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122-791: The river Èvre forms the commune's western border, then flows into the Loire , forming the commune's northern border. Saint-Florent-le-Viel is located on the La Loire à vélo , itself a subset of the EuroVelo6 , the trans-European bicycle route. This Maine-et-Loire geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Loire The Loire ( / l w ɑːr / LWAR , US also / l u ˈ ɑːr / loo- AR , French: [lwaʁ] ; Occitan : Léger [ˈledʒe] ; Arpitan : Lêre ; Breton : Liger ; Latin : Liger )

244-600: A basketball team, ASVEL , that plays at the Astroballe arena. Since 2000, Birdy Kids , a group of graffiti artists from the city, has decorated several random buildings and walls along the Lyon ring road. In 2012, the artist collective was chosen to represent the city as its cultural ambassadors. The population of the city (commune) of Lyon proper was 522,250 at the January 2021 census. As of 2011, 14% of its population

366-475: A humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa ), bordering an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb , Trewartha : Do ). The mean temperature in Lyon in the coldest month is 4.1 °C (39.4 °F) in January and in the warmest month in July is 22.6 °C (72.7 °F). Precipitation is adequate year-round, at an average of 820 mm (32.3 in), the winter months are the driest. The highest recorded temperature

488-845: A rugby league side called Lyon Villeurbanne that plays in the French rugby league championship . The club's home is the Stade Georges Lyvet in Villeurbanne. Lyon is also home to the Lyon Hockey Club , an ice hockey team that competes in France's national ice hockey league. The Patinoire Charlemagne is the seat of Club des Sports de Glace de Lyon, the club of Olympic ice dancing champions Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat , and world champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Shoenfelder . Lyon-Villeurbanne also has

610-704: A bridge over the river. By 600 BC the Loire had already become a very important trading route between the Celts and the Greeks . A key transportation route, it served as one of the great "highways" of France for over 2000 years. The Phoenicians and Greeks had used pack horses to transport goods from Lyon to the Loire to get from the Mediterranean basin to the Atlantic coast. The Romans successfully subdued

732-456: A budget of US$ 18 million, mainly funded by government and public bodies, such as the Établissement Publique Loire (EPL), a public institution which had formerly advocated large-scale dam projects on the river. Studies of the palaeo-geography of the region suggest that the palaeo-Loire flowed northward and joined the Seine , while the lower Loire found its source upstream of Orléans in

854-515: A decline in trade on the river. Proposals to develop a fully navigable river up to Briare came to nothing. The opening of the Canal latéral à la Loire in 1838 enabled navigation between Digoin and Briare to continue, but the river level crossing at Briare remained a problem until the construction of the Briare aqueduct in 1896. At 662.69 metres (2,174.2 ft), this was the longest such structure in

976-633: A discharge rate of 863 m /s (30,500 cu ft/s), which is an average over the period 1967–2008. The discharge rate varies strongly along the river, with roughly 350 m /s (12,000 cu ft/s) at Orléans and 900 m /s (32,000 cu ft/s) at the mouth. It also depends strongly on the season, and the flow of only 10 m /s (350 cu ft/s) is not uncommon in August–September near Orléans. During floods, which usually occur in February and March but also in other periods,

1098-574: A global nature, such as the expansion of the Mediterranean gull in Europe. The Loire has been described as "constantly under threat of losing its status as the last wild river in France". The reason for this is its sheer length and possibility of extensive navigation, which severely limits the scope of river conservation. The Federation, a member of the IUCN since 1970, has been very important in

1220-575: A national phenomenon favoured by the French elite; a tradition which Paul Bocuse later turned into a worldwide success. The bouchon is a traditional Lyonnais restaurant that serves local fare such as sausages, duck pâté or roast pork, along with local wines. Two of France's best known wine-growing regions are located near the city: the Beaujolais region to the north and the Côtes du Rhône region to

1342-415: A navigable channel on the river, as it was critical to transportation. River traffic increased gradually, with a toll system being used in medieval times. Today some of these toll bridges still remain, dated to over 800 years. During the 17th century, Jean-Baptiste Colbert instituted the use of stone retaining walls and quays from Roanne to Nantes , which helped make the river more reliable, but navigation

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1464-470: A poached egg); and the sausage-based rosette lyonnaise and andouillette . Popular local confections include marron glacé and coussin de Lyon . Cervelle de canut (literally, "silk worker's brains") is a cheese spread/dip made of a base of fromage blanc , seasoned with chopped herbs, shallots, salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. More recently, the french tacos was invented in Lyon suburbs ( Vaulx-en-Velin ) (or Grenoble according to some theories), in

1586-679: A university population of nearly 200,000 students within the Metropolis of Lyon. Lyon hosts the international headquarters of Interpol , the International Agency for Research on Cancer , as well as Euronews . According to the Globalization and World Rankings Research Institute , Lyon is considered a Beta city , as of 2018 . It ranked second in France and 40th globally in Mercer's 2019 liveability rankings . The name of

1708-470: A wide range of variations, from the early medieval to the late Renaissance periods. They were originally created as feudal strongholds, over centuries past, in the strategic divide between southern and northern France; now many are privately owned. The name "Loire" comes from Latin Liger , which is itself a transcription of the native Gaulish ( Celtic ) name of the river. The Gaulish name comes from

1830-477: A ‘Natura 2000’ site under European Union environmental legislation. The WWF were particularly important in changing the perception of the French authorities in support for dam building to environmental protection and sustainable management of its river basin. In 1992, they aided the ‘Loire Nature’ project, which received funds of some $ US 9 million under the EU's ‘LIFE’ programme until 1999, embarking upon restoration to

1952-480: Is La Part-Dieu urban centre, which clusters the landmark structures Tour Incity , Tour Part-Dieu , Tour Oxygène , and Tour Swiss Life , as well as the city's primary railway station, Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu . North of this district lays the sixth arrondissement , which is home to one of Europe's largest urban parks, the Parc de la Tête d'or , as well as Lycée du Parc and Interpol 's world headquarters. Lyon has

