Primatiale Saint-Jean de Lyon

Lyon

When Archbishop Guichard de Pontigny, a Cistercian imposed by Pope Alexander III, undertook to rebuild his cathedral, he wanted to extend it westwards, at the foot of the hill. The chapter, hostile to this reformer, opposed it: beneath the forecourt lay Christian tombs, and the canons had chosen to be buried there. The building therefore had to move eastwards, onto the alluvium of the Saône. In 1175 the strengthening of the bank began, with a great many stakes driven into the soft ground, and the chevet rose in enormous blocks of choin stone taken from the Roman forum, theatre and odeon of Fourvière, brought down by the Montée du Gourguillon. The ground nevertheless gave way in the 13th century: the apse swung towards the south and the choir cracked up to the clerestory windows. The building work, carried out without ever interrupting worship, saw history pass by: Pope Innocent IV, who resided in Lyon from 1244 to 1251, consecrated the high altar there during the First Council of Lyon, in 1245; in 1274, the Second Council attempted to reunite Greeks and Latins, and Saint Bonaventure died there; John XXII was crowned there in 1316. It took three centuries to go from the chevet to the façade: Jacques de Beaujeu, the only master builder whose name has come down to us, completed it with its great rose glazed by Henri de Nivelle, and so, from the choir to the entrance, one passes from Romanesque to Gothic. In December 1600, Henry IV married Marie de' Medici here, in a ceremony celebrated by the papal legate. Inside, the astronomical clock of the late 14th century still shows the phases of the moon and the feasts of the calendar.

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Getting there : Place Saint-Jean, 69005 Lyon, near the Vieux Lyon metro station and the funicular. According to the cathedral's website, open on Mondays from 2 pm to 7 pm, Tuesday to Friday from 8.30 am to 7 pm (7.30 pm on Wednesdays), on Saturdays from 8.30 am to 7.30 pm and on Sundays from 8 am to 7.30 pm, with summer opening times that may vary; guided tours bookable online. Free self-guided visit to be checked. The automata of the astronomical clock come to life at 12 noon, 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound