Place Bellecour,a large town square and the heart of Lyon.
As guy from Lyon ( a "gone" ),I'm doing today before having lunch in a close restaurant (Coté Bellecour et Coté cuisine,hotel Le Royal's restaurant) a pilgrimage to this huge square,the largest pedestrian square in Europe(312 mX 200 m) located between the river Rhône and Saône in the peninsula.I lived in a close district called Ainay for 19 years and I began there my career of naughty boy,fighting with chestnuts( today a lot of lime trees replace the chestnut trees),messing with my schoolmates...About school,I remember the death of Edouart Herriot,an ancient mayor,ancient PM and Président of the Chamber of Deputies in 1957 and the gallery's scaffoldings built for the funeral ceremony where we had great fun:we got one schoolday off!I remember also the band stand where a talent guest ,a radio show(like in America Idol) was played,it was destroyed and a playing area sits there instead.
Watching the facades of one of the few remaining Royal squares in France (in 1715 it became Place Louis Le Grand),I remember the French Revolution which was a dramatic time for the city.A guillotine was installed there in 1792 and in 1793 the Convention judjing the city too royalist ordered the destruction of its buildings:Lyon n'est plus=Lyon is no more.Fortunately only few buildings were torn down.In 1800,Bonaparte laid the foundation stone for new buildings and the square was called Place Bonaparte,the buildings on the East and West side were erected around 1800.
In the middle of the square lies the equestrian statue of the King Louis XIV and under an allegorical one of the river Rhône.Going West,I discover the statue of Antoine de Saint Exupéry,born in Lyon,sitting in front of The Little Prince.It was erected in 2000 for the centenary of the aviator's birth.Surrounded by flower stalls (close are the public bathroom),the Place Bellecour is the kilometer 0 of Lyon( all distances are counted from there).
Two pavilions are on the square:the first on the West side hosts OnlyLyon,a town office for the promotion of Lyon.When entering the second pavilion,where is the tourist information office of Lyon,I check all the booklets displayed and unfortunately I got only one in English about the amazing Textile Museum and Decorative Arts Museum,what a shame!!
Bellecour Metro station,the largest station which connects the A et D lines has an entrance which combines modern design and Roman vestiges.
Walking in front of the 24 Place Bellecour,it brings back to me a sad memory of my best friend Danielle,a famous dermatologist who lived there and passed away few years ago.
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