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Rhône (Department, France)

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Administrative data

Code: 69
Region: Rhône-Alpes
Traditional province: Lyonnais
Bordering departments: Ain, Isère, Loire, Saône-et-Loire
Area: 3,249 km²
Population (2007): 1,683,000 inhabitants

Préfecture: Lyon
Sous-préfecture: Villefranche-sur-Saône
Subdivisions: 2 arrondissements, 54 cantons, 293 communes.

The department is named after river Rhône.
The department was created in 1793, when the department of Rhône-et-Loire was divided into Rhône and Loire.
The urbanization of the surroundings of Lyon caused the transfer of several municipalities from the departments of Isère and Ain to the department of Rhône, causing a territorial increase of 458 km² for Rhône.
Decree of 2 March 1852 transferred from Isère the municipalities of Bron, Vaulx-en-Velin, Vénissieux (from which the municipality of Saint-Fons seceded in 1888) and Villeurbanne.
Law of 29 December 1967, published in the French official gazette on 30 December 1967, with effect on 31 December 1967, transferred from Isère the municipalities of Chaponnay, Chassieu, Communay, Corbas, Décines-Charpieu, Feyzin, Genas, Jonage, Jons, Marennes, Meyzieu, Mions, Pusignan, Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure, Saint-Laurent-de-Mure, Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu, Saint-Priest, Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, Sérézin-du-Rhône, Simandres, Solaize, Ternay and Toussieu, and, from Ain, the municipalities of Genay, Montanay, Rillieux, Crépieux-la-Pape (merged in 1972 with Rillieux to form Rillieux-la-Pape), Sathonay-Camp and Sathonay-Village.
Decree of 5 March 1971, published in the French official gazette on 14 March 1971, with effect on 1 April 1971, transferred from Isère the municipality Colombier-Saugnieu.

Ivan Sache, 13 November 2009

Flag of Rhône

The flags representing the departments of Region Rhône-Alpes are hoisted, together with the Region's flag, in front of the seat of the Regional Council at Charbonnières-les-Bains, near Lyon, as shown on a photo taken by Pascal Vagnat on 12 February 2006.

The department of Rhône is represented by a banner of its arms:
Parti, au premier de gueules au lion d'argent, au chef cousu d'azur chargé de trois fleurs de lis d'or ; au deuxième, d'or au lion de sable surchargé d'un lambel de gueules ("Per pale: 1. Gules a lion rampant argent a chief azure three fleurs de lis or; 2. Or a lion rampant sable armed and langued overall a label of five points dovetailed gules.")
The left part of the arms represents Lyonnais (indeed the arms are those of the town of Lyon) while the right parts of the arms represents Beaujolais.

Beaujolais, named for its capital Beaujeu, was a Baronage subsequently erected to a County. According to Eugène Méhu, the label was added to the original arms of the lords of Beaujeu by Guichard V in 1250 as a brisure, either because his elder son had taken the coat or because he wanted to highlight his origins, from the Counts of Lyon and Forez (?). The label was sometimes represented with only three points.

Source:: Salles-Arbuissonnas municipal website

Ivan Sache, 4 October 2009