Lorette, Loire

Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Coat of arms

Location of Lorette

(2023–2026) Gérard Tardy^[1]Area

3.41 km² (1.32 sq mi)Population

(2021)^[2]

4,817 • Density1,400/km² (3,700/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)INSEE/Postal code

42123 /42420

Elevation257–500 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.

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

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 It is a very light church, since the stained glass has been replaced by large windows.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

References

^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 6 June 2023.
^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
^ CESAME (March 2010). "Prélèvements et gestion quantitative de la ressource sur le bassin versant du Gier Phase 1" (PDF). Saint-Etienne Metropole. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
^ "Compagnie des forges et aciéries de la Marine et d'Homécourt" (PDF). Société anonyme Creusot-Loire. 16 December 1971. p. 2. Retrieved 17 August 2013.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Lorette, EHESS (in French).
^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE