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Origin and history

The Saint-Georges church of Lyon, located in the Old Lyons district, is a Catholic place of worship dedicated to Saint Georges de Lydda. Its history dates back to the sixth century, when Sacerdos founded a first building under the name of Saint Eulalie, accompanied by a nearby monastery. The church was restored by Leidride around the year 800 and then took the name of St George. Archaeological excavations confirm that the current location corresponds to that of primitive churches.

In the Middle Ages, the church was surrounded by the parish cemetery and became a central place for knights of the order of St John of Jerusalem, who settled there in the thirteenth century. At the end of the 15th century, Humbert de Beauvoir, commander of the order, restored the building, embellished the chorus and affixed his weapons as well as those of order. The church went through periods of decline, especially after the French Revolution, when the bell tower collapsed in 1796 and the building, declared national, deteriorated.

The reconstruction of the present Gothic-style church was entrusted to architect Pierre Bossan between 1844 and 1845. After a period of disengagement at the end of the twentieth century, it was entrusted to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in 1989, which celebrated the Lyon rite there. In 2007, the church was re-opened after renovation work, in the presence of Cardinal Barbarin and Mayor Gérard Collomb. It remains a major architectural and historical testimony of Old Lyon.

The church occupies a strategic location, between the Quarantine and Saint John neighborhoods, near the ancient Port Sablet, disappeared in the 19th century. Its history reflects the religious, political and urban transformations of Lyon, from its medieval origins to its contemporary restoration. Ranked a historic monument in 1982, it embodies both the religious heritage of Lyon and the architectural evolution of the city.

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