Palais de la Bourse and the Chamber of Commerce
Why is it significant?
Stand before the opulent, freestanding neoclassical facade of the Palais de la Bourse, the architectural palace of nineteenth-century commerce and banking.
Key Facts
| Place | Palais de la Bourse and the Chamber of Commerce |
|---|---|
| Address | Place de la Bourse 1, 69002 Lyon, France |
| Geo Coordinates | 45.76420, 4.83650 |
| Part of Walk | Presqu'île Royale: Grand Squares, Soufflot's Dome, and Bartholdi's Fountain |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand before the opulent, freestanding neoclassical facade of the Palais de la Bourse, the architectural palace of nineteenth-century commerce and banking. Built between 1855 and 1860 on the designs of municipal architect René Dardel, this grand monument was commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III to provide a majestic home for the Chamber of Commerce, the Stock Exchange, and the Commercial Court of Lyon. The exterior is a tour de force of Second Empire decorative exuberance: four symmetrical stone facades are adorned with Corinthian colonnades, allegorical pediments, and sculpted groups by Joseph-Hugues Fabisch symbolizing Trade, Industry, the Rhône River, and the silk city. Inside, the immense central Salle de la Corbeille rises twenty-five metres high beneath a breathtaking painted glass ceiling, where stockbrokers and silk merchants traded shares and raw silk contracts amidst gilded stuccoes and crystal chandeliers. Standing on this wide square, one feels the immense financial power that made nineteenth-century Lyon a titan of global capitalism and industrial banking. The limestone details catch the afternoon sunlight brilliantly.
Look up at the sculpted figures on the clock pediment: the allegorical figure of the City of Lyon is depicted seated upon a prow of a ship, flanked by the river gods of the Rhône and Saône holding cornucopias overflowing with fruits and coins.
Tragically, it was immediately outside this building on June 24, 1894, that French President Sadi Carnot was assassinated by Italian anarchist Sante Geronimo Caserio while exiting a banquet celebrating the Lyon International Exhibition.
Note the Chamber of Commerce plaque: founded by royal decree of King Henry IV in 1702, Lyon's Chamber of Commerce is the oldest in France and one of the oldest in the world.
Walk north along Rue de la République to arrive at the monumental Place des Terreaux.