
Dates
1859
Ownership
propriété d'une société privée
Commune
Apprieu
Département
Isère
Region
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Country
France
Coordinates
45.39610, 5.52922
Mérimée reference
PA38000013

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1825 map "V.1:1-5: I Frankreich. DEP: 79. Der Isere. 80. Der Obern = Alpen. 84. Der Niedern = Alpen" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

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This record on the Ministère de la Culture's POP platform ↗

The Ministère de la Culture's notice

Avec les guerres d'Italie au 16e siècle, la fabrication de l'acier devient massive. Les aciéries de Bonpertuis sont créées en 1574 par Jehan Perron, marchand de Tullins. Au 19e siècle, les forges se reconvertissent avec l'adoption de nouvelles méthodes de fabrication de l'acier. En 1859, elles se basent sur les fonderies à l'anglaise avec fours chauffés au coke, laminoirs et fours de cémentation. A la fin de la Première guerre mondiale, installation de fours électriques à arc. Les deux fours à cémenter l'acier ont été établis par Alphonse Gourju en 1859. Fait en brique, le four se compose d'une base quadrangulaire de 5 mètres de long sur 2, 10 de haut, renforcé sur son pourtour de barres de fer fixées verticalement. Il est surmonté d'une cheminée conique de 5 mètres de diamètre et 10 mètres de haut. Il s'agit du dernier four de ce type conservé aujourd'hui en France.

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

With the Italian Wars in the 16th century, steel manufacturing became massive. The steel mills of Bonpertuis were created in 1574 by Jehan Perron, merchant of Tullins. In the 19th century, the forges were converted with the adoption of new methods of steel manufacturing. In 1859, they were based on English-style foundries with coke-fired furnaces, rolling mills and cementation furnaces. At the end of the First World War, installation of arc electric furnaces. The two furnaces for cementing steel were established by Alphonse Gourju in 1859. Made of brick, the furnace consists of a quadrangular base 5 metres long by 2.10 metres high, reinforced around its perimeter by iron bars fixed vertically. It is topped by a conical chimney 5 metres in diameter and 10 metres high. This is the last furnace of this type preserved in France today.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Base Mérimée, Ministère de la Culture, data last updated 2026-09-17, reused under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab). Record text is reproduced unchanged. Ministère de la Culture · Licence Ouverte 2.0
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