Puy

Puy, LE, or LE PUY-EN-VELAY, a town of France (dept. Haute-Loire), 70 miles SW. of Lyons by rail, consists of the new town in a valley and the old town, this latter one of the most picturesque in France. Puy (Berry, pui or peu, 'a hill'; Ital. poggio; Lat. podium; Gr. podion) is the name commonly given in the highlands of Auvergne and the Cévennes to the truncated conical peaks of extinct volcanoes. The town of Le Puy stands on the steep slopes of Mount Anis (2050 feet), from the summit of which starts up precipitously the basaltic mass called Mont Corneille, crowned by a colossal figure (53 feet) of the Virgin, made of Russian cannon brought from Sebastopol. The most notable building is the Romanesque cathedral (6th-12th century), with a venerated image of the Virgin and ancient cloisters; it is situated in the highest part of the town. There are other ancient and interesting churches and a museum. Lace and thread work are manufactured. Pop. (1872) 18,961; (1891) 20,038.