town, Loire département, Rhône-Alpes région, southeast-central France. It lies on the Ondaine River immediately southwest of Saint-Étienne. The name, originally Firminiaco signifying “place of Firmin,” was first recorded (971) in a charter given by the king of Burgundy. It is the site of two historic churches, one built in the 12th century, the other in the 16th. Firminy-Vert is a complex of modern buildings designed by the architect Le Corbusier. The complex includes a cultural centre, a residential building, and a church. Firminy is the centre of a coal-mining region and has iron, steel, and aluminum industries. Pop. (1999) 19,297.