Place de la Trinité and Church of Saint-Georges
Why is it significant?
Step into the storybook setting of Place de la Trinité, a small triangular plaza nestled at the foot of the Fourvière cliffs where Old Lyon reveals its theatrical charm.
Key Facts
| Place | Place de la Trinité and Church of Saint-Georges |
|---|---|
| Address | Place de la Trinité 2, 69005 Lyon, France |
| Geo Coordinates | 45.75700, 4.82720 |
| Part of Walk | Fourvière and Vieux Lyon: Roman Lugdunum, Hilltop Basilica, and Renaissance Traboules |
| Generated | Generated |
Step into the storybook setting of Place de la Trinité, a small triangular plaza nestled at the foot of the Fourvière cliffs where Old Lyon reveals its theatrical charm. The square is dominated by the tall, ochre-washed facade of the House of the Sun, built in the early eighteenth century with an elegant curved pediment and a painted golden sundial between its shuttered windows. This very corner is legendary in French popular culture as the authentic setting for the traditional Guignol puppet theatre: here, around 1808, unemployed silk worker Laurent Mourguet set up his puppet booth to entertain illiterate textile laborers with biting political satire and slapstick humor starring the mischievous glove-puppet Guignol. A few steps to the south rises the slender spire of the Church of Saint-Georges, a striking neo-Gothic sanctuary rebuilt in 1845 by architect Pierre Bossan right on the riverbank, where the Knights of Malta once maintained their historic commandery. Cafe tables now spill across the sunny cobblestones in a relaxed village atmosphere, where locals gather for afternoon coffee and conversations.
Look closely at the House of the Sun: the backdrop of this picturesque building was copied on stage sets for traditional Guignol plays performed across France for over two centuries, making it instantly recognizable to generations of French children.
Laurent Mourguet originally worked as an itinerant tooth-puller: he invented the puppet Guignol and his companion Gnafron to distract his terrified dental patients from the pain of extraction before turning to full-time theatrical puppetry.
Step inside Saint-Georges Church to admire Bossan's sculpted stonework: this project served as the master architect's testing ground before he embarked on building the great Fourvière basilica.
Walk north along Rue Saint-Jean into the beating heart of Old Lyon until you reach the grand cathedral.