Rhône-et-Loire was a département of France whose préfecture (capital) was Lyon. Created on 4 March 1790 like the other French départements, Rhône-et-Loire was abolished on 12 August 1793 when it was split into two départements: Rhône (préfecture: Lyon) and Loire (préfecture: Feurs, then Montbrison, then now Saint-Étienne). The division of Rhône-et-Loire was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon which, by population, was the country's second largest city.