[lawn-luh-soh-nyey] 
| a city in and the capital of Jura, in E France. 23,292. |
Lons-le-Saunier
town, capital of Jura departement, Franche-Comte region, eastern France, south-southeast of Dijon. Located at 846 feet (258 m) above sea level in the valley of the Solvan, it is surrounded by vine-clad hills. It is a pleasant spa, owing its original Roman name, Salinarius, to the local salt mines. It manufactures optical instruments, cheese, and sparkling wines. The Church of Saint-Desire has an 11th-century crypt. On the avenue called the Promenade de la Chevalerie there is a statue by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the 19th-century French sculptor (who designed the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor), of Rouget de Lisle, a native of the town, who composed the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise." The museum in the Hotel de Ville has a collection of the composer's songs. Pop. (1982) 19,996.
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