To summarize 63,000 square meters and 1,000 years of history in just a few lines would be presumptuous of us. And since every Lyonnais has their own special connection to Bellecour, let’s simply revisit a few key facts highlighting the sheer scale of this place—which, paradoxically, feels so intimate to all its residents. After recently telling you about the Opera House and the Grand Hôtel-Dieu, it’s time to turn our attention to another titan of our cityscape: Place Bellecour.
An extraordinary square
It spans a length equivalent to the height of the Eiffel Tower: 312 meters. Before becoming Europe’s largest pedestrian square, Bellecour was, in turn, a sheepfold, vineyards, a marsh, and French-style gardens… Its current shape and proportions date back to 1713, when a public square was inaugurated to honor Louis XIV, who had visited the capital of Gaul in 1658.
In the 19th century, a project called for the city’s main train station to be built there. Faced with fierce opposition from the mayor and his constituents, the station was built a little further away, in Perrache. Today, Place Bellecour is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the statue of Louis XIV, along with all of its facades, are protected as historic monuments.
Place Bellecour, Lyon’s calling card
Place Bellecour has borne the name of its history. Or perhaps we should say its histories. Alongside its various roles, it changed its name several times. In the 12th century, it was farmland owned by the archbishop called Bella Curtis (Beautiful Gardens), where mainly grapevines grew (our ancestors certainly knew their way around). In the 16th century, it was known as the Belle-Court meadow. After lying abandoned for a long time and reverting to a marshy state, it was occupied by Baron des Adrets’s army during the Wars of Religion.
Many years later, following Louis XIV’s visit in 1658—during which he was captivated by the site— Place Royale was inaugurated in 1713 and later renamed Place Louis-le-Grand. After the French Revolution, with the Bourbon family no longer in favor, the square was renamed Place de la Fédération and then Place de l’Égalité (at that same time, what is now Place des Jacobins was called Place de la Fraternité).
Starting in 1800, it was known as Place Bonaparte, then Place Napoléon, before becoming Place Bellecour in the mid-19th century. It was infamously renamed Place du Maréchal-Pétain in 1940, only to regain its current name after the Liberation. What does all this tell us? That at every major turning point in history (whether happy or tragic), the square was chosen to symbolize the circumstances, thus fulfilling its role as the ultimate emblem of the city of Lyon.
A hidden treasure discovered exactly 60 years ago!
It’s the summer of 1966, and Place Bellecour is about to undergo a minor facelift as part of the construction of an underground parking garage designed to hold 2,000 spaces. Excavators move in, and as they begin work around the statue of Louis XIV, a metal box appears in the excavation site. The mystery was complete! It was the morning of July 27, to be exact; the workers unearthed the famous treasure, and under the watchful eye of Mayor Louis Pradel, several dignitaries, and journalists, the long-awaited moment arrived… Crash! The box was empty, and to add insult to injury, nothing but stagnant water spilled out.
But the chest seems far too heavy to be completely empty. As we handle it, turn it over, and shake it, it seems it hasn’t revealed its final secret yet. Indeed, the treasure is hidden in a false bottom! A small quantity of gold, silver, and bronze coins—as well as a crystal medallion—will be discovered. While far from being Red Rackham’s treasure, it is nonetheless a remarkable testament to our history, secretly buried when the monument was erected in 1825. One thing is certain: the ground trodden by millions of people each year has not yet revealed all its secrets.