2074-626: Is dunos ('fortress', 'hill'). The name thus may designate the hill of Fourvière , on which the ancient city of Lyon is founded, but could mean "hill of the god Lug", "hill of the crows" or "shining hill". Alternatively Julius Pokorny associates the first part of the word with the Indo-European radical * lūg ('dark, black, swamp'), the basis of the toponyms Ludza in Latvia, Lusatia in Germany (from Sorbian Łužica ), and several places in

2196-418: Is 164 species, of which 54 are water birds, 44 species are common for managed forests, 41 to natural forests, 13 to open and 12 to rocky areas. This avifauna has been rather stable, at least between the 1980s and 2000s, with significant abundance variations observed only for 17 species. Of those, five species were growing in population, four declining, and other eight were fluctuating. Some of these variations had

2318-498: Is a 300 km (190 mi) stretch in the western reach of the river starting with Orléans and terminating at Nantes , 56 km (35 mi) short of the Loire estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. The tidal stretch of the river extends to a length of 60 km (37 mi) and a width of 3 km (1.9 mi), which has oil refineries, the port of Saint-Nazaire and 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres) of wetland whose formation

2440-536: Is common in the upper streams, whereas the flounder ( Platichtys flesus ) and flathead mullet ( Mugil spp.) tend to stay near the river mouth. The tributaries host brown trout ( Salmo trutta ), European bullhead ( Cottus gobio ), European brook lamprey ( Lampetra planeri ), zander ( Sander lucioperca ), nase ( Chondrostoma nasus and C. toxostoma ) and wels catfish ( Siluris glanis ). The endangered species include grayling ( Thymallus thymallus ), burbot ( Lota lota ) and bitterling ( Rhodeus sericeus ) and

2562-624: Is dated to 7500 BC (caused by inundation by sea waters on the northern bank of the estuary), and the beaches of Le Croisic and La Baule along the coastline. Its main tributaries include the rivers Maine , Nièvre and the Erdre on its right bank, and the rivers Allier , Cher , Indre , Vienne , and the Sèvre Nantaise on the left bank. The largest tributary of the river is the Allier , 410 km (250 mi) in length, which joins

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2684-642: Is home to the P4-Inserm–ean Merieux Laboratory which conducts top-level vaccine research. The city is home to the headquarters of many large companies such as Groupe SEB , Sanofi Pasteur , Renault Trucks , Norbert Dentressangle , LCL S.A. , Descours & Cabaud , Merial , Point S , BioMérieux , Iveco Bus , Compagnie Nationale du Rhône , GL Events , April Group , Boiron , Feu Vert, Panzani , Babolat , Lyon Airports , LVL Medical, and inter-governmental agencies IARC and Interpol. The specialisation of some sectors of activities has led to

2806-419: Is identified as temperate maritime climate, and is characterised by the lack of dry seasons and by heavy rains and snowfall in winter, especially in the upper streams. The number of sunny hours per year varies between 1400 and 2200 and increases from northwest to southeast. The Loire Valley, in particular, enjoys a pleasant temperate climate. The region experiences a rainfall of 690 mm (27.2 in) along

2928-494: Is located there. The district of Confluence , in the south of the historic centre, is a new pole of economical and cultural development. Tourism is an important part of the Lyon economy, with one billion euros in 2007 and 3.5 million hotel-nights in 2006 provided by non-residents. Approximately 60% of tourists visit for business, with the rest for leisure. In January 2009, Lyon ranked first in France for hostels business. The festivals most important for attracting tourists are

3050-740: Is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of 1,006 kilometres (625 mi), it drains 117,054 km (45,195 sq mi), more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône . It rises in the southeastern quarter of the French Massif Central in the Cévennes range (in the department of Ardèche ) at 1,350 m (4,430 ft) near Mont Gerbier de Jonc ; it flows north through Nevers to Orléans , then west through Tours and Nantes until it reaches

3172-450: Is the only metropolitan authority in France which is a territorial collectivity , on par with French communes and departments . Its metropolitan council was for the first time directly elected by universal suffrage in 2020 within 14 electoral wards, the only directly elected metropolitan council in France. The 14 electoral wards are the following (see map for location): The six wards with names starting with "Lyon" are all located within

3294-538: Is the third-largest public square in France. The broad, pedestrian-only Rue de la République leads north from Place Bellecour. The northern hill is La Croix-Rousse , known as "the hill that works" because it is traditionally home to many small silk workshops, an industry for which the city has long been renowned. The western hill is Fourvière, known as "the hill that prays" because it is the location for Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière , several convents, and Archbishop residence. The district, Vieux Lyon , also hosts

3416-677: The Fête des lumières , the Nuits de Fourvière every summer, the Biennale d'art contemporain and the Nuits Sonores . Since the Middle Ages, the region residents have spoken several dialects of Franco-Provençal. The Lyonnais dialect was replaced by the French language as the importance of the city grew. However some "frenchified" Franco-Provençal words can also be heard in the French of

3538-493: The Bay of Biscay (Atlantic Ocean) at Saint-Nazaire . Its main tributaries include the rivers Nièvre , Maine and the Erdre on its right bank, and the rivers Allier , Cher , Indre , Vienne , and the Sèvre Nantaise on the left bank. The Loire gives its name to six departments: Loire , Haute-Loire , Loire-Atlantique , Indre-et-Loire , Maine-et-Loire , and Saône-et-Loire . The lower-central swathe of its valley straddling

3660-502: The Canal du Nivernais to the Canal latéral à la Loire . As of 2017 , the following sections are navigable: The French language adjective ligérien is derived from the name of the Loire, as in le climat ligérien ("the climate of the Loire Valley"). The climate is considered the most pleasant of northern France, with warmer winters and, more generally, fewer extremes in temperatures, rarely exceeding 38 °C (100 °F). It

3782-908: The Huns in 437 were re-settled in eastern Gaul. In 443 the Romans established the Kingdom of the Burgundians, and Lugdunum became its capital in 461. In 843, under the Treaty of Verdun , Lyon went to the Holy Roman Emperor Lothair I . It later was made part of the Kingdom of Arles which was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire in 1033. Lyon did not come under French control until the 14th century. Fernand Braudel remarked, "Historians of Lyon are not sufficiently aware of

