Lyon has had its share of heroes—and has seen manycome and go.Some have risen to prominence, others have passed away, but they’ve always been fighting or helping others.From Antoine de Saint-Exupéry toClaude Bourgelat, one need only look atthe “Fresque des Lyonnais” muralto get a senseof this. But this time, we’re not talking about a literary genius, an airmail pilot, or the inventor of veterinary medicine, but ratherMr. and Mrs. Everyman, who, far from the spotlight, have worked to preserve and renovate a part of our beautiful city of Lyon.
Annie and Régis Neyret, the guardian angels of Old Lyon
Postwar Old Lyon did not receive the acclaim it enjoys today. The streets were deserted, and buildings were falling into ruin one after another…In short, it was a far cry from a postcard scene. Atthe time, a wave of modernity was sweeping through the city. As if to forgetthe bad memories of the war, there was a push to wipe the slate clean of entire sections of Lyon by building new neighborhoods or wider thoroughfares. This was the case for Old Lyon, which was in the crosshairs of Louis Pradel—then mayor of Lyon—who wanted to createa new boulevard stretching from Fourvière to the Maréchal-Juin Bridge using heavy-duty bulldozers.
The couple decidedto take the initiative and joined theRenaissance du Vieux Lyonassociation with great hope and enthusiasm. Their goal: to restore the former glory of this neighborhood, home to the city’s greatest architectural treasures, of which the traboules and the “coquillage” staircase are perfect examples. One thing led to another, and thanks to several years of unwavering determination, the association’s work—led by the Neyret couple—is bearing fruit: the treasures of Old Lyon will not be replaced by a concrete ring road.
Lyon, forever and ever
For several decades, the couple and their association spearheaded the renovation effort, until, in 1998, Régis Neyret joined the committee that would lead UNESCO to designate Old Lyon as a World Heritage Site for its “Outstanding Universal Value”; meaning: “a cultural significance so exceptional that it transcends national borders and is of equal inestimable value to present and future generations of all humanity.” (UNESCO Charter, paragraph 49)
The next time you walk through Old Lyon, look up. Just do it. At every street corner, in every square or plaza, in any alley or cul-de-sac: Lyon is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Following the deaths of Annie and Régis Neyret in 2019, just a few months apart,the City of Lyon decided in 2023 to honor themon Quai Romain-Rolland, not far from theThomassin house wherethe couple lived for nearly 35 years. A bronze statuecaptures their gazes meeting one last time, for eternity. On the plaque along the promenade that now bears their name, the inscription reads: “Annie and Régis Neyret, guardians of our heritage.”That, ultimately, is the perfect way to sum it all up.
