The South of France-East Half Part 12

[Headnote: TRAMWAYS. THEATRES. STEAMERS.]

_Tramways._--The fares are moderate, and most of the cars comfortable.

The best to take to see the princ.i.p.al parts of the town is the large roomy car running between the Perrache railway station and the Brotteaux railway station, pa.s.sing through the P. Perrache, P. Henri IV., Rue Bourbon, P. Bellecour, R. and P. de la Republique between the Hotel de Ville and the Grand Theatre, across the bridge Morand, and up the Cour Morand to the terminus at the Brotteaux railway station. At the Brotteaux terminus the road by the side of the fort "des Charpennes"

leads in 5 minutes into the Parc de la Tete d'Or (see page 40), which having visited, return either by the same car, starting every 10 minutes, or by the other, whose terminus is in the Quai de la Charite.

The outside of the cars, taken also by ladies, costs 3 sous; inside, 4.

The two most important places to visit on the return journey are the Palais des Arts (page 35), and the silk museum in the Bourse (page 38).

Tram between the Place de la Charite and Oullins every 15 minutes; fare outside, 3 sous. To visit the meeting-place of the two rivers, come out at the bridge before crossing the Saone. Oullins, 3 m. from Lyons, pop.

4000, is approached also by rail from Lyons.

_Theatres._--The +Grand Theatre+, between the Hotel de Ville and the Rhone. Boxes and front stalls, 6 frs. The +Theatre des Celestins+, between the Rue St. Dominique and the Saone. Boxes, 6 frs.; stalls, 4 frs. +Theatre Bellecour+, No. 85 Rue de la Republique, quite a new theatre, with all the modern comforts and appliances, and seated for 3000. The prices vary according to the subject. For an opera the stalls cost 7 frs. each; for a play, 4 frs. There are also the Theatre des Varietes, Cours de Morand; Theatre du Gymnase, 30 Quai St. Antoine; and the Theatre de l'Elysee, 3 Place de la Victoire.

_Steamers on the Saone_ (Les Guepes).--Sail between the Quai St. Antoine (to the north of the Bourse) and Collonges, calling at the Ile Barbe. In summer 5 departures daily.

Les Mouches, or penny boats, sail from the quay near the Place Perrache, by the side of the Pont du Midi, to the Pont du Port Mouton on the Quai de Vaise, calling on the way at numerous stations. From the Pont du Port another set of penny boats ascend to St. Rambert, calling likewise at numerous stations on the way. Opposite St. Rambert is Cuire, and between them in the centre of the river is the Ile Barbe.

The large steamers Parisiens sail in summer between the Quai St. Claire on the +Rhone and Aix-les-Bains+ on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sat.u.r.days.

Fare, 9 frs. Another line sails between Lyons and Avignon, calling at the princ.i.p.al towns on the way, but chiefly for the landing and s.h.i.+pping of cargo.

[Headnote: SIGHTS.]

_Sights._--Notre-Dame-de-Fourviere (see below). Drive in tram car, outside if possible, between the Place Perrache and the Brotteaux railway station, page 31. The Parc de la Tete d'Or, page 40. The galleries in the Palais des Arts, page 35. The museum of silk manufacture, page 38.

Lyons is a strongly-fortified city, intersected by two of the largest rivers in France, the Rhone and the Saone, which form as they approach each other the isthmus, 545 ft. above the sea, on which the finest part of the city is built. This portion is traversed by three great streets, the Rue de la Republique, the R. de l'Hotel de Ville, and the R. Centrale, and contains the three most important and beautiful squares, the Places Perrache, Bellecour, and Des Terreaux. The Place Perrache, in front of the station, was planted with trees in 1851. In the centre was a bronze statue of Napoleon I. by Nieuwerkerke, which was taken down in 1870 and afterwards destroyed by order of the munic.i.p.ality. In its place is a fountain. The Place Bellecour (Bella-Curia), 339 yards long and 328 yards wide, is also planted with trees. In the centre is an equestrian statue of Louis XIV. by Lemot, which occupies the place of a former one by Desjardins, destroyed in 1793. Trams to all the important parts of the city run through these two squares. The Place des Terreaux, flooded with human blood in 1794, during the reign of terror, has on the south side the Palais des Arts, on the east the Hotel de Ville, and on the west a block of buildings pierced by an arcade decorated by P. Delorme and Maupin (see page 37).

