Lyonnais [key], region and former province, E central France, now divided into the Rhône and Loire depts. It included Lyonnais proper (the region around Lyons, its capital), which Philip IV acquired c.1307; the former counties of Forez and Beaujolais, annexed in 1531; and the tiny dependency of Franc-Lyonnais. It is largely a grazing region, with great industrial centers (noted especially for their textile production) at Lyons, Saint-Étienne, and Roanne.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: French Political Geography
