Firminy

Firminy
Firminy
Commune
	Coat of arms
	Location of Firminy
	Firminy Firminy
	Coordinates: 45°23′20″N 4°17′16″E / 45.3889°N 4.2878°E
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Loire
Arrondissement	Saint-Étienne
Canton	Firminy
Intercommunality	Saint-Étienne Métropole
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Julien Luya
Area 1	10.45 km2 (4.03 sq mi)
Population (2021)	17,137
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	42095 /42700
Elevation	446–800 m (1,463–2,625 ft) ; (avg. 468 m or 1,535 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Firminy (French pronunciation: [fiʁmini]; Occitan: Frominiu) is a commune in the Loire department in central France.

It lies on the river Ondaine, 13 km southwest of Saint-Étienne by rail.

History[edit]

The ancient name of the town was Firminiaco or Firminiacus (lit. "place of Firmin"). The name was first recorded in a 971 charter by the King of Burgundy.

Firminy had historically important coalmines known since the 14th century and extensive manufactures of iron, steel, and aluminum goods, including railway material, machinery and cannon. Fancy woolen hosiery was also manufactured.^[3]

Population[edit]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1793	1,486	—
1800	1,713	+2.05%
1806	1,821	+1.02%
1821	2,627	+2.47%
1831	3,779	+3.70%
1836	3,784	+0.03%
1841	4,306	+2.62%
1846	4,774	+2.08%
1851	5,374	+2.40%
1856	6,420	+3.62%
1861	7,672	+3.63%
1866	9,217	+3.74%
1872	10,422	+2.07%
1876	11,972	+3.53%
1881	13,707	+2.74%
1886	13,992	+0.41%
1891	14,511	+0.73%
1896	15,771	+1.68%

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1901	16,903	+1.40%
1906	17,944	+1.20%
1911	19,580	+1.76%
1921	20,194	+0.31%
1926	21,303	+1.07%
1931	21,365	+0.06%
1936	20,257	−1.06%
1946	20,362	+0.05%
1954	21,161	+0.48%
1962	26,065	+2.64%
1968	24,924	−0.74%
1975	25,060	+0.08%
1982	24,113	−0.55%
1990	23,123	−0.52%
1999	19,297	−1.99%
2007	17,569	−1.17%
2012	17,123	−0.51%
2017	17,135	+0.01%

Source: EHESS^[4] and INSEE (1968-2017)^[5]

Sights[edit]

Two historic churches from the 12th and 16th centuries are located here. The architect Le Corbusier designed a group of modern buildings, called "Firminy Vert", which includes the Saint-Pierre Church, a stadium, a cultural center, and an Unité d'Habitation.