Discover Malay-Le-Petit in the Vanne Valley

Malay-Le-Petit in the Vanne Valley

Malay-Le-Petit lies in the Vanne Valley. For trip planning, the village can be explored through several specific points of interest: a small church and a protected work of art, a historic lifting station, a nature inventory and an opportunity to exercise by the river. A route along the aqueduct is also described.

Church and work of art

The small church in Malay-Le-Petit was built in 1748. The antependium “Le Reniement de saint Pierre” is housed in the Church of Saint-Pierre in Malay-Le-Petit. An antependium is a decorative hanging on the front of an altar; the French title means “The Denial of Saint Peter.” The work of art is listed as a protected object; this designation was recorded on October 20, 1993. It applies to the work of art itself. The church building and the individual work of art thus offer two distinct points of interest for those interested in local and religious history.

Water engineering and local history

The Malay-Le-Petit lifting station was built between 1873 and 1875 on the site of a former mill. It uses a Sagebien-type waterwheel and the power of the Vanne to drive two horizontal, double-acting piston pumps. The technical sequence thus connects the power of the river with the waterwheel and the pumps. In a double-acting piston pump, the movement of the piston is used in both directions for pumping. This makes it possible to understand the installation not only in terms of its age, but also its design. For those interested in technology, this offers a different aspect of local history alongside the religious heritage.

Another trace of the past is the communal washhouse, which is said to have been completed in 1888. The historical timeline therefore includes the church, built in 1748; the lifting station, dating from 1873 to 1875; and the washhouse, whose completion is estimated to have been in 1888. These dates mark different buildings and functions rather than a single line of development.

Nature and activities by the river

The ZNIEFF site “Vallée de la Vanne de Flacy à Maillot” is a Type 2 natural heritage inventory that includes Malay-Le-Petit. There is also a fitness trail on a green space on the banks of the Vanne. These two features have different focuses: the nature inventory places the commune within a named natural area, while the trail offers a specific opportunity to exercise by the river. If you would like to consider the landscape as well as local history, you can include these aspects separately in your trip planning.

Route and planning your stay

A described route starts at the church in Malay-Le-Petit, follows the Vanne aqueduct and extends to the entrance to Pont-sur-Vanne. It therefore has a named starting point, a section along the aqueduct and a destination. If you are planning a trip, it is advisable to check the route and conditions for the latest information.

When looking for a hotel for a trip to Malay-Le-Petit, you can decide in advance what you would like to focus on during your stay: are you especially interested in church art and architectural history, historic water engineering, or nature and outdoor activities? These topics can help guide your trip planning without implying that all stays need to be the same.

Discover more destinations: Étais-La-Sauvin, Cravant, Sarry, Champigny, Diges, Maligny, Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, Thory.

For the broader travel overview: Yonne.