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This article is about the French city. For other uses, see Lyon (disambiguation).
Lyon, also known as Lyons in English, is a city in east-central France. Its name is pronounced [ljɔ̃] in French and /liˈɒn/ or /laiənz/ in English. Lyon is the third-largest French city, the first being Paris and the second Marseille. It is a major centre of business, situated between Paris and Marseille, and has a reputation as the French capital of gastronomy and having a significant role in the history of cinema. The local professional soccer team, Olympique Lyonnais, has increased the profile of Lyon internationally through participation in European championships. Together with its suburbs and satellite towns, Lyon forms the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris, with a population estimated to be 1,783,400 in 2007. Its "urban region" (Région Urbaine de Lyon), represents half of the Rhône-Alpes région population with 3.0 million inhabitants[1]. Lyon is also a major industrial center specialized in chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. There is also a significant software industry with a particular focus on video games. Lyon is the préfecture (capital) of the Rhône département, and also the capital of the Rhône-Alpes région. The city is known for its historical and architectural landmarks and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lyon was historically known as the silk capital of the world and is a centre for fashion. It is also hosts the international headquarters of Interpol and Euronews.
[edit] History
Lyon was founded on the Fourvière hill as a Roman colony in 43 BCE by Munatius Plancus, a lieutenant of Caesar, on the site of a Gaulish hill-fort settlement called Lug[o]dunon, from the Celtic god Lugus ('Light', cognate with Old Irish Lugh, Modern Irish Lú) and dúnon (hill-fort). Lyon was first named Lugdunum meaning the "hill of lights" or "the hill of crows". Lug was equated by the Romans to Mercury. Agrippa recognized that Lugdunum's position on the natural highway from northern to south-eastern France made it a natural communications hub, and he made Lyon the starting point of the principal Roman roads throughout Gaul. It then became the capital of Gaul, partly thanks to its convenient location at the convergence of two navigable rivers, and quickly became the main city of Gaul. Two emperors were born in this city: Claudius and Caracalla. Today, the archbishop of Lyon is still referred to as "le primat des Gaules". The Christians in Lyon were persecuted for their religion under the reigns of the various Roman emperors, most notably Marcus Aurelius and Septimus Severus. Local saints from this period include saints such as Blandina (Blandine), Pothinus (Pothin) , and Epipodius (Épipode), among others. The great Christian bishop of Lyon in the 2nd century was the Easterner Irenaeus. 
Burgundian refugees from the destruction of Worms by Huns in 437 were resettled by the military commander of the west, Aëtius, at Lugdunum, which was formally the capital of the new Burgundian kingdom by 461. In 843, by the Treaty of Verdun, Lyon, with the country beyond the Saône, went to Lothair I, and later became a part of the Kingdom of Arles. Lyon only came under French control in the fourteenth century. Fernand Braudel remarked, Historians of Lyon are not sufficiently aware of the bi-polarity between Paris and Lyon, which is a constant structure in French development from the late Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution (Braudel 1984 p. 327). The fairs in Lyon, the invention of Italian merchants, made it the economic countinghouse of France in the late 15th century. When international banking moved to Genoa, then Amsterdam, Lyon simply became the banking centre of France; its new Bourse (treasury), built in 1749, still resembled a public bazaar where accounts were settled in the open air. During the Renaissance, the city developed with the silk trade, especially with Italy; the Italian influence on Lyon's architecture can still be seen. Thanks to the silk trade, Lyon became an important industrial town during the 19th century. 
Lyon was a scene of mass violence against Huguenots in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacres in 1572. During the French Revolution, Lyon uprose against the National Convention and supported the Girondins. In 1793, the city was under siege during over two months, assaulted by the Revolutionary armies, before eventually surrending. More than 2.000 people were executed and several buildings were destroyed, especially around the Place Bellecour. A decade later, Napoleon himself ordered the reconstruction of all the buildings demolished during this period. The silk workers of Lyon, known as canuts, staged two major uprisings: in 1831 and 1834. The 1831 uprising saw one of the first recorded uses of the black flag as an emblem of protest. 
