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Origin and history

The Town Hall of Lyon, located in Place de la Comédie in the 1st arrondissement, is built between 1646 and 1672 under the direction of architect Simon Maupin, by decision of the Consulate of Lyon. The project, inspired by the advice of Jacques Lemercier (architect of the king) and the mathematician Girard Desargues, aims to replace the former Crown hotel, considered too modest. The first stone was laid on the 5th of September 1646, the anniversary of Louis XIV, but the work was interrupted by financial problems and mischief. Despite this, the building becomes one of the largest and most sumptuous city halls in France, admired for its allegorical decorations and oval staircase attributed to Desargues.

In 1674 a fire ravaged the Great Hall of Feasts, the chapel, and seriously damaged the belfry and archives. The repairs, delayed by debts, did not begin until 1701 under the direction of Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Robert de Cotte, who modernized the building. In the 18th century, the gardens were removed to give way to the Grand Théâtre (now Opera), designed by Soufflot, creating a new urban dynamic. During the Revolution, the monument was bombed, and the equestrian statue of Louis XIV replaced that of Henry IV in 1829, symbol of monarchy restoration.

In the 19th century, the town hall suffered two fires (1803 and 1871) and major restorations, notably by Tony Desjardins (1854–66), which rehabilitated facades and sculptures. The belfry, with a carillon of 65 bells since 2000, becomes a sound symbol of the city. In the 20th century, Édouard Herriot launched the restoration of the eastern facade (1910–1914), while General de Gaulle gave a historic speech at the Liberation in 1944. Today, the monument houses the city council and remains a central political and heritage place.

The architecture combines Villebois stone (soubassements) and Seyssel limestone or Saint-Cyr limestone, with interior decorations signed Thomas Blanchet (allegoric ceilings, honorary staircase). The 26-metre-long Grande Salle des Fêtes illustrates Lyon's consular power, while the chapel (1652) and the Louis XIII or Henri IV lounges testify to its protocol role. Ranked a historic monument in 1886, the building embodies Lyon's political and artistic history, from Enlightenment to Resistance.

The remarkable elements include the oval staircase with central well (attributed to Desargues), the fountain of Amphitrite in the courtyard of honor, and the allegorical statues (Minerve, Hercules) carved by Guillaume Bonnet and Joseph-Hugues Fabisch. The mayor's office, decorated with Lyon silks and paintings by Louis Janmot, recalls the link between municipal power and textile heritage. Finally, the Place des Terreaux, renovated by Soufflot, creates a harmony between the city hall, the Opera and public spaces, a model of Baroque urban planning.

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