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3904-688: The Neolithic period (6,000 to 4,500 BC), all of the recent Stone Age in Europe . Then came the Gauls , the local tribes during the Iron Age period of 1500 to 500 BC. They used the Loire as a key trading route by 600 BC, using pack horses to link its trade, such as the metals of the Armorican Massif , with Phoenicia and Ancient Greece via Lyon on the Rhône. Gallic rule ended in

4026-651: The Orléans . Reine claude ( Prunus domestica italica ) tree species was planted in the gardens of the Château. Asparagus was also brought from northwestern France. The river flows through the continental ecoregions of Massif central and Paris Basin south and in its Lower course partly through South Atlantic and Brittany . With more than 100 alga species, the Loire has the highest phytoplankton diversity among French rivers. The most abundant are diatoms and green algae (about 15% by mass) which mostly occur in

4148-655: The Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire regions was added to the World Heritage Sites list of UNESCO on December 2, 2000. Vineyards and châteaux are found along the banks of the river throughout this section and are a major tourist attraction. The human history of the Loire river valley is thought by some to begin with the Middle Palaeolithic period of 90–40 kya (thousand years ago), followed by modern humans (about 30 kya), succeeded by

4270-480: The Place Bellecour , and Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois and Joseph Fouché administered the execution of more than 2,000 people. The Convention ordered that its name be changed to "Liberated City", and a plaque was erected that proclaimed "Lyons made war on Liberty; Lyons no longer exists". A decade later, Napoleon ordered the reconstruction of all the buildings demolished during that period. The convention

4392-695: The Presqu'île and the slopes of the Croix-Rousse are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List . Lyon was historically an important area for the production and weaving of silk. Lyon played a significant role in the history of cinema since Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph there. The city is also known for its light festival, the Fête des lumières , which begins every 8 December and lasts for four days, earning Lyon

4514-586: The Tour métallique (a highly visible TV tower, replicating the last stage of the Eiffel Tower ) and one of the city's railways. Fourvière, along with portions of the Presqu'île and much of La Croix-Rousse, is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . East of the Rhône from the Presqu'île is a large flat area upon which sits much of modern Lyon and contains most of the city's population. Situated in this area

4636-637: The War in the Vendée since they thought it was a more effective way of killing. Soon after the beginning of the 19th century, steam-driven passenger boats began to ply the river between Nantes and Orléans, making the upriver journey faster; by 1843, 70,000 passengers were being carried annually in the Lower Loire and 37,000 in the Upper Loire. But competition from the railway, beginning in the 1840s, caused

4758-428: The pike ( Esox lucius ), which is the major predator of the Loire, as well as eel, carp, rudd and salmon. The great Loire salmon, a subspecies of Atlantic salmon , is regarded as the symbolic fish of the river. Its population has decreased from about 100,000 in the 19th century to below 100 in the 1990s that resulted in the adoption of a total ban of salmon fishing in the Loire basin in 1984. A salmon restoration program

4880-569: The 10th century onwards with the defensive fortress like structures called the " keeps " or " donjons " built between 987 and 1040 by Anjou Count Foulques Nerra of Anjou (the Falcon). However, one of the oldest such structures in France is the Donjon de Foulques Nerra built in 944. This style was replaced by the religious architectural style in the 12th to 14th centuries when the impregnable château fortresses were built on top of rocky hills; one of

5002-423: The 367.5 km (228.4 mi) Cher , which joins the Loire near Cinq-Mars-la-Pile at 47°20′33″N 0°28′49″E  /  47.34250°N 0.48028°E  / 47.34250; 0.48028 and the 287 km (178 mi) Indre , which joins the Loire near Néman at 47°14′2″N 0°11′0″E  /  47.23389°N 0.18333°E  / 47.23389; 0.18333 . The geological formations in

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5124-767: The 3rd century, Christianity spread through the river basin, and many religious figures began cultivating vineyards along the river banks. In the 5th century, the Roman Empire declined and the Franks and the Alemanni came to the area from the east. Following this there was ongoing conflict between the Franks and the Visigoths . In 408, the Iranian tribe of Alans crossed the Loire and large hordes of them settled along

5246-668: The 4th century. The traboules allowed the inhabitants to get from their homes to the Saône quickly and allowed the canuts on the Croix-Rousse hill to get from their workshops to the textile merchants at the foot of the hill. Lyon has a long and chronicled culinary arts tradition. The noted food critic Curnonsky referred to the city as "the gastronomic capital of the world", a claim repeated by later writers such as Bill Buford . Renowned 3-star Michelin chefs such as Marie Bourgeois and Eugénie Brazier developed Lyonnaise cuisine into

5368-406: The Atlantic Ocean at 47°16′44″N 2°10′19″W  /  47.27889°N 2.17194°W  / 47.27889; -2.17194 between Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Brevin-les-Pins , connected by a bridge over the river near its mouth. Several départements of France were named after the Loire. The Loire flows through the following départements and towns: The Loire Valley in the Loire river basin,

5490-699: The Bald died, marking an end to the Carolingian dynasty . After considerable conflict in the region, in 898 Foulques le Roux of Anjou gained power. During the Hundred Years' War from 1337 to 1453, the Loire marked the border between the French and the English, who occupied territory to the north. One-third of the inhabitants died in the epidemic of the Black Death of 1348–9. The English defeated

5612-991: The Burgundians , 411–534   Francia , 534–843   Middle Francia , 843–855   Lotharingia , 855–879   Lower Burgundy , 879-933   Kingdom of Arles , 933–1312 [REDACTED] Kingdom of France ( Lyonnais ), 1312–1792 [REDACTED] French First Republic , 1792–1793 [REDACTED] Counter-revolutionary , 1793 [REDACTED] French First Republic , 1793–1804 [REDACTED] First French Empire , 1804–1814 [REDACTED] Kingdom of France , 1814–1815 [REDACTED] First French Empire , 1815 [REDACTED] Kingdom of France , 1815–1830 [REDACTED] Kingdom of France , 1830–1848 [REDACTED] French Second Republic , 1848–1852 [REDACTED] Second French Empire , 1852–1870 [REDACTED] French Third Republic , 1870–1940 [REDACTED] Vichy France , 1940–1944 [REDACTED] French Fourth Republic , 1944–1958 [REDACTED]   France , 1958–present According to

