France – Rhône-Alpes (Lyon, St. Étienne, Grenoble, Valence) September 15, 2019
La Tourette (Convent Sainte-Marie de la Tourette). This convent is Le Corbusier” final building (opened in 1961) completed in Europe, and is also thought by many to be his most important. It was build to be a self-contained world for a community of silent monks. To achieve this lifestyle, the monastery is made of 100 individual cells, a communal library, a refectory, a rooftop cloister, a church and classrooms. Each of the hundred cells has an outward facing balcony with communal areas underneath and the cloister running around the roof.
The church is a concrete box using “light cannons” with 5 different types of openings letting in daylight
The five key elements of his modernist design are: pilotis, or load bearing columns that line the inside walls and open the façade to long strip windows, grass rooftops; undulating glass surfaces on three of the four exterior surfaces; structural reinforced concrete.
Today if functions as a meeting place for different disciplines connected to the human sciences and philosophy. It still functions for a reduced population of friars. It something of a pilgrimage site for students of architecture. Overnight stays in unused cells are possible.
This convent is a Corbusier design consisting of 4 perimeter heavy rectangular buildings joined by ramps and creating a closed interior space. This is not a typical patio but is divided into four parts by the two vertical corridors joining each other in the shape of a cross. The oddest is a large reinforced concrete box with a very narrow slit of windows about ⅓ of the way up (the church). The second is all windows facing south. The third appears to be the dormitory with 2-stories of small rooms with balconies on a rectangular base. €8
It is about 25kms west of Lyon.
It is part of the WHS (2017) – The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement
LYON/VILLEURBANE (pop Lyon 513,000)
Lyon is the third-largest city and second-largest urban area of France. It is located in the country’s east-central part at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône about 470 km south of Paris, 320 kms north of Marseille and 56 kms NE of Saint-Étienne. Inhabitants of the city are called Lyonnais.
The Lyon metropolitan area had a population of 2,265,375 in 2014. The city is known for its cuisine and gastronomy, and historical and architectural landmarks; part of it is a registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lyon was historically an important area for the production and weaving of silk. Lyon played a significant role in the history of cinema: it is where Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph. It is also known for its light festival, the Fête des Lumières, which begins every 8 December and lasts for four days, earning Lyon the title of Capital of Lights.
Economically, Lyon is a major centre for banking, as well as for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. The city contains a significant software industry with a particular focus on video games, and in recent years has fostered a growing local start-up sector. Lyon hosts the international headquarters of Interpol, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and Euronews. According to the Globalization and World Rankings Research Institute, Lyon is considered a Beta city, as of 2018. It ranked second in France and 40th globally in Mercer’s 2019 liveability rankings.
Historic Site of Lyon was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. In its designation, UNESCO cited the “exceptional testimony to the continuity of urban settlement over more than two millennia on a site of great commercial and strategic significance.” The specific regions comprising the Historic Site include the Roman district and Fourvière, the Renaissance district (Vieux Lyon), the silk district (slopes of Croix-Rousse), and the Presqu’île, which features architecture from the 12th century to modern times. Both Vieux Lyon and the slopes of Croix-Rousse are known for their narrow passageways (named traboules) that pass through buildings and link streets on either side. The first examples of traboules are thought to have been built in Lyon in the 4th century. The traboules allowed the inhabitants to get from their homes to the Saône quickly and allowed the canuts on the Croix-Rousse hill to get from their workshops to the textile merchants at the foot of the hill.
The district is only 3 or 4 streets wide at the level of the river with the huge hill of Croix-Rousse backing it. Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière looms at the top of the hill.
There was a large ceramics/pottery market in the main square with many lovely items.
Fronting the square is the St Etienne church dating from the 4th century. It has majestic stained glass with high windows in the central nave and large windows in all the very big, high side chapels. Next to it are the ruins of possibly the oldest church in the west outside of Rome dating to 150
Passerelle du Palais de Justice. This suspension pedestrian bridge has a single red tower on the east end and arcs nicely with a red girder bottom and yellow hand rails. The Palais de Justice is a magnificent building with 24 columns and Corinthian capitals.
Passerelle de l’Homme de la Roche. This narrow pedestrian bridge is a red girder bridge but with a single round tube and a tripod to the outside of the deck.
Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. This is easily the most spectacular church I have seen in France. The inside is almost completely covered with mosaic, 3 huge ones per side, the ceiling with its 3 domes and the apse. 4 sets of double columns separate the narrow aisles almost the same height as the central nave. The base has carvings of birds, then a grey marble column crowned by elaborate capitals with gilt haled eagles and statues on top. The chandeliers are cylinders of chains and chain mil.
