Maréchal Foch Street

Together with Charles de Gaulle Street, Maréchal Foch Street is one of Roanne's main thoroughfares. In fact, the locals still call it Commerce Street. With its many clothing, shoe, and accessory shops, it leads straight to the Town Hall Square. In the past, it linked the upper town, where the castle stood, to the lower town, around the Loire. It was therefore the busiest street in Roanne at the time. Throughout its history, it had several different names before being renamed Maréchal Foch Street in 1944. If you look at the beginning of this iconic street, you will see that it is made up of former mansions that belonged to the town's nobility. They built their residences here, protecting them from possible flooding from the Loire. The street became pedestrianised in 1981, opening the way to long shopping sessions in the heart of Roanne.