FIRMINY is in the Vallée de l’Ondaine, on the border of two departments la Loire and la Haute-Loire.
FIRMINY was well-known for its nail craftsmanship, which expanded very rapidly at the same time as the coal mine quarries.
The Ecomuseum of Les Bruneaux
Essential visiting
The Sapeurs Pompiers (Fire fighters) Museum. Experience two centuries of technical progress. The Ecomuseum of Les Bruneaux. The magnificent 18th century château gives you a glimpse of the fortified house it would have been in the 15th century. A perfect reproduction of a mine gallery
In the Bruneaux ecomuseum there is a mine gallery in which you are able to discover the capturing atmosphere and the hard reality of the work of coalminers.
Other places to see :
The toy centre dedicated to the brand Gégé, various temporary exhibitions, the garden of scents between June and October and the permanent exhibitions. What to see during the guided tour the chapel.
La Porte Saint-Pierre dating back to the 12th century. This door is registered in the inventory of Historical Monuments. The church organs in Saint-Firmin. They are registered in the inventory of Historical Monuments The Bourse de Travail .The facade of this brick building is a lovely example of the beginning of the 20th century architecture.
Unique in Europe The architectural works of Le Corbusier FIRMINY Vert
An example The Grand Prize for Town planning in 1961. FIRMINY is a town with a strong mining past, which saw its population grow and be housed in poor living conditions. A lack of hygiene and comfort were dominant.
In this context, Eugène Claudius-Petit envisaged, in an initial town planning scheme, the rehabilitation of the town centre and the creation of a new district: FIRMINY-Vert. This new area was designed by four architects who worked according to the principles of the “Athens Charter” which is based on the great ideas of the architect Le Corbusier.
The four fundamental functions of this town planning are «live, work, amuse oneself, circulate». Man must be able to blossom in a setting where “sun - space – greenery” prevail.
From 1954, Le Corbusier worked on the “Centre Civique” which was made up of four buildings: the Maison de la Culture, the stadium, the swimming pool and the church Saint-Pierre. La Maison de la Culture was classified as a Historical Monument from 1984. Built between 1961 and 1965, the Maison de la Culture is the only building which was designed while the architect was still alive. His concept, which stemmed from the André Malraux programme aimed to make “ the works of the human genius” accessible to all.
Church of Saint-Pierre
Living unit
Le Corbusier
The stadium
Classified as a Historical Monument
The stadium was built between 1966 and 1968 based on drawings by Le Corbusier.
The swimming pool of Wogenscky
Monument registered in the inventory of Historical Monuments.
It was designed by one of his students André Wogenscky.
The Church Saint-Pierre
In 1960, Eugène Claudius Petit and the parish comity requested that Le Corbusier design a church for the district of FIRMINY-Vert. He drew up the plans, and assisted José Oubrerie and José Luis Miquel up until 1965. In 1970 the first foundation stone was laid but building didn’t start before 1973 and was interrupted indefinitely in 1978. The parts that were built were classified as Historical Monuments in 1996.
The work finally ended in November 2006 (financed by the Communauté d’Agglomération, Saint-Étienne Métropole); The building has the appearance of a square based building which then forms a truncated cone which rises up to 33 metres high. The lower part houses a significant portion of the works of Le Corbusier and his contemporaries. The upper part, which is decorated with the Orion constellation, is a place of worship and a cultural place.
The housing block unit
Started in 1965, the building was finished by André Wogenscky. It corresponds to the concept of the «cités jardin verticales» and the «Chartreuse moderne». His five points of architecture can be observed – pilotis (reinforced concrete stilts), a free façade (meaning non-supporting walls), open floor space, canopy and roof-garden.
The modulor system was applied for the building of this complex. The guided tour allows one to see the showcase apartment, the school and the roof gaden.
Le Corbusier Website : a legendary creation
Discover Le Corbusier's architecture : Living unit, Stadium, Swimming pool Maison de la Culture Church of Saint-Pierre.
Official web site with information for planning a visit.
Three footpaths will take you around FIRMINY.
The grounds at Les Bruneaux and Sous Paulat are other places you may appreciate for your strolls. The Tourist Office can give you all the information you may need 00 334 44 56 30 22
Activities and leisure
Swimming pool
A great place for fun and there is also a keep-fit room where you can exercise. Piscine André Wogenscky, the local swimming pool
Discover our region
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