Lione (I sec. a.C.–XIX sec.): duemila anni di città, da Lugdunum alla capitale della seta
Fondata dai Romani come Lugdunum, capitale delle Tre Gallie, Lione ha continuato a reinventarsi per duemila anni: il Rinascimento del Vieux Lyon con i suoi passaggi segreti, le “traboules”, la collina di Fourvière, i quartieri della seta. Una città stratificata alla confluenza del Rodano e della Saona.
At a glance
The Historic Site of Lyon bears witness to more than two thousand years of continuous urban life. Founded as the Roman colony of Lugdunum in 43 BC, capital of the Three Gauls, the city grew across the hill of Fourvière, the Renaissance quarter of Vieux Lyon, the Presqu’île peninsula and the silk-weavers’ district of the Croix-Rousse. Its layered fabric, set between the Rhône and the Saône, illustrates the evolution of a European city through every age. The historic site was inscribed by UNESCO in 1998.
Key facts
- UNESCO: World Heritage since 1998 (Historic Site of Lyon)
- Roman Lugdunum: founded 43 BC, capital of the Three Gauls, with two surviving theatres
- Vieux Lyon: one of the largest Renaissance quarters in Europe
- Traboules: covered passageways running through buildings between streets
- Silk city: the Croix-Rousse hill was the centre of the 19th-century silk industry
- Fourvière: the hill crowned by the 19th-century basilica of Notre-Dame
History
The Romans founded Lugdunum in 43 BC at the meeting of the Rhône and the Saône; it became the capital of the Gallic provinces, with an aqueduct system, theatres and a mint. After the Roman period the city revived in the Middle Ages and especially the Renaissance, when Italian bankers and the printing trade made Vieux Lyon a prosperous quarter of courtyards and spiral stairs, linked by the traboules.
From the 16th century Lyon became Europe’s capital of silk-weaving; in the 19th century the looms of the Croix-Rousse drove the city’s growth and its workers’ revolts. The hill of Fourvière was crowned by its basilica in the same era. This continuity across Roman, medieval, Renaissance and industrial ages is what the World Heritage listing recognises.
What you see
On Fourvière hill the Roman theatres survive beside the white basilica, with a panorama over the city. Below, Vieux Lyon is a warren of Renaissance houses; through unmarked doors the traboules cut between parallel streets, once used to carry silk dry. Across the Saône, the Presqu’île holds grand squares and the Croix-Rousse rises with its tall weavers’ workshops.
The two rivers and their bridges tie the quarters together, the layered city legible at every turn.
Practical information
- Traboules: many are open to respectful visitors during the day; tread quietly
- Roman theatres: free to enter; the adjacent museum charges admission
- Time needed: a full day across Fourvière, Vieux Lyon and the Presqu’île
- Local table: the traditional bouchons serve Lyonnais cuisine
Getting there
Lyon is in east-central France on the high-speed network, about two hours from Paris by TGV. The metro and a funicular up to Fourvière link the historic quarters from the two main stations, Part-Dieu and Perrache. GPS: 45.7621° N, 4.8270° E.
Nearby
- Beaujolais and the Rhône vineyards — wine country north and south of the city
- Pérouges — a preserved medieval hill town east of Lyon
- Vienne — Roman monuments down the Rhône, about 30 km south
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — “Historic Site of Lyon” (ref. 872)
- Ville de Lyon — official city authority and Musées Gadagne
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Lyon
Find it on the map
See this place and what’s around it →📷 Diventa un fotografo di Cultural Heritage Online
Condividi le tue foto dei luoghi: restano pubblicate con la tua firma come autore. Più vengono viste, più ti fai conoscere — e presto un concorso premierà le foto più apprezzate.
Accedi o registrati gratis per aggiungere una foto