Lyon: the center of France

Lyon, founded over 2,000 years ago at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone rivers, was once called Lugdunum and was the capital of the Gauls. Today it is the second largest city in France.

Two majestic ancient theaters and Gallo-Roman ruins – Fourviere and Saint-Romain-en-Gal in the south of Lyon represent the most important European archaeological center after Rome. Proof of this is the Museum of Gallo-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. An original baptismal vat, a ceremonial Gallic cart, Claudian tablets, mosaics depicting circus games, statues and much more, including the Roman House and the Manécanterie (Church Singing School) where newcomers were taught. The excavations help to present Lyon as it was during the reign of the Romans and in the times of the early Christians, since, during the reign 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 Fourviere is a church on top of the Fourvière hill overlooking Lyon, next to the metal Fourvière tower (Tour métallique de Fourvière). The upper temple is consecrated in honor of the Virgin Mary; the crypt underneath is in honor of St. Joseph. Built in a combination of neo-Byzantine and neo-Gothic styles according to the design of the architect Pierre Bossan at the end of the 19th century.

The history of the basilica begins in 1168, when the canon of the cathedral, Saint-Jean Olivier de Chavannes, founded the church on the ruins of the former forum of the Roman emperor Trajan, where the name of the hill comes from (Latin Forum vetus, which became the French Fourvière). 1643, when the plague was rampant in the region, members of the city magistrate of Lyon together prayed to the Virgin Mary on the Fourvière hill for the protection of the city. Soon the epidemic stopped.

By the 19th century, the chapel was so dilapidated that it threatened to collapse. In 1830 it was dismantled and rebuilt in its original form. Restoration work was carried out until 1845. To commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the deliverance from the plague, on December 8, 1843, a statue of the Virgin Mary was installed on top of the restored chapel. The inauguration of the chapel and statue took place in 1852.

Since then, when the city's residents spontaneously placed candles on their windows in honor of the Virgin Mary, every year on December 8 the Festival of Lights takes place in Lyon. This folk holiday has now turned into the Festival of Lights - for several days, city buildings come to life and are transformed with the help of illumination created by the world's most famous illuminators. Recognized as an art and a special technique, urban lighting is now used all over the world, for example in the illumination of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg or the Castillo del Moro in Havana.

The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist (Primatiale Saint-Jean-Baptiste) is the main temple of Lyon, dating back to the 12th century (the construction of the cathedral took three centuries). Located in the Saint-Jean quarter of Old Lyon (Vieux Lyon) - the medieval part of the city between the Fourvière hill and the Saône, and is part of it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The working astronomical clock located in the cathedral is the oldest in France. They trace their history back to the 14th century. After destruction by the Huguenots, they were restored from 1572 to 1600. They acquired their baroque appearance in 1655. In the 18th century, a minute dial with an arrow appeared on them. Despite repeated repairs and alterations, the clock contains some iron parts smelted at the end of the 16th century. They show hours, minutes, date, position of the Moon and Sun relative to the Earth, as well as the rising of the brightest stars over Lyon. Four times during the day (at 12, 14, 15 and 16 o'clock) the ringing is heard, accompanied by the movement of automatic dolls located at the top of the clock and depicting scenes on religious themes.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, Lyon has the scale of beautiful European cities and the charm of French cities. With its old quarters restored according to the era and tastes of their creators, with its illuminated colored facades, with its works of art, Lyon has been able to preserve its heritage: silks, printing, cinema and cars… It ranks among the most beautiful cities in the world.

Old Lyon – it is the largest Renaissance ensemble in France, proof of the “Golden Age” Lyon, when merchants and bankers came here to trade. A walk in this quarter will reveal the extraordinary charms of architecture: cobbled streets, courtyards and passages, spiral staircases… Particularly interesting are the narrow secret passages that connect the streets, crossing one or more buildings.

Old Lyon is not only an exceptional architectural ensemble, it is also a residential area and a unique living organism, filled with entertainment, art 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, form an extraordinary cultural stroll. To experience the atmosphere of silk production, you need to climb Croix-Rousse, a neighborhood located on a light-filled hill.

Art in this city can be found everywhere, even on the facades of buildings, numerous walls of which are decorated with paintings by masters of the City of Creativity.

Lyon Opera, building of the 18th century. with a spectacular glass roof (built by Jean Nouvel) that emits purple light at night, it 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 the inevitable meeting point for fashion and shopping. From 1466, Louis XI chose Lyon to create the silk industry, which turned the city into a rich intersection of trade and world cultures. Lyon remains a center of silk research even today. Since the creation of pioneering institutions such as the University of Fashion, designers have been creating and developing diverse fields – ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter, literally “ready to wear”), lingerie, costume jewelry and jewelry, design and decor.

The city has more than 70 luxury stores, concentrated in the heart of the Golden Square. (Carre d'Or) between Place Bellecour (one of the oldest in Europe, with its statue of the horseman - Louis XIV) and Jacobins, as well as in "little Soho" on the slopes of Croix-Rousse hill.

It is quite natural that it is in the capital of the Rhône-Alpes region that the world's largest textile, lingerie and beach fashion salon takes place - Lyon Mode City & Interfilieres. It takes place every year at the beginning of September and attracts more than 20,000 visitors from 95 nationalities.

Lyon is the birthplace of many famous scientists, politicians, cultural and artistic figures. Here were born the physicist and mathematician Andre Ampère, the historian Marc Bloch, who was shot by the Germans in 1942, the founder of the French violin school, composer Jean-Marie Leclerc, the founder of the now world-famous annual competition of inventors, the prefect of police Louis Lepine, a wonderful pilot and writer, the author of “Little The Prince" Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.