The Rhone is crossed by 9 bridges, and the Saone by 13. The extent of substantial and s.p.a.cious quays on both sides of these rivers measures 24 miles. For sailing on the Rhone the best steamers are the Bateaux Parisiens, starting from the quay in front of the Place Tholozan behind the Hotel de Ville, and plying between Lyons and Avignon. For short sails on the Saone the Bateaux Mouches are very convenient, page 31.

[Map: Lyons]

[Headnote: NOTRE-DAME-DE-FOURVIeRE. ROPE RAILWAY.]

The most prominent building in Lyons is the church of +Notre-Dame-de-Fourviere+, standing on the site of the forum erected by Trajan, the Forum Vetus or Foro Vetere; whence the term Fourviere is supposed to be derived. It ought to be visited as early as possible, even should there be no time for anything else, on account of the excellent bird's-eye view of the city obtained from it and its terraces.

At the west end of the bridge of +Tilsitt+ across the Saone, at the upper side of the "Place," is the rope railway, which ascends through tunnels the hill of Fourviere, the length of the Place des Minimes about of the way up the hill. Fare, 5 sous. From the station walk up, right hand, by the broad road, l'Antiquaille. At the highest part of this road is a large ugly edifice, the Hopital de l'Antiquaille, especially devoted to the treatment of insanity and of cutaneous diseases. It has accommodation for 600 patients, and occupies the site of the Roman palace in which Claudius and Caligula were born. From in front of this hospital commences a narrow steep road called the Montee de Fourviere, lined nearly all the way with little shops stocked with wares for the pilgrims and devotees, such as images, crucifixes, amulets, chaplets, medals, photographs, and books. At the top are restaurants and hotels.

[Headnote: OBSERVATOIRE GAY. ST. PAUL.]

On the summit, 1206 feet above the sea and 410 feet above the Saone, is the chapel of the "miraculous" image of Notre-Dame-de-Fourviere, from which rises a domed tower crowned with a gilt image of Mary 6 ft. high.

This tower is ascended by 200 steps, fee 25 c., and commands a superb view of the city and environs. Lyons and its two great rivers are immediately below, while in the distance, if the weather be clear, Mont Blanc is distinctly seen. As for the sacred image itself, in the church below, it is about the size of a big doll, and the child rather less.

The number of wors.h.i.+ppers having become so great, the adjoining church, which is more elegant and much more commodious, was constructed in 1884.

It stands on the very brow of the hill, and is the most prominent object in Lyons. In shape it is rectangular, with at the eastern termination an octagonal tower 115 ft. high, which forms the chancel. At each of the four corners is a similar tower, and in each of the two sides are three large windows separated by b.u.t.tresses like square towers. Round the top of the building as well as of the towers extends a bal.u.s.trade of stiff sculpture resembling acanthus leaves. The large buildings in the neighbourhood are convents. A little eastward is the "Observatoire Gay,"

from which a steep path, the Montee des Carmes Dechaussees, 536 yards long, descends to the city, reaching it by the side of the station of the Chemin de Fer des Dombes (page 30). Near this station is the church of St. Paul, all modern excepting the beautiful N. portal, the handsome octagonal lantern resting on pendentive arches, a few of the windows, and part of the walls which belonged to the original church of the 11th cent. The old walls which remain in all the early churches of Lyons are characterised by the enormous size of the stones of which they are composed. Beyond is the bridge of St. Vincent.

[Headnote: ST. IReNeE.]

The Terminus of the rope railway from the Pont Tilsit is at No. 42 Rue Trion, higher and to the N.W. of Fourviere and within a very short distance of the church of +St. Irenee+, on the summit of a hill in the suburb of St. Just. On the terrace at the east end of St. Irenee are a Via Crucis and Calvary, commanding a superb view of the plain watered by the Rhone and the Saone. By the N. side of the church is the entrance into the crypt. The first flight consists of 25 steps; and the second, which terminates in the crypt, of eight. On the first arch across the first flight an inscription states: "Cette crypte fut construite par St.

