R u e M e r c i è r e
Rue Mercière is one of the most famous streets of Lyon. It is located in the second district of the city and is now part of the World Heritage Site of Unesco. This is one of the oldest streets of the city because it was probably created during the late antiquity. From the 13th to the 18th century, it was the heart of Lyon on the left river of the Saône. The name of the street, by referring to the word “merchant”, is paying a tribute to the past life of the area, that is to say to the trade and the exchanges that were made here.
A lot of printers decided to settle themselves in this street during the 15th and 16th century. If in 1500 Lyon was the third biggest city of Europe, at the end of the century, this activity had almost totally disappeared. Conflicts between masters and their partners were the cause of this collapse in the industry.
In 1833, Rue Mercière still looked like it was in the Renaissance, but this period was the beginning of its change. Indeed, the eastern part was replaced with the construction of the Rue Centrale (Rue de Brest nowadays). At the end of the 19th century, the street was asphalted in order to incent people to come back to the street instead of preferring the large ones that were surrounding Rue Mercière. In 1957, all the small stores had closed, and the last thing the street was well known for was the sex industry. This terrible reputation led to a project created by the mayor of Lyon. Indeed, in 1960, the Vieux Lyon and Rue Mercière were despicable places in the city. This is why Louis Pradel decided to tear down every building in order to redesign in a better way the two areas. If the Vieux Lyon managed to be saved with the Malraux Law, the Rue Mercière survived partially. The northern part of the street was destroyed, but hopefully they stopped in Rue Grenette. Thanks to its atmosphere and to its history, at the end of the 20th century, the Rue Mercière became one of the most famous spot for tourism in Lyon.
Rue Mercière happens to be one of my favorite places in Lyon. I live in Place des Jacobins and I never had the chance to do an historical walk in this area. I discovered the Passage des Imprimeurs during my visit, and I was impressed by its architecture. It is surprising because it is asymmetric (each building has a different height, the façade is not straight and the windows are decorated differently). All the buildings are also painted in different colors, which remind me of my hometown, Annecy. The traboule that is linking Rue Mercière and Quai Saint Antoine is partially opened. The first half when entering from Rue Mercière is protected by beautiful arcades that are typical from the Renaissance. The sky-opened part gives us the chance to see twin houses with doors with lion heads on them. The narrow and sinuous paved alley is a vestige from the past. This place, which was first dedicated to the printers coming from Italy or Germany such as Etienne Dolet for example, is now part of a restaurant.
What I like the most about Rue Mercière is the cachet of the place. Indeed, at night, it is maybe the most crowded place of the city because of the restaurants. The street managed to combine typical dishes to typical architecture, and the restaurant "Le Mercière" is a perfect opportunity to do so. I think that all the buildings in Rue Mercière have a direct impact on tourism because it gives the opportunity to taste a bite of Lyon. If in the 60s time had a negative impact on this area, nowadays it is undeniable that both tourists and citizen are benefiting from the preservation of this environment. Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France, but it also has a wide history. Allowing people to enjoy the two in the same place is a good thing. Tourism is an important economy and if only visiting can be boring, having dinner where the printers were working centuries ago is so much better. Preserving history and contributing to its commemoration is something that matters. Thanks to its restaurants and bars, the Rue Mercière managed to reconcile with its lost glory.
J.
