Givors (; ) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. Location It lies at the confluence of the Rhone and the Gier about south of Lyon and on the main road between that city and Saint-Étienne. It lies between the Monts du Lyonnais to the north and west and the foothills of Mont Pilat to the south and west. The city has long served as a crossroads between the communities of the Rhône and those of the Loire. The A47 autoroute runs through the heart of Givors connecting it to Saint-Étienne, Lyon and Vienne. Givors is also a northern gateway to the Pilat Regional Natural Park. History Early years Before Roman times the Segusiavi occupied the territory where the present city of Givors is found. The fishing community lay on the Roman Via Aquitania. The Tour de Varissan was a Roman post of some importance. In 1032 the province came under rule of the emperor Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, and was German until 1157, when Frederick Barbarossa officially recognizes that the province belonged to the Kingdom of France. In the 12th century the current city of Givors came into the possession of the Archbishop of Lyon, who was both temporal and spiritual leader of the region. In 1208 the archbishop of Lyon, Renaud de Forez, decided to build a stone castle halfway up the Saint Gerald hill. The Castle of Saint Gerald was the residence of the canons representing the archbishop in Givors. The castle was destroyed in 1591 when Givors was stormed by the troops of Lesdiguières, and was never rebuilt. Today, the ruins of the castle of Saint-Gerald may still be detected. From the 17th to the 19th century the city was noted for the presence of corporations of watermen for whom the church of Saint-Nicolas was the religious center. The second church of Saint Nicholas was built in 1646 to replace the chapel that the sailors had formerly dedicated to Saint Nicholas, patron of the inland waterways. Industrial growth and decline Coal mining increased significantly in the 18th century, so much that it was carried on mules to Lyon and Vienna. It is estimated that the amount of ore transported daily averaged four tons. On 10 May 1749 King Louis XV of France authorized Sieurs Esnard and Robichon to build a glass works at Givors with furnaces heated by