Patient eveque de Lyon au V siecle sur l'emplacement du lieu ou St.

Pothin et St. Irenee, envoyes a Lyon par Polycarpe disciple de l'apotre St. Jean, reunissaient les premiers chretiens. De nombreux martyrs y furent ensevelis." On the second arch another inscription states that in 1562 the Calvinists having injured the crypt and thrown the bones of animals among those of the saints, Grolier, Prior of St. Irenee, restored the building, separated the bones, and placed those of the saints in that small vault to the right, at the foot of the first flight. In the centre of the crypt is a now covered up well, the original resting-place of the martyrs, down which their bodies were thrown till it overflowed with blood, in the reign of Septimius Severus, A.D. 202. To visit the calvary and crypt apply to the concierge, 50 c.

The church of St. Irenee has nothing particular. To the west, in the parish of Ste. Foy, are the remains of the Roman aqueduct which brought water to the city from Mont Pilat. It was 52 miles long, and capable of supplying 11,000,000 gallons per day. At present the water-supply of Lyons is obtained from the Rhone.

[Headnote: CATHEDRAL OF ST. JEAN.]

Opposite the commencement of the rope railway, and close to the Tilsit bridge, is the +Cathedral+ of Saint Jean, founded in the 8th cent., repaired by Archbishop Leydrade, friend of Charlemagne, and reconstructed almost entirely three centuries later. The chancel dates from the end of the 12th cent., the lower part of the facade from the 13th, and the upper from the 14th cent. The exterior is chastely decorated, but the four towers are too low. The interior, 259 ft. from W. to E. and 108 ft. high, contains some brilliant 13th, 14th, and 15th cent. gla.s.s. The wheel window at the west end resembles a fully-blown flower. The clerestory windows are majestic and graceful. First, right hand, is the chapel built by the Cardinal de Bourbon and his brother Pierre, son-in-law of Louis XI. The two windows bearing their portraits, and the curious wheel window at the end, are admirable. The soffits of the arches and the vault of the roof are richly decorated. In the N.

transept is the now useless clock made by Nicholas Lippeus of Basel in 1508. The founder of the See of Lyons was St. Pothinus, an Asiatic Greek, who preached in this city A.D. 177, and sealed his doctrines with his blood. Adjoining the S. aisle is the Manecanterie, 11th cent., formerly the bishop's place, now the music school for the choristers.

A little farther down the river is the church of St. George (rebuilt) occupied in the 13th cent. by the +Knight Templars+. Above the cathedral is the Palais de Justice, planned by Baltard, the architect of the large market, the Halles Centrales of Paris. In front is a colonnade of 24 Corinthian columns. The hall is s.p.a.cious and elegant, but the court rooms around it are too small. The bridge higher up--the Pont de Nemours--leads directly to the church of +Saint Nizier+, with the facade towards the bridge and the chancel towards the Rue de l'Hotel de Ville.

The handsome portal surmounted by twin spires is by Philibert Delorme, a native of Lyons, and dates from the 16th cent. The rest of the building belongs to the 15th cent. In the interior a broad triforium with heavily-canopied window-openings surrounds the church. The vaulting shafts expand in a curious way over the roof. In the chapel of the south transept is a statue of Mary by Coysvox. At the foot of the pier in this transept a trap-door opens into the crypt, 10th cent. At the south side of the Palais des Arts is St. Pierre, a modern edifice, with a beautiful portal of the 11th cent., all that remains of the original church.

[Headnote: PALAIS DES BEAUX-ARTS.]

On the south side of the Place des Terreaux is the +Palais des Beaux-Arts+, built in 1667, formerly a convent of the Dames Benedictines de Saint-Pierre. It contains the picture galleries and the museums. Open to the public on Sundays, Thursdays, and feast-days, from 11 to 4, and to strangers daily.

[Headnote: MUSeE LAPIDAIRE.]

