Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez

Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez
Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez
Commune
	Bridge at Vérines
	Coat of arms
	show Location of Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez
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	Coordinates: 45°29′53″N 4°10′05″E / 45.4981°N 4.1681°ECoordinates: 45°29′53″N 4°10′05″E / 45.4981°N 4.1681°E
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Loire
Arrondissement	Montbrison
Canton	Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert
Intercommunality	CA Loire Forez
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Éric Lardon
Area 1	31.09 km2 (12.00 sq mi)
Population (Jan. 2018)	4,856
• Density	160/km2 (400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	42256 /42680
Elevation	379–640 m (1,243–2,100 ft) ; (avg. 407 m or 1,335 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez (Occitan: Sant Marcelin) is a commune in the Loire department in central France.

History[]

Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez is at an ancient crossroads between Burgundy and Velay, on the highway from the Forez and Montbrison toward the only bridge known in the south of the Loire, which was at Saint-Rambert.

The origins of the city date back to the early Middle Ages. The earliest written reference to the town dates from 984, but a treasure of about 500 4th-century coins (discovered in 1884) indicates an even earlier settlement.

The parish church is mentioned in 1225 and the town's fortifications in 1286. The town is surrounded by a double ring of ramparts of the thirteenth century and the fifteenth century, which gives it a solid appearance. The fortifications are pictured in 's armorial (1450).

The old town, topped by a high tower, was a defensive structure that withstood repeated assaults. St Marcellin was the stronghold of the Counts of Forez, who had their castle within its walls. It then passed to the Dukes of Bourbon, then was annexed to the kingdom of France without ever having been conquered.^[3]

Populations[]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1793	1,500	—
1806	1,649	+9.9%
1821	1,805	+9.5%
1831	1,740	−3.6%
1841	1,718	−1.3%
1851	2,018	+17.5%
1861	2,011	−0.3%
1872	1,995	−0.8%
1881	2,017	+1.1%
1891	1,979	−1.9%
1901	2,060	+4.1%
1911	1,994	−3.2%

Year	Pop.	±%
1921	1,901	−4.7%
1931	1,868	−1.7%
1946	1,704	−8.8%
1954	1,807	+6.0%
1962	1,915	+6.0%
1968	2,096	+9.5%
1975	2,312	+10.3%
1982	2,931	+26.8%
1990	3,133	+6.9%
1999	3,373	+7.7%
2012	4,376	+29.7%
2017	4,848	+10.8%

Twin towns[]

Saint-Marcellin-en-Forez is twinned with:

Marta, Lazio, Italy

References[]

INSEE commune file

^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
^ "Populations légales 2018". INSEE. 28 December 2020.
^ http://Saint^{[permanent dead link]} Marcellin town website: History www.saintmarcellinenforez.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=99