Here in the States, there are a couple of treasures from Lyon that are well-known – Lyonnaise potatoes and Lyonnaise salad. No surprise that they are both foods, given Lyon’s deserved reputation as the culinary capital of France. France is a country known for some of the best food in the world, and Lyon is generally acknowledged as the best of the best.
But Lyon has so much more to offer, both in terms of its history and of the advances being made even today.
A Bit of History
Lyon is a modern jewel of a city, with activity and evident prosperity. But peel back the layers a bit, and it becomes evident that Lyon is a magnificent ancient city, predating Paris as an important city for multiple civilizations. Its geographic location at the confluence of two major rivers, the Rhône and the Saône, made it an ideal trading center. It’s reported that in 43 BCE, the Roman Senate ordered the creation of a Roman refugee settlement. The Romans recognized Lyon, or Lugdunum as it was known, as a strategic location due to the meeting of the two rivers, and became the starting point of the Roman roads in the area. It also became the capital of the Gaul province.
In the middle ages, Lyon became the economic counting house of France thanks to the Italian merchants that used the rivers for transport. When international banking moved to Amsterdam, Lyon remained the banking center of France.
In the Renaissance, the Italian silk trade reinforced the value of Lyon, and lead to the Italian influence on the architecture of the city. Lyon emerged as a literary center, both in terms of writing and publishing.
Lyon saw its share of religious violence between the Catholics and the Protestant Huguenots. In the 1700’s during the French revolution, the citizens supported the Girondins (wanted the end of the monarchy, but were against the revolutionaries) against the National Convention (the revolutionary government), although they finally surrendered in 1793. Executions were held, buildings were destroyed, and the government declared the end of Lyon. The new government renamed Lyon the Liberated City. A decade later, Napoleon ordered the reconstruction of the demolished buildings.
The city became an important industrial center, with the large silk weaving businesses. In WWII, Nazi forces occupied the city, but Lyon remained a stronghold of the French Resistance. In 1944, the French Army liberated Lyon.
Geography
Lyon lies at the meeting of two major rivers, the Saône and the Rhône. The peninsula formed by these two rivers is known as the “Presqu’île” or almost-island. To the west of the Presqu’île on the other side of the Saône is the old town, known as Vieux Lyon, and further west is Fourvière Hill, the location of the old Roman settlement. To the north is another hill, the Croix-Rousse, where the silk industry relocated from the old town area.
Fourvière Hill and the Croix-Rousse are known respectively as ‘the hill that prays’ and ‘the hill that works’. The ‘hill that prays’ because of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and other religious buildings found atop Fourvière Hill, and ‘the hill that works’ due to the many silk workshops that were found in the Croix-Rousse area.
East of the Rhone river is a large flat area where the majority of the Lyon population lives today.
Fun Stuff
The pioneering of photography and motion pictures was greatly advanced by two Lyon brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière. They were among the first filmmakers in the world, and patented a process where multiple people could watch action on film at the same time. A museum can be found in Lyon showing their accomplishments and examples of their work.
The ancient art form known as “trompe l’oeil” has its capital in Lyon. Close to 60 murals decorate the walls of the city. This type of art has spread throughout France and the world, but some of the most spectacular are found in Lyon.
Vieux Lyon
When the Roman settlers living on Fourvière hill were unable to maintain the water aqueduct, they moved down the hill toward the Saône river, and built what we know today as Vieux Lyon, the old town. This was the center of Lyon from the 4th century to the 16th century.
Vieux Lyon is home to some excellent restaurants, shops and theaters, as well as a cathedral dedicated to John the Baptiste at the south end of the old town. In the 1960’s, there was a push to destroy part of old city to make room for growth, but the Law for the Safeguard of Historical Neighborhoods voted to preserve the old town. An enthusiastic ‘thank you!’ to those that had the foresight to keep it as a crucial part of the city.
My first meal in Lyon was at le Laurencin in Vieux Lyon. I had to go with the traditional salade lyonnaise and the house quenelles, both of which were fantastic. According to the server, le Laurencin has been in operation for 84 years. I asked if the menu reflected traditional ‘buchon’ cuisine, and if it was appreciated by the locals. The response: if not, the restaurant wouldn’t still be in business 84 years later. 🙂
At the south end of Vieux Lyon is St. George’s Church, a spectacular renaissance cathedral.
The architecture of Vieux Lyon was strongly influenced by that found in Italy. The land was in short supply, so the buildings were multi-story. Passages, or traboules, were created from one street to another to allow passage of inhabitants through internal courtyards to reach their destinations. There are an estimated 400 of these passageways, although only about 40 are open to the public.
The traboules were used by the silk workers in the 19th century to move their goods from one street to another.
A century later, they became very useful during WWII to the French resistance, preventing the Nazis from completely occupying the city.
When the population expanded beyond Vieux Lyon to the Croix-Rousse, the tradition of the traboules followed, and several can be found today in the Croix-Rousse area.
La Croix Rousse
La Croix-Rousse refers to both the hill found at the north end of the Presqu’île as well as the neighborhood found there. It is divided into the pentes, or the slopes leading up to top, and the plateau.
The architecture is a result of the large silk trade that was the driving force of the area, buildings with high ceilings and exposed beams. There are still active silk weaving shops in action today. the area has become gentrified and today is an active cultural area.
Presqu’île
At the heart of the Presqu’île is the main square, Place Bellecour, one of the largest public squares in Europe. It features a statue of Louis XIV on horseback, and is a large pedestrian zone.
Moving north of Place Bellecour is the Place des Jacobins, in the center of the 2ème arrondissement. The square has gone through several name changes since the Dominican Monks had their monastery where the square sits now (1296), and has been known as the Place de Confort (1557), Place de Jacobins (1782), Place de la Fraternité (1794), Place de la Prefecture, Place de l’Impératrice, and back to Place des Jacobins (1871).
A beautiful fountain is located in the square, and the square enjoys a large amount of traffic, due to the intersection of 12 streets all joining here.
Continuing north on Presqu’île, the Place des Terreaux can be found at the center of Lyon in the 1ère arrondissement at the foot of the Croix-Rousse hill. The square is surrounded by the Lyon City Hall, and the Lyon Fine Arts Museum.
The Confluence
In 1999, the city began an urban redevelopment project on the south end of the Presqu’île, extending down to the tip where the two rivers joined. An amazing land reclamation and master development plan has resulted in an area of mixed use, showing a modern, yet livable neighborhood. A Confluence Museum now stands at the southernmost tip of the Presqu’île.
Finale
Lyon is one of the most fascinating cities in France, well worth a visit for those interested in exploring a charming, beautiful area with so many wonderful things to see. I’m already looking forward to my next visit.