Lyon
Lyonnaise depuis mes études supérieures(cela remonte à l'automne 1974), il était logique que je consacre un certain nombre de pages de ce site à celle qui est devenue ma ville d'adoption depuis un bon bout de temps !
Living in Lyon since I graduated (Fall 1974), it was logical I started with a few pictures of my city of adoption !
Située au confluent du Rhône et de la Saône,Lyon est dominée par deux collines :Fourvière, la colline qui prie, et la Croix-Rousse, la colline qui travaille, séparées par la Saône.
Pour en apprendre plus sur Lyon et son histoire :
http://www.alyon.asso.fr/InfosLyon/histoire/
et pour ce qui est de mon quartier, les pentes de la Croix Rousse, celui de la mairie :
http://www.lyon.fr/vdl/sections/fr/arrondissements/1arrdt/tourisme_decouverte4601/votre_arrondissement_1/?aIndex=1
http://www.lyon.fr/vdl/sections/fr/arrondissements/1arrdt/patrimoine/histoire_du_1er
Lyon a conservé un patrimoine important allant de l'époque romaine au XXe siècle en passant par la Renaissance et, à ce titre, est inscrite au Patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco.
Lyonhas retained an important heritage from Roman times to the twentieth century through the Renaissance and, as such, is a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
http://www.culture.lyon.fr/culture/sections/fr/patrimoine__histoire/
http://www.lyon.fr/vdl/sections/fr/decouverte/patrimoine
On trouve dans les quartiers du Vieux Lyon (Saint Jean) et de la Croix-Rousse de nombreux cheminements au sein des immeubles,dénommés "traboules" qui permettent de se rendre d'une rue à une autre en traversant les cours d'immeubles.
Many covered paths can be found in the districts of Vieux Lyon (SaintJohn) and Croix-Rousse within buildings, referred to as "traboules” (alleyways) that will get you from one street to another across the courtyards.
http://www.lyontraboules.net/
L'escalier des Voraces à la Croix Rousse
Si vous êtes amateurs de photos anciennes, voici quelques liens vers des sites présentant d'anciennes photos et cartes postales de Lyon datant notamment des années 1910, un vrai bonheur !
If you love old photos, here are some links to sites with old photos and postcards of Lyon, some dating from the 1910s, a real treat!
http://www.visitelyon.fr/vieilles-photos,places,lyon.php
http://www.lyon-photos.com/photos_2.htm
http://www.fondsenligne.archives-lyon.fr/ac69v2/carte_postale.php?PHPSID=6e386418c38eacfcb97a7d2ea1149103
Je vous conseille par ailleurs d'aller visiter deux excellents sites :
Le premier présente un nombre très important de cartes postales sur l'exposition internationale de Lyon qui s'est déroulée en 1914 à la veille de la première guerre mondiale :
This website presents a very large number of postcards on the international exhibition o fLyon held in 1914 on the eve of the First World War:
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/nelly.martin/collectioncpa/index.htm
et
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/les-ponts-de-lyon/accueil.htm
sur les ponts de la ville et leur histoire.
This one on the bridges of the city and their history
Un autre site très instructif pour qui s'intéresse à l'histoire des rues, places, ponts, parcs de Lyon :
This other one about the history of Lyon streets, places, bridges, parks
http://ruesdelyon.wysiup.net/index.php
Les armoiries de la ville
The arms of the city
Un aperçu de mes vidéos de Lyon sur DailyMotion
Lyon is a city in south-east France. It is a major center of business, between Paris and Marseille, which has a reputation as the French capital of gastronomy and a significant role in the cinema history.
Lyon is now the third largest metropolitan area in France after Paris and Marseille.
Lyon is the préfecture (capital) of the Rhône departement, and also the capital of the Rhône-Alpes region. It is known as the silk capital of the world and is a centre for fashion. Lyon is also the international headquarters of Interpol and EuroNews. It belongs since 1998 to the list of Unesco World Heritage sites in Europe.
Lyon was founded as a Roman colony in 43 BCE by Munatius Plancus, a lieutenant of Caesar, on the site of a Gaulish hill-fort settlement. It was first named Lughunum meaning the "hill of lights" or "the hill of crows".
Lugdunum became the capital of Gaul, partly thanks to its fortunate site at the convergence of two navigable rivers (Rhone and Saone), and quickly became the main city of Gaul. Today the archbishop of Lyon is still referred to as "le primat des Gaules".
The Christians in Lyon were persecuted for their religious views under the reigns of the Roman emperors Marcus Aurelius and Septimus Severus. These included saints such as Blandina (Blandine), Pothinus, and Epipodius. The great Christian bishop of Lyon in the 2nd century was Irenaeus.
During the Renaissance, the city developed with the silk trade, especially with Italy; the Italian influence on Lyon's architecture can still be seen. Thanks to the silk trade, Lyon became an important industrial town during the 19th century.
The silk workers of Lyon, known as canuts, staged two major uprisings: in 1831 and 1834. The 1831 uprising saw one of the first recorded uses of the black flag as an emblem of protest.
Some geography
Lyon's geography is dominated by the Rhône and Saône rivers which converge to the south of the historic city centre forming a sort of peninsula or "presqu'île"; two large hills, one to the west and one to the north of the historical city centre; and a large plain which sprawls eastward from the historical city centre.
To the west is Fourviere, known as "the hill that prays", the location for the highly decorated Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica, several convents, the palace of the Archbishop, the metal tour (a highly visible TV tower, replicating the last stage of the Eiffel Tower) and a funicular.
To the north is the Croix-Rousse, "the hill that works", traditionally home to many small silk workshops, an industry for which the city was renowned.
The original medieval city (Vieux Lyon) was built on the west bank of the Saône river at the foot of the Fourvière hill, west of the presqu'île. (This area, along with portions of the presqu'ile and much of the Croix-Rousse are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.)
On the peninsula (presqu'île) between the rivers Rhône and Saône is located the third largest public square in France, and one of the largest in Europe, the Place Bellecour. Specifically, it is the largest clear square (i.e., without any patches of greenery, trees or any other kind of obstacles) in Europe. The broad, pedestrian-only Rue de la République leads north from Place Bellecour.
East of the Rhône from the presqu'île is a large area of flat ground upon which sits much of modern Lyon and most of the city's population. Situated in this area is the urban centre of Part-Dieu which clusters the former Crédit Lyonnais Tower (central France's only skyscraper), the Part-Dieu shopping centre, and Lyon's main rail terminal, Lyon Part-Dieu.
North of this district is the relatively wealthy 6th arrondissement, which is home to the Parc de la Tête d'Or, one of Europe's largest urban parks, the prestigious Lycée du Parc to the south of the park, and Interpol's headquarters on the park's western edge.