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Photo: Gonedelyon, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This picturesque montée (sloping street on hillside) starts behind Vieux Lyon metro station and ends quite close to the Roman theatres of Fourvière. It was the main link between the river Saône and the top of Fourvière throughout the Roman era, Middle Ages and Renaissance. Nowadays it keeps a medieval spirit. Around numbers 5-7 is Impasse Turquet, a small cul-de-sac named after Etienne Turquet, an Italian who is said to have founded the silk industry in Lyon in 1536. In this small passageway are the oldest houses of the city, dating back to the 13th or 14th century, with wooden balconies.
The Montée du Gourguillon is an old street in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon, France, on the hill of Fourvière, between the Saint-Jean and Saint-Just quarters. Montée translates in English to the nouns "climb" or "rise " and is given to a number of steep streets. The ancient Roman settlement of Lugdunum was established here in 43 BC. The Montée du Gourguillon begins at the Place de la Trinité and ascends to the Rue des Farges. Fourvière is known as "the hill that prays" because the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, several convents, and the Archbishop's residence are located there. The street belongs to a zone classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
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St Georges is the name given to the south part of the Vieux Lyon. It has nice Renaissance buildings which, however, do not really compare to the palaces of St Jean; on the other hand, it is much more quiet than the St Jean area.
The cathedral is dedicated to St John the Baptist (St Jean-Baptiste) and St Stephen (St Etienne) and has the title of primatiale because the Bishop of Lyon has the honorary title of Primat des Gaules. Built between 1180 and 1480, it is mostly of Gothic style with Romanesque elements; the oldest parts are the chancel and the lateral chapels, and as one goes towards the façade, the style becomes more and more Gothic. The cathedral hosts a spectacular astronomical clock built in the 14th century but modified later. It is especially worth seeing when the bells ring, daily on the hour from 12:00-16:00. Over the main door, the rose window, known as the "Lamb rose window", is an admirable work of art depicting the life of St Stephen and St John the Baptist.
Jardin archéologique
Next to St Jean cathedral (on the northern side), this small garden shows the remains of the religious buildings which occupied the site before the cathedral was erected. The oldest remains date back to the 4th century (baptistery of the former St Etienne church).
These two well-preserved theatres are the most important remnant of the Roman city of Lugdunum. The Gallo-Roman museum was built next to them. The summer festival "Nuits de Fourvière" takes place here every year, which may cause access restrictions in the evening from June to early August.
Museum of Religious Art
The small museum holds treasures donated to the church for its construction.
The second largest museum in France, it has all kinds of things relating to Rhone-Alps history. A free visit to the Roman theatres may be just as interesting for those not into the details.