Église Saint-Nizier and the Early Christian Crypt

Why is it significant?

Stand before the dramatic flamboyant Gothic western front of Église Saint-Nizier, an architectural wonder where medieval stonework meets Renaissance audacity.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Stand before the dramatic flamboyant Gothic western front of Église Saint-Nizier, an architectural wonder where medieval stonework meets Renaissance audacity. Documented since the fifth century as the Basilica of the Holy Apostles built over the burial crypt of the early Christian martyrs of 177 AD, the church was dedicated in the sixth century to Nicetius, or Saint Nizier, the beloved Bishop of Lyon who was buried here in 573. The current church, constructed between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, presents a fascinating exterior: the southern stone tower is a delicate openwork Gothic spire completed in 1481, while the northern brick spire was added in 1856 in contrasting neo-Gothic style. But its most astonishing feature is the grand semicircular entrance porch inserted in 1579 by architect Jean Vallet, one of the earliest and most daring Italian Renaissance classical portals in all of France. Inside, the lofty nave soars under flamboyant ribbed vaults with sculpted stone bosses depicting angels, saints, and heraldic coats of arms. The hushed sanctuary radiates deep spiritual power and historical mystery that touches every visitor throughout the centuries.

Look closely at the sculpted Renaissance porch: Vallet carved a grand Roman triumphal arch complete with fluted Corinthian columns, coffered ceiling rosettes, and stone roundels right onto the Gothic church wall.

In February 1975, Saint-Nizier became the epicenter of modern French social activism when more than a hundred Lyon sex workers occupied the church to protest police harassment, launching the international sex workers' rights movement.

Descend into the subterranean crypt if open: beneath the choir lie ancient paleochristian burial chambers containing stone sarcophagi and mosaics dating back to the late fourth century.

Walk east through Rue de la Fromagerie to admire the Second Empire grandeur of the Palais de la Bourse.