5734-657: The Czech Republic named Lužice; it could then also be compared to Luze in Franche-Comté and various hydronyms such as Louge . Further down, in the current Saint-Vincent district, was the Gallic village of Condate, probably a simple hamlet of sailors or fishermen living on the banks of the Saône. Condate is a Gallic word meaning "confluence", from which the Confluence district gets its name. In Roman times

5856-430: The French in 1356 and Aquitaine came under English control in 1360. In 1429, Joan of Arc persuaded Charles VII to drive out the English from the country. Her successful relief of the siege of Orléans , on the Loire, was the turning point of the war. In 1477, the first printing press in France was established in Angers, and around this time the Chateau de Langeais and Chateau de Montsoreau were built. During

5978-439: The Gaulish word liga , which means "silt, sediment, deposit, alluvium", a word that gave French lie , as in sur lie , which in turn gave English lees . Liga comes from the Proto-Indo-European root * legʰ- , meaning "to lie, lay" as in the Welsh word Lleyg , and also which gave many words in English, such as to lie, to lay, ledge, law, etc. The source of the river lies in the eastern Massif Central , in springs to

6100-401: The Gauls in 52 BC and began developing Cenabum, which they named Aurelianis . They also began building the city of Caesarodunum , now Tours , from AD 1. The Romans used the Loire as far as Roanne , around 150 km (93 mi) downriver from the source. After AD 16, the Loire river valley became part of the Roman province of Aquitania , with its capital at Avaricum . From

6222-457: The Loire and Naussac Dam on the Allier . The Villerest dam, built in 1985 a few kilometres (a few miles) south of Roanne , has played a key-role in preventing recent flooding. As a result, the Loire is a very popular river for boating excursions, flowing through a pastoral countryside, past limestone cliffs and historic castles . Four nuclear power plants are located on the river: Belleville , Chinon , Dampierre and Saint-Laurent . In 1700

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6344-502: The Loire near the town of Nevers at 46°57′34″N 3°4′44″E  /  46.95944°N 3.07889°E  / 46.95944; 3.07889 . Downstream of Nevers lies the Loire Valley , a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its fine assortment of castles. The second-longest tributary, the 372 km (231 mi) Vienne , joins the Loire at Candes-Saint-Martin at 47°12′45″N 0°4′31″E  /  47.21250°N 0.07528°E  / 47.21250; 0.07528 , followed by

6466-433: The Loire river basin can be grouped into two sets of formations, namely, the basement domain and the domain of sedimentary formations. The basement domain primarily consists of metamorphic and siliceous fragmented rocks with groundwater occurring in fissures. The sedimentary domain consists of limestone and carbonaceous rocks, that, where saturated, form productive aquifers. Rock outcrops of granite or basalt also are exposed in

6588-442: The Loire river basin, that is, about 57 species from 20 families. Many of them are migratory, with 11 species ascending the river for spawning. The most common species are the Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ), sea trout ( Salmo trutta ), shads ( Alosa alosa and Alosa fallax ), sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) European river lamprey ( Lampetra fluviatilis ) and smelt ( Osmerus eperlanus ). The European eel ( Anguilla anguilla )

6710-452: The Loire unnavigable for fish and water vessels as they were partially or completely dried up. The monarchy of France ruled in the Loire Valley for several centuries, giving it the name of "The Valley of Kings". These rulers started with the Gauls, followed by the Romans, and the Frankish dynasty . They were succeeded by the kings of France, who ruled from the late 14th century till the French Revolution ; together these rulers contributed to

6832-485: The Lyon metropolitan area had a population of 2,308,818 that same year, the second most populated in France . Lyon and 58 suburban municipalities have formed since 2015 the Metropolis of Lyon , a directly elected metropolitan authority now in charge of most urban issues, with a population of 1,424,069 in 2021. Lyon is the prefecture of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and seat of the Departmental Council of Rhône (whose jurisdiction, however, no longer extends over

6954-417: The Lyonnais, who call their little boys and girls "gones" and "fenottes" for example. The historic site of Lyon was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. In its designation, UNESCO cited the "exceptional testimony to the continuity of urban settlement over more than two millennia on a site of great commercial and strategic significance." The specific regions comprising the historic site include

7076-413: The Metropolis of Lyon since 2015). The capital of the Gauls during the Roman Empire , Lyon is the seat of an archbishopric whose holder bears the title of Primate of the Gauls. Lyon became a major economic hub during the Renaissance . The city is recognised for its cuisine and gastronomy , as well as historical and architectural landmarks; as such, the districts of Old Lyon , the Fourvière hill ,

7198-414: The Metropolis of Lyon's metropolitan council were chosen by indirectly elected metropolitan councilors. The current president since July 2020 was elected by new metropolitan councilors following their election by universal suffrage in March (1st round) and June (2nd round) 2020, the first direct election of a metropolitan council in France. The GDP of Lyon was 124 billion US dollars in 2019, making it

7320-444: The Parc Olympique Lyonnais, a 59,000-seat stadium located in the eastern suburb of Décines-Charpieu . OL operates a women's team, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin , which competes in and dominates Division 1 Féminine . They won fourteen consecutive top-flight championships (2007–2020), and additionally claim the four titles won by the original incarnation of FC Lyon, a women's football club that merged into OL in 2004 (the current FC Lyon

7442-511: The Parsley frog ( Pelodites punctatus ), European tree frog ( Hyla arborea ), Common Frog ( Rana temporaria ), Agile Frog ( R. dalmatina ), Edible Frog ( R. esculenta ), Perez's Frog ( R. perezi ), marsh frog ( R. ridubunda ) and Pool Frog ( R. lessonae ). Newts of the Loire include the Marbled Newt ( Triturus marmoratus ), Smooth Newt ( T. vulgaris ), Alpine Newt ( T. alpestris ) and Palmate Newt ( T. helveticus ). The Loire hosts about 64% of nesting bird species of France, that

