Lyon. La Martinière: the district that became “art nouveau”

Every Sunday, Le Progrès delves into the history of Lyon, both great and small. The history of its people and its heritage. This week, the history of the Martinière district in the ^1st arrondissement. Until the end of the ^19th century, the lower slopes were shared between different religious congregations. But the city's need to break with the past, along with Claude Martin's significant legacy, would completely change the neighborhood's appearance and nature. Religious buildings gave way to schools and art nouveau.

Since the mid- ^19th century, the municipality has been working to break with the dilapidated state of its streets. Describing Lyon, Abel Hugo wrote: “Dark alleys, narrow and gloomy courtyards, narrow stairways, an overabundant population and above all habits of general uncleanliness would create a disastrous insalubrity if nature did not do more to destroy it than the inhabitants themselves,” ( France...

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