Saint-Étienne is a city in France, located southwest of Lyon. It is the prefecture of the Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It was first mentioned in 1258 as "Sancti Stephani de Furanum". From about the 14th century, the importance of the city grew due to the arms that were made there. Jules Massenet was born near Saint-Étienne.