Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Lyon Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located on Place Saint-Jean in Lyon, France. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon.

History

The cathedral was founded by Saint Pothinus and Saint Irenaeus, the first two bishops of Lyon. The cathedral is also known as a "Primatiale" because in 1079 the Pope granted to the archbishop of Lyon the title of Primate of All the Gauls with the legal supremacy over the principal archbishops of the kingdom. It is located in the heart of the old town (Vieux Lyon) and it backs up to the Saône river, with a large plaza in front of it and a metro stop nearby providing easy access to and from the city center.

Patiens of Lyon, who was bishop about 450, built a new cathedral, dedicated to Saint Stephen. Later, in the seventh century, a baptistery dedicated to Saint John was constructed as an accessory building to the church. The Church of St. Croix was also near. This location later became the site of the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

In 1245, the cathedral hosted the First Council of Lyon.

In 1819 J. M. W. Turner sketched a study of the Cathedral as seen from the heights of the Fourvière Hill. Edgar Degas used the cathedral for the setting of his painting "Ceremony of Ordination at Lyon Cathedral".

Each December, Lyon holds an annual Festival of Lights. The tradition dates to 1643, when on December 8, the people of Lyon would place a lit candle in the window, a custom still maintained by many residents to this day. During the Festival, a choreographed lighting display appears on the façade of the cathedral.

Address : Place Saint-Jean, 69005 Lyon, France
Hours : Open ⋅ Closes 7PM
Architectural styles : Gothic architecture, Romanesque architecture