Lyon is another ancient city, founded by Celtic tribes on a hilltop near the place where the Saône and the Rhône Rivers meet. Its name comes from Lugdunum, meaning "hill of [the Celtic god] Lug." The Romans made it the capital of their province of Gaul, and this hill came to be known as Fourvière, a French corruption of Forum vetus or "the old [Roman] forum." During the Middle Ages Lyon was ruled by its Catholic archbishop, and the city moved down the hill to the edge of the Saône River (the area now known as Old Lyon). Then in the Renaissance the city moved again, across the Saône River to the peninsula of flat land that lies between the two rivers just before they meet. Of course, the modern city has filled up all of these areas and expanded even further.

The view from the top of Fourvière hill shows the huge expanse of the modern city.

Bits of the ancient Roman city are still visible. Below left is the old amphitheater and below right is what survives of houses along a Roman street.

The medieval part of the city, now Old Lyon, has beautiful old buildings and squares filled with restaurants and cafes.

Since the city was ruled by an archbishop, the Gothic cathedral is a masterpiece for which no expense was spared.

Particularly impressive are its stained glass windows, still surviving from the Middle Ages.

The cathedral is also known for the complex clock in its interior, built in the fourteenth century.

At the top, figures representing God and the saints appear, twist around, bend, and gesture to mark the hours.

Below them, one dial marks the hour out of all twenty-four hours of the day.

Below that, a second dial tells the day of the year, swinging slowly around the 365 positions of the circle.

What is interesting about this last dial is that a hand marks not only the day but which saint's feastday is celebrated that day.
At the top of this same dial is a special tag that marks the date of major Catholic feasts, like Easter, that change date from year to year.
(You'll see that 2009 is indicated below, so it's been updated regularly since the fourteenth century.)

Old Lyon is also known for its medieval mansions, built by the wealthy townspeople who made their money through trade.

Most of these mansions were built around open courtyards, and the arched passageways
of many of them can be seen today when only part of the original building still stands.

Also from the Middle Ages is the former monastery of Saint Martin d'Ainay.
It was originally situated on an island in the Saône River, but in modern centuries was joined to the mainland.

The mosaic in the main dome of the church is modern, but there are beautiful examples of medieval artwork elsewhere in the church.

The more modern buildings in Lyon, found on the peninsula between the two rivers, are equally impressive.

Lyon even boasts some interesting recent art and architecture, like the fountain, below left, and the opera house, below right.

Lyon's art museum is a former seventeenth-century convent, and the former
cloister provides a tranquil, sculpture-filled spot in the midst of the busy city.

One of Lyon's most impressive sights is the basilica of Notre-Dame at the top of the hill of Fourvière.
It sits, like an gigantic wedding cake, covered inside and out with religious art and other details.

The crypt or lower part of the church is astonishing enough.

But it is the main part of the church that is the most breathtaking--every bedazzling inch!

Among the many decorations are mosaics showing the major churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary across France.

There is even a mosaic showing what the hill of Fourvière might have looked like in Roman times, when it was the forum.

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