Place Bellecour and the Equestrian Statue of Louis XIV

Why is it significant?

Step into the vast red-graveled expanse of Place Bellecour, the colossal civic center and geographical heart of Lyon's Presqu'île.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Step into the vast red-graveled expanse of Place Bellecour, the colossal civic center and geographical heart of Lyon's Presqu'île. Spanning over sixty-two thousand square metres, this immense open square ranks as the largest pedestrian plaza in Europe without trees or lawns to obstruct the horizon, offering a clear line of sight up to the Basilica of Fourvière perched upon the western ridge. At the geometric center rises the bronze equestrian statue of King Louis XIV, sculpted in 1825 by François-Frédéric Lemot to replace the original royal monument destroyed by revolutionaries in 1793. The Sun King sits proudly astride his mount in classical Roman attire without stirrups, symbolizing imperial authority and royal favor toward the city's silk industry. Surrounding the plaza stand elegant neoclassical pavilions designed under Napoleon Bonaparte after the devastating siege of 1793, framed by grand avenues leading north into the luxury shopping boulevards. Locals affectionately arrange meetings under the horse's tail before setting out into the bustling city. The vast open sky overhead fills the space with radiant natural light.

Look closely at the base of the royal pedestal: two seated bronze allegorical statues by Guillaume Coustou personify the two mighty rivers of Lyon—the vigorous male figure representing the turbulent Rhône and the graceful female figure representing the calm, meandering Saône.

At the southwestern corner of the square stands a tender bronze memorial dedicated to the pioneering aviator and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, born nearby on Rue Saint-Exupéry in 1900, depicted alongside his beloved Little Prince gazing at the stars.

Note the reddish hue of the ground: the plaza is surfaced with crushed red porphyry sand quarried in the nearby Beaujolais hills, giving Bellecour its distinctive warm terracotta glow under the midday sun.

Walk southeast across the gravel toward the solitary stone tower of the Clocher de la Charité.