Lorette, Loire

Lorette (French pronunciation: [lɔʁɛt]) is a commune in the Loire department in central France, in the Gier valley.

Lorette
Commune
Coat of arms
Location of Lorette
Lorette Show map of France Lorette Show map of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Coordinates: 45°30′46″N 4°34′55″E
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Loire
Arrondissement	Saint-Étienne
Canton	Rive-de-Gier
Intercommunality	Saint-Étienne Métropole
Government
• Mayor (2023–2026)	Gérard Tardy[1]
Area 1	3.41 km2 (1.32 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	4,896
• Density	1,440/km2 (3,720/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	42123 /42420
Elevation	257–500 m (843–1,640 ft) (avg. 280 m or 920 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Lorette lies in the valley of the Gier, a coal mining region, on the south bank of the Giers just east of La Grand-Croix. The Dorlay river, a tributary of the Gier that rises in Mont Pilat, defines the west border of the commune.^[3]

History

The region was developed in the 19th century for coal mining. In 1830 the Jackson brothers (Frères Jackson) built a steel works at Assailly in what is now the north of Lorette. As a result of a merger, in 1854 this became part of the Compagnie des Hauts-fourneaux, forges et aciéries de la Marine et des chemins de fer, based in Rive-de-Gier.^[4] Lorette was created on 27 April 1847 in response to the development of the steelworks, particularly that of the Jackson Brothers. It includes the old quarters of the municipalities of Saint-Paul-en-Jarez, Saint-Genis-Terrenoire (now Genilac), Rive-de-Gier and Farnay.

Churches

Lorette has two places of worship. Notre Dame, located in the bottom of the town, was completely renovated a few years ago. It is a very light church, since the stained glass has been replaced by large windows. Only two stained glass windows remain above the choir. Currently, it is mainly used in large masses and ceremonies. The John XXIII chapel is located on the main street of the town, just down the road. Shaped as a theater, the choir of the chapel is at the bottom of the steps in a pit. It is used every Sunday for mass.

Population

Historical population
Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1851 2,856 —     1872 4,177 +1.83% 1901 4,522 +0.27% 1926 4,573 +0.04% 1946 3,763 −0.97% 1962 4,921 +1.69% 1968 4,967 +0.16%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1975 4,589 −1.12% 1982 5,094 +1.50% 1990 5,082 −0.03% 1999 4,843 −0.53% 2007 4,494 −0.93% 2012 4,653 +0.70% 2017 4,700 +0.20%
Source: EHESS[5] and INSEE (1968-2017)[6]

Personalities

• Étienne Rival born 15 November 1855 - Priest
• Alain Prost born 24 February 1955 at the clinique Les Berceaux - 4-time Formula One champion
• Michel Corringe died at Lorette le 2 October 2001 - Singer
• Jean Delay born at Lorette 19 October 1879 - Bishop of Marseille

See also

• Communes of the Loire department