Fourvière
The Fourvière and Saint Just districts are part of the area classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998.
FourvièreIt is on Fourvière Hill that you will find vestiges of the Roman city in an archeological site covering a vast area. An archeological park encompasses a large portion of the site. Starting in the 6th and especially the 7th century, numerous religious congregations began setting up edifices on the slopes of Fourvière, hence its reputation as "the praying hill". The district still bears evidence of the strong presence of the religious orders.
The Museum of Gallo-Roman civilization is in a building nearly entirely buried within the archeological park , overlooking the antique theaters. The museum's collection includes steles, statues, bronzes and mosaics from the Gallo-Roman period.
The archeological park includes one of the finest theaters in all of ancient Gaul and an odeum in a unique juxtaposition not found elsewhere in antiquity.
In 1643, Lyon chose the Virgin Mary as its patron saint and later made good on its vow to honor her by building the Fourvière Basilica in 1896. The strange and massive silhouette with its four octagonal towers dominates the city and inspired its nickname "the upside-down elephant". The style of the Basilica is an extreme example of 19th century eclecticism. A visit takes us through the different influences of the centuries: from the neo-gothic north façade to the exuberant interior decor and mosaics which remind us of symbolist paintings, to the neo-classical ceiling of the porch. The floral friezes of the base are inspired by the "art nouveau" period and the enormous bronze doors recall antiquity.
The foundations of Saint Irénée church, one of the most ancient in France, date back to the first martyrs of Lyon. A necropolis was built for their tombs and the crypt dates from the 9th century.
