Lyon, founded over 2000 years ago at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, was once called Lugdunum and was the capital of the Gauls. Today, this is the second largest city in France.
Two majestic ancient theaters and Gallic-Roman ruins – Fourvière and Saint-Romain-en-Gal in the south of Lyon represent the most important archaeological center in Europe after Rome. Evidence of this is the Museum of Gallic-Roman Civilization and the Archaeological Museum of Saint-Romain-en-Gal and the Archaeological Gardens of Saint-Jean (Jardin Archéologique Saint-Jean) – this church complex dates back to the 4th century. The original baptismal font, a ceremonial Gallic chariot, the Claudian tables, mosaics depicting circus games, statues, and much more, including the Roman house and Manécanterie (Church singing school), where novices were taught. Excavations help to present Lyon as it was during the Roman rule and in the early Christian times, as during the period of the Roman Empire, Lyon was a stronghold of Christianity in Gaul. The first Christian church in this Roman province was built here.
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a church on the top of the Fourvière hill, rising above Lyon, next to the metallic tower of Fourvière (Tour métallique de Fourvière). The upper temple is consecrated in honor of the Virgin Mary; the crypt beneath it is in honor of Saint Joseph. Built in a combination of Neo-Byzantine and Neo-Gothic styles by architect Pierre Bossan in the late 19th century.
The history of the basilica begins in 1168 when the canon of the Saint-Jean Cathedral, Olivier de Chavannes, founded a church on the ruins of the former forum of the Roman Emperor Trajan, from which the name of the hill originates (Latin Forum vetus, which transitioned into the French Fourvière). In 1643, when the plague was rampant in the region, members of the city magistrate of Lyon prayed together on the Fourvière hill to the Virgin Mary for the protection of the city. Soon the epidemic ceased.
By the 19th century, the chapel had deteriorated so much that it was at risk of collapse. In 1830, it was dismantled and rebuilt in its original form. Restoration work continued until 1845. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the deliverance from the plague, on December 8, 1843, a statue of the Virgin Mary was installed at the top of the restored chapel. The inauguration of the chapel and the statue took place in 1852.
Since then, when the city’s residents spontaneously placed candles in their windows in honor of the Virgin Mary, every year on December 8, Lyon hosts the Festival of Lights. This folk festival has transformed into the Festival of Light – for several days, the city’s buildings come alive and are transformed with lighting created by the most famous lighting designers in the world. Recognized as an art and a special technique, urban lighting is now used worldwide, for example, in the illumination of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg or Castillo del Moro in Havana.
The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist (Primatiale Saint-Jean-Baptiste) is the main temple of Lyon, starting from the 12th century (the construction of the cathedral took three centuries). It is located in the Saint-Jean district in Old Lyon (Vieux Lyon) – the medieval part of the city between the Fourvière hill and the Saône, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The functioning astronomical clock located in the cathedral is the oldest in France. It has its history since the 14th century. After being destroyed by the Huguenots, it was restored from 1572 to 1600. It acquired its Baroque appearance in 1655. In the 18th century, a minute dial with a hand appeared on it. Despite numerous repairs and modifications, the clock contains some iron parts cast in the late 16th century. It shows hours, minutes, date, the position of the Moon and the Sun relative to the Earth, as well as the rising of the brightest stars over Lyon. Four times a day (at 12, 14, 15, and 16 o’clock), a bell rings, accompanied by the movement of automaton dolls located at the top of the clock, depicting scenes on religious themes.
Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998, Lyon boasts the grandeur of beautiful European cities and the charm of French towns. With its old quarters, restored in accordance with the era and tastes of their creators, with its illuminated colorful facades, and its works of art, Lyon has managed to preserve its heritage: silk, printing, cinema, and automobiles… It stands alongside the most beautiful cities in the world.
Old Lyon is the largest ensemble of Renaissance architecture in France, a testament to Lyon’s “Golden Age” when merchants and bankers came here for trade. A walk in this district will reveal to you the extraordinary delights of architecture: cobbled streets, inner courtyards and passages, spiral staircases… Especially interesting are the narrow secret passages that connect the streets, crossing one or several buildings.
Old Lyon is not only an exceptional architectural ensemble, but it is also a residential area and a kind of living organism filled with entertainment, artistic boutiques, museums, cafes, terraces, and restaurants…
Twenty-four museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Textiles, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, located between the International City and the Golden Head Park, create an extraordinary cultural walk. To feel the atmosphere of silk creation, one must ascend to Croix-Rousse, a district located on a sunlit hill.
Art can be found everywhere in this city, even on the facades of buildings, many of whose walls are adorned with paintings by the masters of the City of Creativity.
The Lyon Opera, an 18th-century building with an impressive glass roof (added by Jean Nouvel), radiating purple light at night, offers an exciting program throughout the year (ballets, concerts, operas). Lyon has a wide range of cultural events, such as the Biennale of Dance and Contemporary Art.
Lyon, the capital of silk, has become an inevitable meeting place for fashion and shopping. Since 1466, Louis XI chose Lyon to create the silk industry, which transformed the city into a wealthy crossroads of trade and world cultures. Even today, Lyon remains a center for silk research. Since the establishment of innovative institutions, such as the Fashion University, designers create and develop various fields – prêt-à-porter, lingerie, costume jewelry and jewelry, design and decor.
The city has more than 70 luxury shops concentrated in the heart of the “Golden Square” (Carre d’Or) between Bellecour Square (one of the oldest in Europe, with its statue of the equestrian rider – Louis XIV) and Jacobins, as well as in the “little Soho” on the slopes of the Croix-Rousse hill.
It is quite natural that the largest global salon of textiles, lingerie, and beach fashion – Lyon Mode City & Interfilieres takes place in the capital of the Rhône-Alpes region. It is held every year in early September and attracts more than 20,000 visitors from 95 nationalities.
Lyon is the birthplace of many famous scientists, politicians, cultural figures, and artists. Here were born physicist and mathematician André Ampère, historian Marc Bloch, executed by the Germans in 1942, the founder of the French violin school composer Jean-Marie Leclair, the founder of the now world-famous annual competition for inventors, police prefect Louis Lepin, and the remarkable pilot and writer, author of “The Little Prince” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
