Firminy gallery

Firminy is a town in the Loire department located about 70 kilometers away from Lyon and 12 kilometers from Saint Etienne, characterized by a strong industrial and working history. Coal and metallurgical industries have long been at the heart of local life. Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, urban renovation projects were launched, notably called "Green Firminy" (in opposition to "Black Firminy", symbol of the industrial history). These major projects were mainly led by the architect Le Corbusier, who marks the urban planning of the city by building a cultural center, a sports center and a housing unit. A church is also planned in the project but completed only well after his death in the early 2000s. While the population has always been over 20,000 inhabitants in the 20th century, there is only less than 17 000 inhabitants nowadays, as a result of deindustrialization. The current mayor of the city is a member of the French Communist Party.