Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Place Bellecour, located in the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon, is the largest pedestrian square in Europe with 63,000 m2. It is the zero kilometer of the city, starting point of the Lyon roads. Its name, attested from the twelfth century in the form of bella curtis ("beautiful garden"), evokes its agricultural origin. It became a public square in 1715 under the name of Place Royale, then placed Louis-le-Grand in tribute to Louis XIV, whose equestrian statue, the work of Martin Desjardins, was erected there in 1713.

At the Revolution, the square was renamed equal place and the royal statue was destroyed in 1793 to be melted into canons. Under the Restoration, a new statue of Louis XIV, carved by François-Frédéric Lemot, was installed in 1825. The square, of trapezoidal shape, is lined with lime and chestnut trees, and hosts fountains, kiosks, and two pavilions built in 1852, today dedicated to tourism.

In the 20th century, the square underwent major changes: the creation of an underground car park in 1963, slightly overhanging its surface, and the inauguration of a metro station in 1978 (lines A and D). Between 2011 and 2013, its southern part was renovated with displaced fountains, renovated kiosks, and partial vegetation. The square remains an emblematic place for events, cultural events (Bienale de la danse, Fête des Lumières) and sports (fan zones during the World Cups).

The statue of Louis XIV, restored between 2023 and 2024, still dominates the square, surrounded by allegories of the Rhône and the Saône (now at the Museum of Fine Arts). A memorial, The Stone Watcher, recalls the execution of five resistors in 1944 by the Germans. In 2025, a controversial ephemeral work, Urban Weaving, was installed to meet a demand for vegetation, before being partially vandalized.

Place Bellecour embodies Lyon's political and urban history, from medieval swamps to modern amenities. Its ground, occupied by underground infrastructures (metro, parking), today limits vegetation projects, despite citizens' demands. It remains a central space for Lyons, mixing heritage, commerce, and social life.

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