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7564-449: The Roman district and Fourvière, the Renaissance district (Vieux Lyon), the silk district (slopes of Croix-Rousse), and the Presqu'île, which features architecture from the 12th century to modern times. Both Vieux Lyon and the slopes of Croix-Rousse are known for their narrow passageways (named traboules ) that pass through buildings and link streets on either side. The first examples of traboules are thought to have been built in Lyon in

7686-449: The Saône and the Rhône, divide the arrondissements into three groups: This is a list of mayors of the commune of Lyon since the end of the 19th century. Since 2015, the commune of Lyon (48 km (19 sq mi) in land area) and 58 suburban communes have formed the Metropolis of Lyon (534 km (206 sq mi) in land area), a directly elected metropolitan authority now in charge of most urban issues. The Metropolis of Lyon

7808-515: The banking centre of France. During the Renaissance , the city's development was driven by the silk trade , which strengthened its ties to Italy. Italian influence on Lyon's architecture is still visible among historic buildings. In the late 1400s and 1500s Lyon was also a key centre of literary activity and book publishing, both of French writers (such as Maurice Scève , Antoine Heroet , and Louise Labé ) and of Italians in exile (such as Luigi Alamanni and Gian Giorgio Trissino ). In 1572, Lyon

7930-505: The banks of the river – and also as the "cradle of the French language". It is also noteworthy for its architectural heritage: in part for its historic towns such as Amboise , Angers , Blois , Chinon , Nantes , Orléans , Saumur , and Tours , but in particular for its castles, such as the Château d'Amboise , Château d'Angers , Château de Chambord , Château de Montsoreau , Château d'Ussé , Château de Villandry and Chenonceau , and also for its many cultural monuments, which illustrate

8052-467: The bi-polarity between Paris and Lyon, which is a constant structure in French development...from the late Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution ". In the late 15th century, the fairs introduced by Italian merchants made Lyon the economic counting house of France. Even the Bourse (treasury), built in 1749, resembled a public bazaar where accounts were settled in the open air. When international banking moved to Genoa , then Amsterdam , Lyon remained

8174-413: The campaign to save the Loire river system from development. In 1986, the French government , the Loire-Brittany Water Agency and the EPALA settled an agreement on flood prevention and water storage programme in the basin, involving construction of four large dams, one on the Loire itself and three on the Allier and Cher. The French government proposed a construction of a dam at Serre de la Fare on

8296-413: The city has taken the forms Lugdon , Luon , and since the 13th century, Lyon . The Gallic Lugdun or Lugdunon that was Latinized in Roman as Lugdunum is composed of two words. The first may be the name of the Celtic god Lug (in charge of order and law), or the derived word lugon , meaning "crow" (the crow being the messenger of Lug), but might also be another word lug , meaning "light". The second

8418-570: The city was called Caput Galliæ , meaning "capital of the Gauls". As an homage to this title, the Archbishop of Lyon is still called the Primate of Gaul. During the revolutionary period, Lyon was renamed Commune-Affranchie (" Emancipated Commune ") on 12 October 1793 by a decree of the Convention Nationale . It resumed its name in 1794, after the end of the Terror . Lyon is called Liyon in Franco-Provençal .   Roman Empire (Gallia Lugdunensis), 43 BC-286   Western Roman Empire (Gallia Lugdunensis), 286-411   Kingdom of

8540-445: The coast and 648 mm (25.5 in) inland. The Centre region of the Loire river valley accounts for the largest forest in France, the forest of Orléans (French: Forêt d'Orléans), covering an area of 38,234 hectares (94,480 acres), and the 5,440-hectare (13,400-acre) forested park known as the "Foret de Chambord". Other vegetation in the valley, mostly under private control, consists of tree species of oak , beech and pine . In

8662-412: The committee said that the Loire Valley is: "an exceptional cultural landscape, of great beauty, comprised of historic cities and villages, great architectural monuments – the Châteaux – and lands that have been cultivated and shaped by centuries of interaction between local populations and their physical environment, in particular the Loire itself." Architectural edifices were created in Loire valley from

8784-437: The commune of Lyon. The Villeurbanne ward is coterminous with the namesake commune. All other seven wards each group various suburban communes. The division of the Metropolis of Lyon in large electoral wards often grouping various communes and dividing the commune of Lyon into six wards was criticized by the suburban mayors, as it ended the rule of 'one commune, one metropolitan councilor'. The goal of this electoral division of

8906-722: The confluence with the Allier. In the middle section of the river in the Loire Valley, numerous dikes built between the 12th and 19th century exist, providing mitigation against flooding. In this section the river is relatively straight, except for the area near Orléans , and numerous sand banks and islands exist. The lower course of the river is characterized by wetlands and fens, which are of major importance to conservation, given that they form unique habitats for migratory birds. The Loire flows roughly northward through Roanne and Nevers to Orléans and thereafter westward through Tours to Nantes , where it forms an estuary . It flows into

9028-518: The conservation of the Loire estuary and its surroundings, given that they are unique habitats for migrating birds. The estuary and its shoreline are also important for fishing, shellfish farming and tourism. The major commercial port at Nantes has caused severe damage to the ecosystem of the Loire estuary. In 2002, the WWF aided a second Loire Nature project and expanded its scope to the entire basin, addressing some 4,500 hectares (11,000 acres) of land under

9150-567: The convergence of two navigable rivers made it a natural communications hub. The city became the starting point of main Roman roads in the area, and it quickly became the capital of the province, Gallia Lugdunensis . Two Emperors were born in this city: Claudius , whose speech is preserved in the Lyon Tablet in which he justifies the nomination of Gallic Senators, and Caracalla . Early Christians in Lyon were martyred for their beliefs under

