Saint-Genis-Laval

Saint-Genis-Laval
The « château de La Tour » The « château de La Tour »
Coat of arms of Saint-Genis-Laval Coat of arms
Saint-Genis-Laval
Location within Rhône-Alpes region Saint-Genis-Laval
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Metropolis	Metropolis of Lyon
Arrondissement	Lyon
Government
• Mayor (2014-2020)	Roland Crimier (MoDem)
Area1	12.92 km2 (4.99 sq mi)
Population (2012)2	20,632
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	69204 / 69230
Elevation	169–307 m (554–1,007 ft) (avg. 270 m or 890 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Saint-Genis-Laval is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France.

The Lyon Observatory is located in this commune.

History

Saint-Genis-Laval draws the name of Saint-Genis or Genest, Rome actor tortured under Diocletian. At the beginning of the XIIIth century, to differentiate it of other villages of the same name, they added it the qualitative of «of the valley», which in the XVth century was transformed into "Laval".

The first mention of Saint-Genis dates back to 807, a year of donation of the archbishop Leidrade in the hospitals of Saint-Roman and from Saint-Genis. In 984 it was mentioned for the first time as part of properties of the Lyon archbishop, in the count of 52 parish of the underground Lyon Church. Little by little, the archbishop resigned his belongings in favour of the Canons of the Lyon Cathedral. In the 13th century, they made strengthen the village and in 1447 the surrounding wall was done again. The current shape of the centre of the city still shows, between the line of the Middle Ages market town of the rests of the surrounding wall, an ancient tower in the garden of the remedy (prison for a long time); the North port (restored in the 18th century) and one U-turn set in houses, des Halles street (or street of Covered market).

Heraldry

The weapon of Saint-Genis-Laval in heraldic language means:

Of azure of the bust of saint Genis gold, haloed with gold, accompanied with letters S, G and L capitals of the same, to the leader sewed of faces charged with a griffon issaunt also contoured with gold, confronted to a lion issuant with gold.

See also

• Communes of the Metropolis of Lyon

References

• INSEE