Lyon Cathedral

Lyon Cathedral

Lyon Cathedral is a 12th century Romanesque and Gothic cathedral that took over four hundred years to construct. Saint Jean Baptiste is renowned for its beautiful original tainted glass windows. Prior to the construction of Lyon’s cathedral, the churches of Ste Croix, St Etienne and a baptistery stood in the same location. Remains of those structures may nevertheless be seen within a garden next to the cathedral. The Cathedral of St John was built during the span of hundreds of years, from about 1165 to 1480. The apse and chorus are Romanesque, whilst the nave and the facade are Gothic.

Other the centuries Lyon Cathedral played a big part as the Church councils were held in Lyon Cathedral between 1245 and 1274, as well as hosting a Renaissance wedding in 1600 when King Hendry IV married Marie de Medici in the Cathedral.

The cathedral was founded by St Pothinus and Saint Irenaeus, the first two bishops of Lyon. The cathedral can be known as Primatiale because in 1079 the Pope granted to the archbishop of Lyon the title of Primates of All of the Gauls with the legal supremacy over the primary archbishops of the kingdom. It’s found in the heart of the old town, less than five minutes away from the banks of 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.

Lyon Cathedral
Lyon Cathedral Photography Flickr user: Azim MERALI

Telephone: +33 6 60 83 53 97 | Official Website | Facebook |

How to get there

  • Subway: The nearest Subway to Lyon Cathedral is the Vieux Lyon, which has the subway service ‘D’ running to it, from the subway it’s only a two-minute walk, You can also find Funicular lines connecting to this subway line services F1 and F2 operate to Vieux Lyon.
  • Railway Station: Saint-Just, is the nearest railway Station, F1 runs to Vieux Lyon and then a 2-minute walk from there, you can also walk from Saint-Just to Lyon Cathedral, it will take 20 minutes.

Opening Hours

Cathedral hours

Monday 8:15 AM – 7:45 PM
Tuesday 8:15 AM – 7:45 PM
Wednesday 8:15 AM – 7:45 PM
Thursday 8:15 AM – 7:45 PM
Friday 8:15 AM – 7:45 PM
Saturday 8:15 AM – 7:45 PM
Sunday 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Treasury of the Cathedral hours

Tuesday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Wednesday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Every other Sunday 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Admission

Free Entry

Information

  • Architect: Jacques de Beaujeu
  • Architectural styles: Gothic architecture, Romanesque architecture
  • Opened: 1480
  • Region: Rhône-Alpes
  • Country: France
  • Affiliation: Roman Catholic Church

Length

The Cathedral 80 Metres 262 Feet Long
Including Choir 20 Metres 66 Feet Long

Width

Total Aisle Width 26 Metres 85 Feet
Including Main Nave 19.3 Metres 63 Feet wide

Height

Nave Arches 32.5 Metres 106.6 Feet
Choir Arches 24.3 Metres 79.7 Feet
Facade Towers 44 Metres 144 Feet

The Facade Towers are topped by an oak cross, which adds: 4 Metres / 13 Feet high.

The Burgundy Tower

The Burgundy oak frame supports 6 bells, The largest bell weighing between 8,000 kg and 9,000 kg or 17,600 and 19, 800 pounds. The Bells measure at 2.07 Metres or 6.8 feet in diameter.

Location

Address: Place Saint-Jean, 69005 Lyon, France  |  Coordinates: 45°45’38.586″ N 4°49’38.753″ E

[su_button url=”https://isolatedtraveller.com/european-cities/Lyon/” style=”flat” background=”#000000″ size=”6″ wide=”yes” center=”yes” radius=”0″ icon=”icon: arrow-circle-right”]Explore the City of Lyon[/su_button]