9272-557: The creation of many main business centres: La Part-Dieu, located in the 3rd arrondissement is the second biggest business quarter after La Défense in Paris with over 1,600,000 m (17,222,256.67 sq ft) of office space and services and more than 55,000 jobs. Cité Internationale , created by the architect Renzo Piano is located in the border of the Parc de la Tête d'Or in the 6th arrondissement. The worldwide headquarters of Interpol

9394-465: The design of the châteaux in the 15th century before the Baroque style came into prominence with decorative and elegantly designed interiors and which became fashionable from the 16th to the end of the 18th century. Lyon Lyon is the third-most populous city of France, at the centre of its second-largest urban area . It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône , to

9516-511: The development of the valley. The chronology of the rulers is presented; in the table below. The Loire Valley ( French : Vallée de la Loire ) lies in the middle stretch of the river, extends for about 280 km (170 mi) and comprises an area of roughly 800 km (310 sq mi). It is also known as the Garden of France – due to the abundance of vineyards , fruit orchards, artichoke , asparagus and cherry fields which line

9638-458: The early 2000s and is now famous worldwide. Lyon is home to the football club Olympique Lyonnais (OL), whose men's team plays in Ligue 1 and has won the championship of that competition seven times, all consecutively from 2002 to 2008. OL played until December 2015 at the 43,000-seat Stade de Gerland , which also hosted matches of the 1998 FIFA World Cup . Since 2016, the team has played at

9760-466: The first of Lyon's extensive network of funicular railways began operation. During World War II , Lyon was a centre for the occupying Nazi forces, including Klaus Barbie , the infamous "Butcher of Lyon". However, the city was also a stronghold of the French Resistance , the many secret passages known as traboules , enabled people to escape Gestapo raids. On 3 September 1944, Lyon

9882-424: The flow sometimes exceeds 2,000 m /s (71,000 cu ft/s) for the Upper Loire and 8,000 m /s (280,000 cu ft/s) in the Lower Loire. The most serious floods occurred in 1856, 1866 and 1911. Unlike most other rivers in western Europe, there are very few dams or locks creating obstacles to its natural flow. The flow is no longer partly regulated by three dams: Grangent Dam and Villerest Dam on

10004-508: The foot of Mount have been highlighted as river sources. The three streams converge to form the Loire, which descends the valley south of Mount through the village of Sainte-Eulalie itself. The Loire changed its course, due to tectonic deformations, from the original outfall into the English Channel to its new outfall into the Atlantic Ocean thereby forming today's narrow terrain of gorges, the Loire Valley with alluvium formations and

10126-538: The gods. The city became increasingly referred to as Lugdunum (and occasionally Lugudunum ). The earliest translation of this Gaulish place-name as "Desired Mountain" is offered by the 9th-century Endlicher Glossary . In contrast, some modern scholars have proposed a Gaulish hill-fort named Lug[o]dunon, after the Celtic god Lugus (cognate with Old Irish Lugh , Modern Irish Lú ), and dúnon (hill-fort). The Romans recognised that Lugdunum's strategic location at

10248-577: The historian Dio Cassius , in 43 BC, the Roman Senate ordered the creation of a settlement for Roman refugees of war with the Allobroges . These refugees had been expelled from Vienne and were now encamped at the confluence of the Saône and Rhône rivers. The foundation was built on Fourvière hill and officially called Colonia Copia Felix Munatia , a name invoking prosperity and the blessing of

10370-693: The ideals of the Renaissance and the Age of the Enlightenment on western European thought and design. On December 2, 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the Loire valley, between Bouchemaine in Anjou and Sully-sur-Loire in Loiret , to its list of World Heritage Sites . In choosing this area that includes the French départements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher , Indre-et-Loire , and Maine-et-Loire ,

10492-478: The impressive fortresses of this type is the Château d'Angers , which has 17 gruesome towers. This was followed by aesthetically built châteaux (to also function as residential units), which substituted the quadrangular layout of the keep. However, the exterior defensive structures, in the form of portcullis and moats surrounding the thick walls of the châteaux' forts were retained. There was further refinement in

10614-444: The long stretch of beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. The river can be divided into three main zones: In the upper basin the river flows through a narrow, incised valley, marked by gorges and forests on the edges and a distinct low population. In the intermediate section, the alluvial plain broadens and the river meanders and forks into multiple channels. River flow is particularly high in the river area near Roanne and Vichy up to

10736-615: The lower reaches. Their total mass is low when the river flow exceeds 800 m /s (28,000 cu ft/s) and become significant at flows of 300 m /s (11,000 cu ft/s) or lower which occur in summer. With decreasing flow, first species which appear are single-celled diatoms such as Cyclostephanos invisitatus , C. meneghiniana , S. Hantzschii and Thalassiosira pseudonana . They are then joined by multicellular forms including Fragilaria crotonensis , Nitzschia fruticosa and Skeletonema potamos , as well as green algae which form star-shaped or prostrate colonies. Whereas

10858-477: The marshy lands, ash , alder and willows are grown with duckweed providing the needed natural fertilizing effect. The Atlantic coast is home to several aquatic herbs, the important species is Salicornia , which is used as a culinary ingredient on account of its diuretic value. Greeks introduced vines . Romans introduced melons , apples , cherries , quinces and pears during the Middle Ages, apart from extracting saffron from purple crocus species in

10980-453: The metropolis was to focus metropolitan elections more on metropolitan issues than parochial communal issues, and ensure the 'one person, one vote' rule be respected, by creating electoral wards of more homogeneous population sizes. Opponents said it diluted the voice of the small suburban communes, which are now part of large electoral wards and do not each possess a representative in the metropolitan council anymore. The two first presidents of

11102-579: The middle course of the Loire in Gaul under King Sangiban . Many inhabitants around the present city of Orléans have names bearing witness to the Alan presence – Allaines. In the 9th century, the Vikings began invading the west coast of France, using longships to navigate the Loire. In 853 they attacked and destroyed Tours and its famous abbey, later destroying Angers in raids of 854 and 872. In 877 Charles