Admirably arranged under a wide corridor round the great court are the ancient marbles or +Musee Lapidaire+, one of the best in Europe. The sepulchral inscriptions form a most interesting series of epitaphs, in many instances most tender and affecting. Indeed, reading these records of the love of kindred among the ancient heathen, from the Augustan age upwards, one would incline to believe that the Romans of that day were already "feeling after" Christianity. In the left corner of the court on entering is the stair which leads up to the Archaeological Museum and the Picture Gallery, both on the first floor. Up on the second floor is the collection of paintings by the "peintres lyonnais."

[Headnote: MUSeE ARCHeOLOGIQUE.]

The Musee Archeologique is well arranged and carefully labelled. The only object we would indicate, as it is apt to be overlooked, is the bronze table, A.D. 48, in the second room left hand, with inscribed portions of the harangue of Claudius before he became emperor, imploring the senate to grant to Lyons, his native city, the t.i.tle of a Roman colony. The letters are beautifully cut and easily legible. This table was discovered in 1528 on the heights of Saint Sebastien. Germanicus, and the Emperors Claudius, Marcus Aurelius, and Caracalla, were also born in Lyons. The father of St. Ambrose was for some time prefect of Lyons. In the same room is a decree of the Egyptian pontiffs in hieroglyphics. There is a good collection of seals, coins, enamels, armour, carved work, and bronzes, as well as some necklaces, bracelets, rings, and coins, part of a treasure buried during the Roman period on the Fourviere heights, and discovered in 1811. The numismatic collection, 30,000 pieces, includes a series of the coins struck at Lyons from 43 B.C. to 1857. Adjoining and on the same floor is the Picture Gallery, contained in six small rooms, of which the first three contain the Flemish and Dutch schools, the next two the Italian and Spanish schools, and the sixth the French school. They are all carefully labelled. Among the pictures which represent the Flemish school are works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Teniers, Van Dyck, Holbein, Stein, Dietrich, Breughel, Wouvermans, and Ruysdael. The Italian and Spanish schools are represented by Ca.n.a.letto, Sa.s.so Ferrati, Guercino, Zucharo, Murillo, Ribera, Zurbaran, etc. On the floor of the fourth room is a remarkably perfect mosaic pavement, 5 yards by 3, representing chariot races in the Circus. It was discovered near the church of Ainay.

[Headnote: GALERIE CHENAVARD.]

In the S.E. corner a handsome staircase leads up to the Galerie Chenavard on the first floor, containing large cartoons drawn by him ill.u.s.trative of the scenes which accompanied the introduction of Christianity into France. They were intended for the Pantheon of Paris, but, the age of reason supervening, they were not sent. On the floors are three beautiful mosaic pavements found at Lyons. In the room above are the best pictures--J. F. Barbieri, 1590-1661; Bol, Breughel, P. Caliari, 1530-1588; A. Carracci, 1557-1602; L. Carracci, 1555-1619; P. Champaigne, Crayer, Greuze, 1721-1805; E. L. David, 1748-1825; Desportes, 1661-1742; Cuyp, Van Dyck, Heem, 1604-1674; Jordaens, Jouvenet, 1644-1717; Largilliere, M. Mierveld, Murillo, 1618-1682; J.

Palma, 1544-1628; Pietro Perugino, 1446-1524; an Ascension of Christ, considered the gem of the collection. This picture, originally in the church of San Pietro at Perugia, was presented by Pope Pio VII. "in attestato del suo affetto e della grata sua rimembranza per la citta di Lione." The lower part of the picture is by far the best, the figures in the air are too ma.s.sive, and the posture of J. C. is stiff. J. Ribera, 1584-1656; H. Rigaud, 1552-1745; Robusti, 1512-1594; Rubens, Ruysdael, A. del Sarto, 1488-1530; Sa.s.so Ferrati, 1605-1685; Schorreel, 1495-1565; Sueur, 1617-1656; Sneyders, Teniers, Terburg, Zampieri, and Zurbaran.

