Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne (French pronunciation: ​[sɛ̃t‿etjɛn]; Arpitan: Sant-Etiève; Saint Stephen) is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon. Saint-Étienne is the capital of the Loire department and has a population of approximately 172,023 (2013) in the city itself and over 508,000 in the metropolitan area (2011).

History

Named after Saint Stephen, the city first appears in the historical record in the Middle Ages as Saint-Étienne de Furan (after the River Furan, a tributary of the Loire). In the 13th century it was a small borough around the church dedicated to Saint Etienne. On the upper reaches of the Furan near the Way of St. James the Abbey of Valbenoîte had been founded by the cistercians in 1222. In the late 15th century it was a fortified village defended by walls built around the original nucleus.

From the 16th century, Saint-Étienne developed an arms manufacturing industry and became a market town. It was this which accounted for the town's importance, although it also became a centre for the manufacture of ribbons and passementerie starting in the 17th century. During the French revolution, Saint-Étienne was briefly renamed Armeville – 'arms town' – because of this activity.

Saint Etienne

Saint Étienne is French for Saint Stephen.

"Saint Etienne" may further refer to:

Places

Canada

France

Saint-Étienne (Troyes)

The Collégiale Saint-Étienne (Saint Stephen Collegiate Church) was a church founded in Troyes, France, in 1157 by Henry I, Count of Champagne. He intended that it would become a mausoleum in which the grandeur of the House of Blois would be displayed, but that did not happen. The church was demolished during the French Revolution.

Foundation

The main palace of the counts of Champagne was located on a site in Troyes that is now the basin of the canal. It had a small chapel of Saint Andrew served by two chaplains. In 1157 Henry I, Count of Champagne (1127–81), known as Henry the Liberal, founded a large and splendid church dedicated to Saint Stephen (Saint Étienne) to replace the chapel. Henry may have placed the college under Saint Stephen in memory of his uncle, Stephen of Blois, who ruled in England in 1135–54. The college and the many houses of the canons were located in the district of Troyes that today is called "Cloître-Saint-Etienne". The founding charter provided for nine dignitaries and 72 canons, making it one of the most important charters in France. The nine dignitaries were the dean, sub-dean, provost, cantor, sub-cantor, treasurer, building manager, headmaster and steward.