11224-531: The non-native species are represented by the rock bass ( Ambloplites rupestris ). Although only one native fish species has become extinct in the Loire, namely the European sea sturgeon ( Acipenser sturio ) in the 1940s, the fish population is declining, mostly due to the decrease in the spawning areas. The latter are mostly affected by the industrial pollution, construction of dams and drainage of oxbows and swamps . The loss of spawning grounds mostly affects

11346-544: The northwest of the French Alps , 391 km (243 mi) southeast of Paris , 278 km (173 mi) north of Marseille , 113 km (70 mi) southwest of Geneva , Switzerland, 58 km (36 mi) northeast of Saint-Étienne . The City of Lyon had a population of 522,250 at the Jan. 2021 census within its small municipal territory of 48 km (19 sq mi), but together with its suburbs and exurbs

11468-491: The port of Nantes numbered more inland waterway craft than any other port in France, testifying to the historic importance of navigation on France's longest river. Shallow-draught gabares and other river craft continued to transport goods into the industrial era, including coal from Saint-Étienne loaded on to barges in Orléans. However, the hazardous free-flow navigation and limited tonnages meant that railways rapidly killed off

11590-578: The projects the green light. This sparked public demonstrations by the WWF and conservation groups. In 1990, Loire Vivante met with the French Prime Minister and the government, successfully, as the government demanded that the EPALA embark upon major reforms in its approach to managing the river. Due to extensive lobbying, the proposal and the other dam proposals were eventually rejected in the 1990s. The gorges zone has since been protected as

11712-699: The region of Gien , flowing westward along the present course. At a certain point during the long history of uplift in the Paris Basin , the lower, Atlantic Loire captured the "palaeo-Loire" or Loire séquanaise (" Seine Loire"), producing the present river. The former bed of the Loire séquanaise is occupied by the Loing . The Loire Valley has been inhabited since the Middle Palaeolithic period from 40 to 90  ka . Neanderthal man used stone tools to fashion boats out of tree trunks and navigated

11834-575: The reign of François I from 1515 to 1547, the Italian Renaissance had a profound influence upon the region, as people adopted its elements in the architecture and culture, particularly among the elite who expressed its principles in their chateaus . In the 1530s, the Reformation ideas reached the Loire valley, with some people becoming Protestant. Religious wars followed and in 1560 Catholics drowned several hundred Protestants in

11956-425: The reigns of various Roman emperors, most notably Marcus Aurelius and Septimius Severus . Local saints from this period include Blandina , Pothinus , and Epipodius , among others. The Greek Irenaeus was the second bishop of Lyon during the latter part of the second century. To this day, the archbishop of Lyon is still referred to as " Primat des Gaules ". Burgundians fleeing the destruction of Worms by

12078-458: The river Cher at Noyers and back into the Loire near Tours, was closed in 1955. The river is officially navigable as far as Bouchemaine , where the Maine joins it near Angers . Another short stretch much further upstream at Decize is also navigable, where a river level crossing from the Canal latéral à la Loire connects to the Canal du Nivernais . In 2022, a drought rendered parts of

12200-445: The river and spawn in the upper reaches of the Allier. The French government undertook this major plan, chiefly because pollution and overfishing had reduced approximately 100,000 salmon migrating annually to their spawning grounds in the headwaters of the Loire and its tributaries to just 67 salmon in 1996 on the upper Allier. The WWF, BirdLife International , and local conservation bodies have also made considerable efforts to improve

12322-425: The river bed in several stretches. The middle stretches of the river have many limestone caves which were inhabited by humans in the prehistoric era; the caves are several types of limestone formations, namely tuffeau (a porous type of chalk , not to be confused with tufa ) and Falun (formed 12 million years ago). The coastal zone shows hard dark stones, granite, schist and thick soil mantle. The river has

12444-574: The river's ecosystems and wildlife. That year, the Upper Loire Valley Farmers Association was also established through a partnership between SOS Loire Vivante and a farmers’ union to promote sustainable rural tourism. The French government adopted the Natural Loire River Plan (Plan Loire Grandeur Nature) in January 1994, initiating the decommissioning of three dams on the river. The final dam

12566-568: The river. During the Wars of Religion from 1562 to 1598, Orléans served as a prominent stronghold for the Huguenots but in 1568, Protestants blew up Orléans Cathedral . In 1572 some 3000 Huguenots were slaughtered in Paris in the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre . Hundreds more were drowned in the Loire by Catholics. For centuries local people used wooden embankments and dredging to try to maintain

12688-530: The river. Modern man inhabited the Loire valley around 30 ka. By around 5000 to 4000 BC, they began clearing forests along the river edges and cultivating the lands and rearing livestock. They built megaliths to worship the dead, especially from around 3500 BC. The Gauls arrived in the valley between 1500 and 500 BC, and the Carnutes settled in Cenabum in what is now Orléans and built

12810-784: The second richest city in France after Paris. Lyon and its region Rhône-Alpes represent one of the most important economies in Europe and, according to Loughborough University, can be compared to Philadelphia, Mumbai or Athens with regard to its international position. The city of Lyon is working in partnership to more easily enable the establishment of new headquarters in the territory (ADERLY, Chambre du commerce et d'industrie , Grand Lyon ...). High-tech industries such as biotechnology, software development, video game ( Arkane Studios , Ivory Tower , Eden Games , EA France , Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe), and internet services are also growing. Other important sectors include medical research and technology, non-profit institutions, and universities. Lyon

12932-567: The south side of Mont Gerbier de Jonc at 44°50′38″N 4°13′12″E  /  44.84389°N 4.22000°E  / 44.84389; 4.22000 . This lies in the north-eastern part of the southern Cévennes highlands, in the Ardèche commune of Sainte-Eulalie of southeastern France. It is originally a mere trickle of water located at 1,408 m (4,619 ft) above sea-level . The presence of an aquifer under Mont Gerbier de Jonc gives rise to multiple sources, three of them located at