Lyon was a centre for the occupying German forces and also a stronghold of resistance during World War II, and the city is now home to a resistance museum. (See also Klaus Barbie.) The traboules, or secret passages, through the houses enabled the local people to escape Gestapo raids. [edit] GeographyLyon's geography is dominated by the Rhône and Saône rivers that converge to the south of the historic city center forming a peninsula or "Presqu'île"; two large hills, one to the west and one to the north of the historic city center; and a large plain which sprawls eastward from the historic city center. To the west is Fourvière, known as "the hill that prays", the location for the highly decorated Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica, several convents, the palace of the Archbishop, the Tour métallique (a highly visible TV tower, replicating the last stage of the Eiffel Tower) and a funicular. To the north is the Croix-Rousse, "the hill that works", traditionally home to many small silk workshops, an industry for which the city was renowned. The original medieval city (Vieux Lyon) was built on the west bank of the Saône river at the foot of the Fourvière hill, west of the Presqu'île. (This area, along with portions of the Presqu'ile and much of the Croix-Rousse are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the peninsula (Presqu'île) between the rivers Rhône and Saône is located the third largest public square in France, and one of the largest in Europe, Place Bellecour. Specifically, it is the largest clear square (i.e., without any patches of greenery, trees or any other kind of obstacles) in Europe.[citation needed] The broad, pedestrian-only Rue de la République leads north from Place Bellecour. The 2nd arrondissement has many of the finest old residential buildings in Lyon and the area is known for its concentration of old Lyonnaise Catholic families. East of the Rhône from the Presqu'île is a large area of flat ground upon which sits much of modern Lyon and most of the city's population. Situated in this area is the urban centre of Part-Dieu which clusters the former Crédit Lyonnais Tower (central France's only skyscraper), the Part-Dieu shopping centre, and Lyon's main rail terminal, Lyon Part-Dieu. North of this district is the relatively wealthy 6th arrondissement, which is home to the Parc de la Tête d'Or, one of Europe's largest urban parks, the prestigious Lycée du Parc to the south of the park, and Interpol's headquarters on the park's western edge. [edit] Climate
[edit] AdministrationLyon is the capital of the Rhône-Alpes région, the préfecture of the Rhône département, and the capital of 14 cantons, covering 1 commune, and with a total population of 488.300 (2007). [edit] Arrondissements
Like Paris and Marseille, Lyon is divided into a number of municipal arrondissements (sometimes translated into English as boroughs), each of which is identified by a number and has its own council and town hall. Five arrondissements were originally created in 1852, when three neighbouring communes (La Croix-Rousse, La Guillotière, and Vaise) were annexed by Lyon. Between 1867 and 1959, the 3rd arrondissement (which originally covered the whole of the Left Bank of the Rhône) was split three times, creating a new arrondissement in each case. Then, in 1963, the commune of Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe was annexed to Lyon's 5th arrondissement. A year later, in 1964, the 5th was split to create Lyon's 9th – and, to date, final – arrondissement. Within each arrondissement, there are a number of recognisable quartiers or neighbourhoods:
[edit] Culture
[edit] UNESCO World Heritage SiteThe Saint-Jean and the Croix-Rousse areas, which are noted for their narrow passageways (traboules) that pass through buildings and link the streets either side, were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1998. [edit] GastronomyFor several centuries Lyon has been known as the French capital of gastronomy, due, in part, to the presence of many of France's finest chefs in the city and its surroundings (e.g. Paul Bocuse). This reputation also comes from the fact that two of France's best known wine-growing regions are located near Lyon: the Beaujolais to the North, and the Côtes du Rhône to the South. The Beaujolais is very popular in Lyon and remains the most common table wine served with local dishes. Lyon is the home of very typical and traditional restaurants: the bouchons. Bouchons are usually convivial restaurants serving local dishes, and local wines. Lyon is famous for its morning snacks, the mâchons, made up of local charcuterie and usually accompanied by Beaujolais red wine. Traditional local dishes include saucisson de Lyon (sausage), andouillette, coq au vin, esox (pike) quenelle, gras double (tripe cooked with onions), salade lyonnaise (lettuce with bacon, croutons and a poached egg), marrons glacés and cardoon au gratin. [edit] Main sightsThese are the main sights of Lyon.
[edit] Colleges and universities
[edit] International schools in LyonThere are several international schools in Lyon, including:
[edit] SportLyon is home to Ligue 1 football (soccer) team Olympique Lyonnais, commonly known as "Lyon" or "OL". The team has enjoyed unprecedented success recently, winning the last seven national titles and establishing themselves as France's premier football club. The captain of the side, Juninho Pernambucano is one of several Brazilians at Lyon, and he has received many awards while leading his team to unrivalled success. The team competes in the prestigious UEFA Champions League and currently plays at the impressive Stade de Gerland, where the Danone Nation's Cup is held every year. The team is set to move to a new stadium in Décines-Charpieu (in the eastern suburbs) in 2010, which will hold 67,895 people. Lyon also has a rugby union team, Lyon OU, currently playing in division 2, Rugby Pro D2. In addition, Lyon has a rugby league side: Lyon Villeurbanne Rhône XIII, or LVR XIII[3], play in the French rugby league championship. The club's current home ground is Stade Georges Lyvet in Villeurbanne. Finally, Villeurbanne also has a renowned basketball team, ASVEL, who play at the Astroballe arena in Cusset. [edit] Transport[edit] AirThe Saint-Exupéry International Airport is located 20 km to the east of Lyon, and serves as a base for regional and international flights. It is also directly connected to the TGV network with its own station Gare de Lyon Saint-Exupéry. [edit] RailLyon is connected to the north (Lille, Paris, Brussels) and the south (Marseille, Montpellier) by the TGV. It was the first city to be connected by the TGV, in 1981. Lyon has two major railway stations: Lyon Part-Dieu, which was built to accommodate the TGV and has become the principal railway station for extra-regional trains; and Lyon Perrache, which is an older station that now primarily serves regional rail services. In practice, many trains, including TGVs, serve both stations. Smaller railway stations include Gorge de Loup, Vaise, Vénissieux, and St-Paul. 
[edit] Road
The City is at the heart of a dense road network and is located at the meeting point of several highways: A6 (to Paris), A7 (to Marseille), A42 (to Geneve), A43 (to Grenoble). The city is now bypassed by the A46. [edit] Intercity coachLyon is served by the Eurolines intercity coach organisation. Its Lyon terminal is located at the city's Perrache railway station. [edit] Public transport
The TCL (French: Transports en Commun Lyonnais), Lyon's public transport system, consisting of metros, buses and trams, serves 62 communes of the Lyon agglomeration. The metro system has 4 lines, 39 stations and runs with a frequency of up to a metro every 2 minutes. The bus system consists of normal buses, trolleybuses and coaches for areas outside the centre, but which operate on the same ticketing scheme. There are three tram lines since December 2006: T1 from Montrochet in the south to IUT-Feyssine in the north, Tram T2 from Perrache railway station in the southwest to Saint-Priest in the southeast, and Tram T3 from Part-Dieu to Meyzieu. The public transit system is complemented by Vélo'v, a bicycle network providing a low cost and convenient bicycle hire service where bicycles can be hired and dropped off at any of several hundred stations throughout the city. [edit] People from Lyon[edit] Sister citiesLyon's sister cities are:
[edit] Cultural references
[edit] References[edit] External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
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