Wandering the alleys and alleyways of Vieux Lyon is like taking a trip back in time. According to some, this Renaissance neighborhood in Lyon is the largest such area in all of Europe.
St. Paul, St. Jean, and St. Georges, the three ‘villages’ that make up the region, have been around since the 16th century. They have preserved many of their historic structures over the years. The Gothic and Renaissance buildings, as well as the traboules that make up Vieux Lyon, have earned it a place on the list of UNESCO World Heritage. These passages are medieval-covered walkways that connect buildings and often provide access to secret gardens and courtyards.
The St.Jean neighborhood lies at the center of the neighborhood and has several historical landmarks. St.Jean Cathedral is a must-see if you’re in the area because of how impressively Gothic it is.
Visit La Tour Rose, a stunning pink tower that is one of the area’s top attractions. Several traboules may be seen in this area as well. You’ll find one of them close to the tower’s foundation. Enjoy the friendly atmosphere of Vieux Lyon’s various restaurants and caf茅s, as well as the many sights it has to offer.
The Vieux Lyon (also known as “Old Lyon”) is the most prominent Renaissance neighborhood in Lyon. The city’s oldest neighborhood, Vieux-Lyon, was the very first location to be granted protection under the Malraux statute that was passed in 1964 to preserve France’s historic landmarks. One of the largest Renaissance communities in Europe, it spans 424 hectares between the hill of Fourvi猫re and the Sa么ne River.
Different sections of Vieux Lyon
There are three separate sections in Vieux Lyon: St. Jean, St. Paul, and St. Georges. Vieux Lyon, along with other Lyon neighborhoods, was included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1998 for its historical significance and architectural significance.
During the Middle Ages, the Saint Jean district was the epicenter of governmental and ecclesiastical authority. The Cathedral of St. Jean in Lyon is a fine example of Gothic architecture and the home of the archbishop of Lyon, also called the Primate of Gaul. One of the few Romanesque structures still standing in Lyon is the Man茅canterie, which is just next to the cathedral.
The museum of the cathedral’s valuables is located in what was once a choir school. In a structure that was formerly the 15th-century Golden Cross Inn, Saint Jean now houses the Museum of Miniatures and Film Sets.
Saint Paul was a popular neighborhood for wealthy Italian merchants and bankers in the 15th and 16th centuries. Here, they settled into opulent mansions known as h么tels, particuliers in the heart of the city. Lyon is home to a number of museums, including the Lyon Historical Museum and the International Puppet Museum, both located in historic buildings such as the H么tel Bullioud and the H么tel de Gadagne.
The Loge du Change is a relic from the prosperous era when the city hosted trade fairs. The northernmost point is denoted by the Saint Paul Church, which has a Romanesque lantern tower and spire.
Beginning in the 16th century, silk weavers called the Saint Georges neighborhood home. In the nineteenth century, they uprooted and settled on Croix Rousse Hill. St. George’s Church, located on the Sa么ne River, was reconstructed by architect Pierre Bossan in a neo-Gothic style in 1844.
The earliest traboules were constructed in the Middle Ages when just a few parallel roadways connected the hill to the Sa么ne. Traboules, from the Latin trans-ambulare, “to pass through,” are passageways that go between houses and courtyards to link two streets directly. The traboules still have several surviving galleries and spiral stairs.
Traboules in Vieux Lyon
It is believed that the earliest traboules were constructed in 4th century Lyon. As a result of water shortages and broken aqueducts, the people of what was once Lugdunum relocated to the lower town at the foot of Fourvi猫re Hill, on the banks of the river Sa么ne. People came up with the traboules so they could go rapidly from their dwellings to the river.
The Canuts silk workers of Croix-Rousse (1st and 4th districts), the 19th-century hub of the silk trade, later adopted them. Canuts workers utilized the tunnels to hold meetings and transport their goods from the Croix-Rousse workshops to the textile merchants at the base of the hill.
Most streets in Vieux Lyon’s 5th district run perpendicular to the river, making it difficult to travel from one street to the next without taking a significant detour; thus, courtyards connected by a network of passageways and a vast number of shortcuts were built. Workers and artisans were able to move clothing and other textiles more swiftly across the city thanks to the traboules of Lyon’s Old Quarter.
As a result of underground meetings held in the traboules during World War II, the city of Lyon was saved from complete Nazi control.
Conclusion
The Vieux-Lyon region includes the neighborhoods of Saint-Georges, Saint-Jean, and Saint-Paul. Explore a neighborhood that dates back more than a millennium while looking up at the beautiful facades and then down again because the streets are all paved.
The wealth of the buildings’ former owners can only be uncovered by going behind the scenes in Vieux-Lyon’s traboules (secret passageways built directly through buildings to join two streets) and inner courtyards. Make sure to check our social media accounts as well.
