Lyon [lj ɔ̃ ], capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, south-eastern France, at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône, 169 m above sea level, in the urban area of 516,000 residents. – With almost 2 million residents, the Lyon agglomeration is one of the largest economic and cultural centers in France. As the capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the administrative seat of the Rhône department, Lyon has numerous authorities; Seat of a Catholic archbishop; three universities (founded in 1808, 1970, 1973), Catholic university institute (1875), academy of sciences, literature and art, colleges of natural sciences, commerce, librarianship, art, veterinary medicine and others, engineering school, seat of the international cancer research center and the international police agency Interpol, Goethe Institute, observatory. City library with around 3 million media (including the biblical manuscript »Codex Lugdunensis«). Numerous museums, including for art, history, natural history (Musée Guimet), ethnology and natural history (Musée des Confluences), marionettes, automobiles and textiles (Musée Historique des Tissus; European and oriental weavings). Lyon has an opera and several theaters.
The city owes its importance as an economic and trading center (stock exchange, founded in 1546; trade fairs) primarily to its favorable location at the intersection of important transport routes. From the 15th century Lyon was the main seat of silk weaving in France. Even today there are still specialist silk weaving companies in Lyon. However, the main focus of production has shifted to the manufacture and processing of man-made fibers. The importance of Lyon for the textile trade has remained. In addition, various other branches of industry have emerged, especially the metal and construction industry, locomotive and motor vehicle construction, as well as chemical and pharmaceutical, electrical and electronic, canning and aluminum works. The wholesale and intermediate trade has a support in the Lyoner Messe, which has been important since the beginning of the 15th century and has existed in its current form since 1916 (1. – 15. 3.). Lyon is an important banking center. Over two thirds of all employed people are employed in trade and the service industry. In addition to the numerous industrial suburbs around Lyon, new satellite cities such as Méximieux, L’Isle d’Abeau and Bourgoin appeared; this also includes the new industrial zone of Feyzin (oil refinery, petrochemical industry, power station). Subway; Saint-Exupéry international airport; Satolas TGV airport station; Inland port.
Cityscape
The oldest settlement center is the Fourvière district, the Roman Forum vetus (with two Roman theaters; archaeological museum on the excavation site), on the right bank of the Saône, with winding streets, medieval houses and buildings: Saint-Jean Cathedral (12th – 15th centuries, with a late Gothic facade, 13th century stained glass windows and an astronomical clock, 1598), Manécanterie (choir boys’ school, partly 12th century), Saint-Paul church (12th century); furthermore Renaissance houses and the classical palace of justice (1832–42). On the Mont Fourvière the pilgrimage church Notre-Dame de Fourvière (1872–96); next to it a pilgrimage chapel from the 18th century. On the peninsula between the Saône and the Rhône are among others. in the northern part on the Place des Terreaux the town hall (Hôtel de Ville, 1646–72, rebuilt after a fire in 1700; with bell tower) and the Palais Saint-Pierre (former Benedictine monastery of the 17th Century) with the Musée des Beaux-Arts; also the churches of Saint-Nizier (15th / 16th century) and Saint-Bonaventure (14th / 15th century), the stock exchange (1855-60) and the Hôtel-Dieu (started in 1741 by J.-G. Soufflot; with museum). Place Bellecour (17th century) in the middle of the peninsula is the center of the city; south of it the oldest church in Lyon, Saint-Martin d’Ainay (consecrated in 1107; going back to a basilica of the 6th century; mosaic floor in the choir from the 12th century). The old town of Lyon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. T. Garnier made an important contribution to urban design at the beginning of the 20th century. Numerous modern church buildings, administrative buildings (Tour de Crédit Lyonnais, 1972–77, A. Cossuta and others) and museums (Musée de la Civilization Gallo-Romaine, 1972–75, B. Zehrfuss) shape the cityscape. The new landmark of Lyon is the one after renovation by J. Nouvel Newly opened opera in 1993 (“Opéra Nouvel”); from the original building (1831) only the outer walls have been preserved. As the city entrance in the northeast, between the Rhône and Tête-d’Or city park, R. Piano designed the “Cité Internationale” with a congress center, hotels, offices, cinema complex and the museum for contemporary art (inaugurated in 1996). The new square designs are also interesting, especially the Place des Terraux by D. Buren. The mosque (opened in 1994) by the Lyon architects Ballandras and Mirabaud is one of the largest in Western Europe. The Spaniard S. Calatrava designed the new Satolas TGV airport station(1989-94). Coop Himmelb (l) au designed the new Musée des Confluences (2004–14). A new stadium was built east of the city especially for the 2016 European Football Championship.
History
Lyon, Latin Lugdunum (Lugudunum), 43 BC. Founded as a colony by the Romans on the site of two Celtic settlements (the oldest was on Mont Fourvière), under Augustus it became the capital of the province of Gallia Lugdunensis and developed into the political, economic and cultural center of the “tres Galliae” (Gaul). The martyrdom of Saint Potinus 177 attests to the middle of the 2nd century Lyon as the seat of a bishop, who was able to expand his priority to the title of “Primate Galliæ” (until today). In 457 the Burgundians conquered Lyon, in 534 the city was definitely part of the Franconian Empire. With the Treaty of Verdun (843) the city became part of the Middle Kingdom of Lothar I., later of the Kingdom of Burgundy, with which it fell to the Holy Roman Empire in 1032/34. However, the archbishops of Lyon managed to use the border location between the city and county of Lyon (since the 6th century) between France and the Holy Roman Empire to establish their dominance over both entities (1173 division of the county: the archbishop received all the possessions of the Flatlands, the count of the mountain valleys). The strong spiritual aspect explains the importance of Lyon in the church history of the Middle Ages as a place of council and coronation place for Pope Clement V (1305). In 1269 the archbishopric came under a French Bailli, in 1271 the residents of Lyons submitted to the French king. In 1307 Lyon became a de facto French city after Philip IV. had forbidden any political contact with the empire as early as 1288. The royal protection is due to the rise of Lyons to the transalpine and Mediterranean (especially with Rhodes) trading metropolis of France from 1420, which could be defended against the competition of Languedoc and Geneva. Lyon became a center of banking, cloth processing and silk weaving, which Louis XI. Introduced in 1466 with the help of Italians, as well as (from 1472) early book printing. Lyon was able to maintain its position and economic prosperity throughout the Ancien Régime (around 1700: 95,000 residents). The unsuccessful uprising against the Jacobins in 1793 ended with mass executions and the destruction of large parts of the city.
City Profile
- Abbreviation: LYS
- Country: France
List of Lyon Acronyms
The most commonly used abbreviations for Lyon is LYS which stands for Lyon. In the following table, you can see all acronyms related to Lyon, including abbreviations for airport, city, school, port, government, and etc.