The exterior is equally wonderful with 4 crenellated towers each with a large copper cross. The façade and portal are a riot of statues.
Lyon Botanical Garden. This is one of favourite gardens in Europe as it is so people friendly. Enter through great wrought iron gates to a road lined by flower boxes, all labeled with names I could understand including the registered name – begonia, peturnias, dahlias, lavender and many more. To the right is a large open area of palms, cacti and succulents including many agave and some wonderful African trees with giant feet or spines all over. There was also my favourite tree, the monkey puzzle tree (Fr. Le desespoir des singes), naïve to Chile where I have seen the largest one in the world and forests of them. Of interest, they were spread around North America from an early garden in northern Vancouver Island, Ronnings Garden, planted in the early 1900s and recently revived. The rock gardens are surrounded by narrow ponds full of ducks and water lilies.
Surrounding the relatively small garden is a huge park, all grass and big trees with a large lake, a rose garden, zoo, velodrome, a memorial to soldiers. This would be a great place to spend a day and was packed at 6pm on a Sunday. Free
Le Part-Dieu is the central business district of Lyon. It has 150,000 m2 of office space with 45,000 workers, 2,500 companies, 120,000 residents, and a transportation hub with a high-speed train station (the leading interchange rail station in Europe with 120,000 travelers per day plus 500,000 daily commuters)
Tour Incity. In the NM “Modern Architecture Buildings”, it is 202m-high with 39 floors, built in 2015. 2700 employees work on 32 floors and share the same corporate restaurant. It was the first tower in Lyon to obtain the low energy consumption label. The major tenants anre Casse d’Epargne Bank and several SNCF branches.
Tour Part-Dieu. In the NM “Modern Architecture Buildings”, it is 165m-high with 42 floors built in 1977. Mainly occupied by offices, it has the luxurious Radisson Blu Hotel on the top. It’s nickname is le Crayon or the Pencil. The cladding is terracotta made of pozzolanic sands imitating the reddish Lyon tiles.
Le Part Dieu Mall. One of the largest urban shopping malls in Europe, it has 240 shops on five levels, a 14-screen multiplex cinema. The Oxygene tower adjoins it.
Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. This large enclosed market complex is a leading reference for French and Lyon cuisine with 48 merchants (fish, cheese, bakers and pastry, caterers and restaurants). It opened in 1971. Paul Bocuse was a famed starred French chef.
Passerelle de la Paix. A pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Rhone River, it connects the 6th arrondissement and the commune of Caluire-et-Cuire. 217m long and 8m wide, it opened in 2014. The name reflects the large immigrant population of Saint Clair. It has 2 sections: 217m long upper section for pedestrians and cyclists and a 156m lower section uniquely for pedestrians only as it is all stairs.
Passerelle du Collège. This suspension bridge over the Rhone River opened in 1845. During the construction, a bolt holding a cable in its sheath broke, the bridge collapsed and 8 workers drowned.
Originally the right bank had the 1519 College of the Trinity that became the Ampere High School. The bridge allowed the students to not detour by the Morand and Lafayette bridges. It is an iron wire bridge that has 3 piles with tree bays at the center (96m) and the quarters (42.5m form each end) and is 4m wide. Part was damaged at the Liberation in 1944. It crosses from Quai Jean-Moulin to the General-Sarrail wharf.
Halle Tony Garnier. In the NM “Modern Architecture Buildings”, this is an arena and concert hall designed by Tony Garnier in 1905. Originally a slaughterhouse, it was renovated in 1987 as a concert hall with a capacity of 17,000. Virtually every rock band and performer has played there.
I left Lyon for Geneva and made a few stops on the way.
Chambéry. (pop 61,000)
It was the historical capital of the Savoy region from 1295-1563 which then included an area from Bourg-en-Bresse on the west, across the alps to Turin, north to Geneva and south to Nice. The capital moved to Turin in 1563. It sat on the crossroads of several ancient trade routes between Dauphine, Burgundy, Switzerland and Italy. It is in a wide valley on the Leysse River between the Bauges and Chartreuse Mountains. It is a major railway hub, midpoint between Turin and Lyon. It is 100kms east of Lyon and 83kms west of Geneva.
