Church of Saint-Paul and the Quays of the Saône
Why is it significant?
Conclude your journey through imperial and Renaissance Lyon on Place Saint-Paul before the majestic octagonal lantern tower of the Church of Saint-Paul.
Key Facts
| Place | Church of Saint-Paul and the Quays of the Saône |
|---|---|
| Address | Place Saint-Paul 1, 69005 Lyon, France |
| Geo Coordinates | 45.76740, 4.82750 |
| Part of Walk | Fourvière and Vieux Lyon: Roman Lugdunum, Hilltop Basilica, and Renaissance Traboules |
| Generated | Generated |
Conclude your journey through imperial and Renaissance Lyon on Place Saint-Paul before the majestic octagonal lantern tower of the Church of Saint-Paul. Documented as early as 549 AD under the Merovingian kings, this venerable sanctuary is one of the most ancient religious foundations in the city, rebuilt in the twelfth century in robust Romanesque style with a magnificent lantern dome influenced by Ottonian architecture. The northern side of the church opened directly onto the medieval city walls and the busy river port of the Saône, where flat-bottomed wooden barges delivered Burgundy wine, timber, stone, and grain to the bustling markets of Old Lyon. Standing here where the steep wooded slopes of Fourvière plunge down to meet the slow-moving river, you have traveled across two millennia of urban history: from the hilltop Roman forum of Augustus to the secret vaulted traboules of Renaissance silk merchants. The gentle ripple of the Saône and the tolling of ancient church bells provide an unforgettable, poetic close to this historic walk through time.
Look up at the Romanesque lantern tower: its delicate blind arcades, carved dwarf galleries, and red-tiled conical roof represent the finest surviving Romanesque bell tower in the entire Rhône department.
Saint-Paul was historically the parish of Lyon's money changers and river bargemen: inside, seventeenth-century guild side-chapels preserve carved emblems honoring the river workers who made Lyon a trading giant.
Step onto the nearby river quay: directly across the water lies the Presqu'île, inviting you to continue your exploration of Lyon's grand nineteenth-century boulevards and civic squares.
Here, beside the ancient river stones where imperial legionaries, silk masters, and royal architects walked, we conclude our journey through Fourvière and Vieux Lyon, an immortal city etched in stone, faith, and freedom on the banks of the Saône.