13054-441: The south. Another Lyon tradition is a type of brunch food called "mâchons", made of local charcuterie and usually accompanied by Beaujolais red wine. Mâchons were the customary meal of the canuts, the city's silk workers, who ate a late-morning meal after they finished their shifts in the factories. Other traditional local dishes include coq au vin ; quenelle ; gras double ; salade lyonnaise (lettuce with bacon, croûtons and

13176-471: The surviving traffic from the 1850s. In 1894 a company was set up to promote improvements to the navigation from Nantes to Briare. The works were authorised in 1904 and carried out in two phases from Angers to the limit of tides at Oudon. These works, with groynes and submersible embankments, survive and contribute to the limited navigability under present-day conditions. A dam across the Loire at Saint-Léger-des-Vignes provides navigable conditions to cross from

13298-593: The third arrondissement (which originally covered the whole of the Left Bank of the Rhône) was split three times, creating a new arrondissement in each case. Then, in 1963, the commune of Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe was annexed to Lyon's fifth arrondissement. A year later, in 1964, the fifth was split to create Lyon's 9th – and, to date, final – arrondissement. Within each arrondissement, the recognisable quartiers or neighbourhoods are: Geographically, Lyon's two main rivers,

13420-418: The title of "Capital of Lights". Economically, Lyon is a major centre for banking , chemical , pharmaceutical and biotech industries. The city contains a significant software industry with a particular focus on video games; in recent years it has fostered a growing local start-up sector. The home of renowned universities and higher education schools, Lyon is the second-largest student city in France, with

13542-467: The total biomass is low in the upper reaches, the biodiversity is high, with more than 250 taxa at Orléans. At high flows and in the upper reaches the fraction of the green algae decrease and the phytoplankton is dominated by diatoms. Heterotrophic bacteria are represented by cocci (49%), rods (35%), colonies (12%) and filaments (4%) with a total density of up to 1.4 × 10 cells per litre. Nearly every freshwater fish species of France can be found in

13664-659: The upper Loire which would have been an environmental catastrophe, as it would have inundated some 20 km (12 mi) of pristine gorges . As a result, the WWF and other NGOs established the Loire Vivante (Living Loire) network in 1988 to oppose this and arranged an initial meeting with the French Minister of the Environment. The French government initially rejected the conservation concerns and in 1989 gave

13786-475: The valley in 56 BC when Julius Caesar conquered the adjacent provinces for Rome . Christianity was introduced into this valley from the 3rd century AD, as missionaries (many later recognized as saints ), converted the pagans . In this period, settlers established vineyards and began producing wines. The Loire Valley has been called the "Garden of France" and is studded with over a thousand châteaux , each with distinct architectural embellishments covering

13908-488: The world for quite some time. The Canal de Roanne à Digoin was also opened in 1838. It was nearly closed in 1971 but, in the early 21st century, it still provides navigation further up the Loire valley to Digoin . The 261 km (162 mi) Canal de Berry , a narrow canal with locks only 2.7 m (8.9 ft) wide, which was opened in the 1820s and connected the Canal latéral à la Loire at Marseilles-lès-Aubigny to

14030-526: Was 40.5 °C (104.9 °F) on 13 August 2003 while the lowest recorded temperature was −24.6 °C (−12.3 °F) on 22 December 1938. Like Paris and Marseille , the commune (municipality) of Lyon is divided into a number of municipal arrondissements , each of which is identified by a number and has its own council and town hall. Five arrondissements were originally created in 1852, when three neighbouring communes (La Croix-Rousse, La Guillotière, and Vaise) were annexed by Lyon. Between 1867 and 1959,

14152-696: Was a scene of mass violence by Catholics against Protestant Huguenots in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre . Two centuries later, Lyon was again convulsed by violence during the French Revolution , when the citizenry rose up against the National Convention and supported the Girondins . The city was besieged by Revolutionary armies for over two months before it surrendered in October 1793. Many buildings were destroyed, especially around

14274-421: Was decommissioned by Électricité de France at a cost of 7 million francs in 1998. The basis of the decision was that the economic benefits of the dams did not outweigh their significant ecological impacts, so the intention was to restore the riverine ecosystems and replenish great Loire salmon stocks. The Loire is unique in this respect as the Atlantic salmon can swim as far as 900 km (560 mi) up

14396-560: Was founded in 2009). The OL women have also won the UEFA Women's Champions League eight times, including in five consecutive editions from 2016 to 2020. Lyon hosted the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals as well as the Final on 7 July at Stade de Lyon. Lyon has a rugby union team, Lyon OU , in the Top 14 , which moved into Stade de Gerland full-time in 2017–18. In addition, Lyon has

14518-603: Was initiated in the 1980s and included such as measures as removal of two obsolete hydroelectric dams and introduction of juvenile stock. As a result, the salmon population increased to about 500 in 2005. Most amphibians of the Loire are found in the slow flow areas near the delta, especially in the floodplain, marshes and oxbows. They are dominated by the fire salamander ( Salamandra salamandra ), frogs and toads. The toads include Bufo bufo , Alytes obstetricans , Bombina variegata , Bufo calamita , Pelobates fuscus and Pelobates cultripes . The frogs are represented by

14640-472: Was liberated by the 1st Free French Division and the Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur . The city is now home to a Resistance museum. The Rhône and Saône converge to the south of the historic city centre, forming a peninsula – the " Presqu'île " – bounded by two large hills to the west and north and a large plain eastward. Place Bellecour is located on the Presqu'île between the two rivers and

14762-645: Was not the only target within Lyon during the French Revolution. After the Convention faded into history, the French Directory appeared and days after the 4 September 1797 Coup of 18 Fructidor , a Directory's commissioner was assassinated in Lyon. The city became an important industrial town in the 19th century. In 1831 and 1834, the canuts (silk workers) of Lyon staged two major uprisings for better working conditions and pay. In 1862,

14884-421: Was still frequently stopped by excessive conditions during flood and drought. In 1707, floods were said to have drowned 50,000 people in the river valley, with the water rising more than 3 m (9.8 ft) in two hours in Orléans . Typically passenger travel downriver from Orléans to Nantes took eight days, with the upstream journey against the flow taking fourteen. It was also a dumping ground for prisoners in

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