Lyon

History

How the city came to be

Lyon's urban history can be read starting from the Roman remains on Fourvière Hill. In the 1st century BC the Romans founded Lugdunum here, which later became an important administrative centre for the Three Gauls; the ancient theatre on the hill keeps this period visible in space. In the Middle Ages the city gradually developed along both banks of the Saône; in the Renaissance the old town flourished through trade and fairs, and its narrow streets, inner courtyards and the traboules linking two streets preserve the urban fabric of that time. The peninsula between the Rhône and the Saône became the centre of commerce and public life. In the 19th century, the silk workers of the Croix-Rousse hill used tall spaces designed for looms, and the silk industry left Lyon another kind of neighbourhood form. In 1998 the historic areas of Fourvière, the old town, the peninsula and the Croix-Rousse were jointly inscribed as a World Heritage Site. Today the Confluence district extending south contrasts with the historic city, and routes that cross the rivers, climb the hill and go on foot help you understand how the city grew with its terrain.

1. 1st century BCThe Romans founded Lugdunum, which later became an important centre of the Three Gauls.
2. Middle AgesA steadily expanding city formed along both banks of the Saône.
3. RenaissanceTrade, inner courtyards and traboules in the old town shaped the streets you see today.
4. 19th centuryThe Croix-Rousse silk industry and its workers' neighbourhoods continued to grow.
5. 1998The Historic Site of Lyon was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
6. 21st centuryThe cultural buildings of the Confluence district became a contemporary urban layer beyond the old town.