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onjour! This month we have chosen to
dedicate this newsletter to the wonderful city of Lyon.
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And now onto Lyon!
Yesterday and Today
As the war of the Gauls raged on, Julius Cesar established a military camp on mount Fourvière -- a strategic crossroad at the intersection of the Saône
and Rhône rivers -- situated half way between the North and the South of France. In 43 BC, a colony of Romans arrived, and the settlement of
Lugdunum was established there. In Latin the word means “Hill of Light”. Under Roman rule, Lugdunum was second only to Rome in importance,
while Lutèce -- the future Paris -- was still a small, insignificant and dirty borough. A strategic meeting point between the North and the Mediterranean,
and the place from which the conquests of Britain and Germany departed, Lugdunum was an easy location for commerce to flourish, and became quite
naturally the capital of the three Gauls. Today, Fourvière is also well known for the 3 kilometer tunnel which allows access to the city from the North.
Fourvière, the symbol of the city of Lyon, is as important to the "Lyonnais", as the "Good Mother" is to the people of Marseilles.
Tribute to the Virgin
It seems that Mount Fourvière has been dedicated to the Virgin Mary since the beginning of its time. In fact, folktales say that in the year 150 A.D.,
the first bishop of Lyon placed an icon there in her honor. In 1643, as the plague ravaged the country, decimating the population, it miraculously
stopped at the foot of the mount and saved the city of Lyon. To thank the Virgin Mary, the city councilors determined that on September 8th every
year, a pilgrimage would be organized. In 1852 when the inauguration and placement of a new statue on the top of the basilica was to have taken
place, severe downpours prevented the occasion from happening. The event was pushed back to December 8th. On December 8th, the statue
was placed, but the festivities were once again cancelled due to bad weather. The people of Lyon marked the occasion by placing small lanterns
in their windows. From that day forward, every December 8th, a grand religious feast is celebrated for the enjoyment of all, and the city is illuminated
with millions of lights in honor of the Virgin Mary.
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| Recipe
for April 2003 |
The "Bugnes Lyonnaise" |
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Cooking SOS ! If you
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an SOS e-mail to 911@FranceMonthly.com |
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Lyon: Center of Gallic Christianity |
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It was the oriental merchants of Palestine who brought their Christian faith to Gaul. Guided by a bishop, with priests and deacons assisting him,
the Christian communities were established as early as the 1st century. But the emperor had difficulty accepting these Christians, who refused to
abide by his laws and participate in the imperial cults. The first persecutions appeared under Nero’s rule, but the most terrible arose in 177,
when the annual meeting between the delegates of the three Gauls took place. Bishop Pothin was arrested and died in prison, while a number
of his followers were tortured and fed to the lions. In that group, a young girl, Blandine, chose to lose herself in prayer in the arena, and by a miracle,
the lions did not attack her. In the end she was strangled to death, but remains the most notable martyr of the persecution. |
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The Silk and the "Canuts" |
The prosperity of the silk industry was well established by the fifteenth century, but silk developed into a thriving economy during the Industrial
Revolution of the nineteenth century. In horrid conditions, asked to work 18 hours a day for minimal salaries, the “canuts”, or silk weavers,
became the symbol of the Lyonnais workers. The discrepancy between the common worker and the richness of the owners was enormous,
and apparent. In 1831, the workers became united, and by November 21st, their movement grew into the first of the great social conflicts in
France. In the ensuing years, many more labor movements permitted the workers to gain better conditions and salaries. Today the silk weavers
have disappeared, but their silk remains well known throughout the world for its unparalleled quality.
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The "Traboules" |
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The “Saint-Jean” quarter of Lyon can still be seen as the working realm of the “canuts”. The buildings have 12 foot ceilings to accommodate the
about 11 foot silk looms. In order to move easily between the work areas and factories, an elaborate labyrinth of inner passageways was developed,
hidden behind large doors. The word “traboule” comes from the Latin meaning “to go through”. These passages were actually used by the “canuts”
to transport their silk goods between streets, while protecting them from the rain, mud, and sewer system, which was not very advanced at the time.
During the nineteenth century workers’ revolution, these inner streets were used to escape from the police. During the Second World War,
the resistance fighters avoided the occupying Germans by using these unseen passages. The "traboules" are an unusual, historical site, typical only to
Lyon. We highly recommend their exploration with a guide!
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The "Tour de France" in Lyon |
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As we are about to celebrate the 100th birthday of the “Tour de France”, it is a good time to remember an amusing anecdote from the first “Tour de
France”, in 1903. The organizers of this new athletic competition designed it to connect the largest cities in France. From Paris, the contestants
pedaled to Lyon, then Marseilles, Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Nantes, before returning to Paris. The bikers followed a given circuit, and upon arriving
at each checkpoint, they were met by an official to witness their signature. The first start was given on July 15th at 3:00PM in Paris. When the leader
of the first phase arrived in Lyon at 9:00AM the following morning, having ridden 467 kilometers in 17hours and 45 minutes, to his surprise, no one
was there to greet him -- spectator nor organizer. He had simply arrived too early. No one could have imagined that such a distance could be traveled
at such a pace on two wheels!
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The "Bouchons" |
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If Lyon is no longer the capital of France, it is nevertheless the capital of French gastronomy. One often hears that gastronomy is to Lyon, what “haute
couture” is to Paris. There are so many restaurants; it is difficult to count them all! And each local restaurant will woo you with its secret recipes,
where creativity and tradition are equally paired. As north-south and east-west crossroads, Lyon saw the arrival of many merchants and traders
passing through. The travelers had easy access to fine food, and so did their horses. In old French the word "bousche" meant "bale of hay" and
it was said that the horse were "bouchonnés" meaning that they were well fed and taken care of. These restaurants became especially popular
during the nineteenth century when the “canuts” came for their midday “fast food” meal. Today, to stop in a “bouchon” is an integral part of the
lifestyle of Lyon, and not to be missed by the visitor!
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Should you find yourself heading south from Paris, don’t pass by Lyon! Make a small detour during the summer months and attend the colorful
theatre and dance festival -- “Fourvière nights”, or explore the “traboules” in the “Saint-Jean” neighborhood, and by all means, don’t miss
the tastes of local specialties at one of the many “bouchons”, so typical of this city. Lyon has a varied and rich historical, cultural and gastronomical
heritage, that we’ve hardly been able to touch here. Don’t be surprised if you learn more about Lyon in a future newsletter!
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