city, St. Louis county, east-central Missouri, U.S. A northern suburb of St. Louis, it lies in a valley near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Settled by the French in about 1785, it was called St. Ferdinand by the Spanish and was officially renamed Florissant (from the French fleurissant, “flowering”) in 1939. The Old St. Ferdinand's Shrine (a former Roman Catholic church) was built in 1821. St. Stanislaus Seminary was founded there by the Jesuits in 1831; Gateway College of Evangelism (1968) now occupies the site. St. Louis Christian College was opened in 1956. Casa Alvarez (c. 1790) survives as an example of Missouri French architecture. Manufactures include safety and electrical equipment. Inc. 1857. Pop. (2000) 50,497; (2005 est.) 51,812.