Maison du Crible and the Rose Tower (Tour Rose)
Why is it significant?
Step beneath the sculpted sandstone doorway of 16 Rue du Bœuf and pass through the vaulted passageway into the hidden courtyard of the Maison du Crible.
Key Facts
| Place | Maison du Crible and the Rose Tower (Tour Rose) |
|---|---|
| Address | Rue du Bœuf 16, 69005 Lyon, France |
| Geo Coordinates | 45.76300, 4.82690 |
| Part of Walk | Fourvière and Vieux Lyon: Roman Lugdunum, Hilltop Basilica, and Renaissance Traboules |
| Generated | Generated |
Step beneath the sculpted sandstone doorway of 16 Rue du Bœuf and pass through the vaulted passageway into the hidden courtyard of the Maison du Crible. Here, rising dramatically above the stone flagstones, stands the Tour Rose, or Rose Tower, arguably the most celebrated and romantic Renaissance architectural icon in all of Lyon. Erected in the early sixteenth century for royal tax collector Martin de Troyes, this cylindrical staircase tower is rendered in warm pink stucco with bands of golden limestone, punctuated by open semicircular arched loggias that spiral upward around a central stone core. These open-air arcades were engineered not merely for ornament, but to illuminate the interior steps and allow continuous air circulation between the tiered residential apartments. Standing in this secluded courtyard surrounded by hanging vines and terracotta rooflines, you appreciate the refined Italian Renaissance elegance that wealthy merchants and financiers brought to Lyon during its golden age of silk manufacturing and international commerce. Sunlight illuminates the pink plasterwork warmly against the quiet courtyard walls.
Look at the circular portal at the base of the tower: above the doorway, a finely carved stone relief represents a sieve, or crible, a direct visual pun on the owner's official post as royal tax collector who sifted the king's revenue.
King Henry IV stayed in this very residence during his extended royal visit to Lyon in 1600 while awaiting the arrival of his Italian bride Marie de' Medici from Florence.
Feel how the courtyard blocks out the sounds of the street: this building illustrates the classic traboule layout, designed to allow residents and silk merchants to traverse interior blocks sheltered from winter snow and summer rain.
Continue north along Rue Saint-Jean to reach the historic commercial center of Place du Change.