The Palais des Arts contains also the Natural History Museum, the +Mineralogical Collection+, in which are represented the characteristic rocks and fossils of every department of France, and the copper ores from the mine of Chessy, near Arbresle; and a library containing 40,000 engravings and drawings, and 650 volumes treating princ.i.p.ally on the arts and sciences. There are likewise 6 munic.i.p.al libraries, open every evening from 7 to 10, and the Bibliotheque de la Ville.

[Headnote: PLACE TERREAUX. HoTEL DE VILLE.]

On the north side of the Place des Terreaux is the Hotel de Ville, built in 1665 by Maupin, at the cost of 320,000. The facade, flanked by domed square pavilions, is 160 ft. wide, while the building itself is 1150 ft.

long. The back part, fronting the theatre, is the Prefecture. From the centre rises the clock-tower, 157 ft. high. On the facade over the entrance is an equestrian statue of Henri IV. in bold relief. Within the vestibule, to the right and left, are colossal bronze groups, by the brothers Coustou, representing the Rhone and the Saone. They stood originally under the statue of Louis XIV. in the Place Bellecour.

In 1642 Cinq Mars and De Thou were executed, by order of Richelieu, in the Place des Terreaux. In 1794 the revolutionary tribunal, sitting in the Hotel de Ville, guillotined so many people in this square that it became so flooded with blood as to render it necessary to send the executioners to Brotteaux, near the present railway station, to finish this wholesale slaughter of Frenchmen by Frenchmen.

[Headnote: CONDITION DES SOIES.]

Behind the Hotel de Ville, up the Rue de St. Polycarpe, house No. 7, is the establishment of the +Condition des Soies+, where the bales of silk brought to Lyons are sent to be dried. They are placed on an iron grating, and subjected for twenty-four hours to a temperature of from 64 to 72 Fahr., and are weighed both before and after this operation.

The same is done to the wool. The sample drying room is in the first story, left hand. Any one may visit it. A little higher up are St.

Polycarpe built in 1760, and St. Bruno built in 1688. At the opposite end of the bridge of St. Clair is the English church.

[Headnote: BOURSE. LIBRARY.]

In the Rue de la Republique is the +Bourse+, a profusely ornamented edifice inaugurated in 1860. At the south end is St. Bonaventure, built in the 14th cent., and recently restored. At the north end is the Lycee with the public library, containing the great terrestrial globe made at Lyons in 1701, indicating the great African lakes, the rediscovery of which has been one of the events of the present century. There are 160,000 volumes and 2500 ma.n.u.scripts,--about 600 of the printed works being incunabula, and 25 of the MSS. belonging to the Carlovingian period.

[Headnote: SILK MUSEUM.]

In the second story of the Bourse is the museum of the +Art and Manufacture+ of silk. Open to the public on Sundays and Thursdays between 11 and 4. The great hall contains, in high gla.s.s cases, specimens of silk, satin, velvet, c.r.a.pe, and lace, arranged according to centuries from the 13th and 14th to the 19th. The 19th, which is by far the richest and most beautiful, is in two cases, representing the first and the latter half of the century. This collection is choice and highly artistic, displaying miniature portraits, superb embroidery, and lovely designs in charming colours, woven in the loom. At the entrance to the hall is a portrait (about 13 in. by 10) of Jacquard, in a sitting posture, woven in white and black silk, like those at St. Etienne. Also the Will of Louis XVI. In the next room are looms and models of looms from the time of Louis XI. The models are so perfect that each contains part of a web woven in it. Among them is the model of the famous loom made by Jacquard in 1804, by which a single workman was enabled to produce elaborate fabrics as easily as the plainest web, and by merely changing the "cartoons" to make the most different textures on the same loom. Near the loom is the first sewing machine. The inventor was B. Thimonier of Lyons in 1829, from which those now in use are improved copies.

The cases round the inmost room are devoted to the natural history of silk--displaying every variety of the silk b.u.t.terfly, Bombyx mori, as well as of the allied species; coc.o.o.ns of every kind and in every condition; eggs and caterpillars at every stage of their existence; and hanks of raw silk from every part of the world where it is produced.

Adjoining is a room with drawings, many by the great masters.