Annecy (pop 131,000)
This is an alpine city on the north tip of Lake Annecy 35kms south of Geneva known for its old town with cobbled streets, 3 winding canals and the Thiou River and pastel-coloured houses. The Chateau d’Annecy was once home to the Counts of Geneva.
GO TO Switzerland (Geneva)
NOMAD MANIA France – Rhône-Alpes (Lyon, St. Étienne, Grenoble, Valence)
World Heritage Sites
Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche
Historic Site of Lyons
Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement
Tentative WHS
Massif du Mont Blanc (08/06/2000)
Parc national de la Vanoise (08/06/2000)
Sights
Courchevel
Palais Ideal du Facteur Cheval
Borders
France-Italy
France-Switzerland
XL
Lake Geneva southern shore (France)
Saint-Gingolph (France/Switzerland)
Valreas ‘Enclave des Papes’
Airports: Chambéry-Savoie (CMF)
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars
Aiguille du Midi
Funiculaire de Saint-Hilaire du Touvet
Funiculaire Du Perce-Neige
Montevers Mountain Railway
Téléphérique du Salève
Vallée Blanche Cable Car
Vanoise Express
Roads, Road Bridges and Tunnels: Fréjus Road Tunnel
Museums
Balazuc: Natural History Museum of The Ardeche
Chamonix: Crystal Museum
Chamonix: Musée Alpin
Décines-Charpieu: OL Le Musée
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Vizille: Château de Vizille
Religious Temples: Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille : Hautecombe Abbey
Modern Architecture Buildings
Éveux: Sainte Marie de La Tourette
Firminy: Saint-Pierre
World of Nature: Vanoise
Festivals
Coupe Icare
Festival of Lights, Lyon
Nuits Sonores, Lyon
Zoos: Pierrelatte: Ferme aux crocodiles
Botanical Gardens
Samoëns: Jardin Botanique Alpin La Jaÿsinia
Tournon-sur-Rhone: The Garden of Eden
Theme Parks
Les Avenières: Walibi Rhône-Alpes
Vaulx-en-Velin: Mini World Lyon
Windmills: Bourg-Saint-Andéol: Moulin de Bourg St Andéol
Waterfalls
Cascade d’Angon
Cascade de l’Arpenaz
Caves
Aven d’Orgnac
Chauvet Cave and Caverne du Pont d’Arc
Gouffre Berger
Grotte de Saint-Marcel
Grottes de Choranche
Ski Resorts
Alpe d’Huez
Avoriaz Ski area
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Courchevel
La Plagne
Les Arcs
Les Deux Alpes
Megève
Méribel
Morzine
Tignes
Val Thorens
Val-d’Isère
Pedestrian Bridges: Tain-l’Hermitage: Passerelle Marc Seguin
Railway Museums: Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne: Miniature Train Museum
Bizzarium: Hauterives: Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval
European Cities
CHAMBÉRY
VANLENC
GRENOBLE
Airports: Grenoble (GNB)
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Grenoble Bastille Cable Car, Grenoble tramway
Museums
Musée Dauphinois
Musée de Grenoble
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de l’Isère
LYON/VILLEURBANE
World Heritage Sites: Historic Site of Lyons
Airports: Lyon (LYS)
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars
Funiculars of Lyon
Lyon Metro
Lyon tramway
Museums
MHL – Musée d’Histoire de Lyon
Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon
Musée de l’Imprimerie et de la Communication graphique
Musee des Automates Vieux Lyon
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon
Musee des Confluences
Musée des Tissus
Musée gallo-romain de Lyon-Fourvière
Musee Jean Couty
Musée Lumière
Musee Miniature et Cinema
Religious Temples: Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
House Museums/Plantations: Maison du Chamarier
Modern Architecture Buildings
Halle Tony Garnier
Tour Incity
Tour Part-Dieu
Botanical Gardens: Lyon Botanical Garden
Malls/Department Stores: Le Part Dieu Mall
Aquariums: Aquarium du Grand Lyon
Markets: Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse
Pedestrian Bridges
Passerelle de l’Homme de la Roche
Passerelle de la Paix
Passerelle du Collège
Passerelle du Palais de Justice
Entertainment/Things to do: Way Out! Escape Game
SAINT-ÉTEINNE
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Saint-Étienne tramway
Museums
Musée d’Art et d’Industrie
Musée d’art Moderne et Contemporain
Villages and Small Towns
Pérouges
Yvoire
ANNECY
Museums
Conservatoire Art et Histoire
Musée du film d’animation
Castles, Palaces, Forts
Chateau d’Annecy
Palais d’Ile