The hill of Fourvière

The hill of Fourvière dominates the city by a unevenness of 120 meters. The Saone circumvents it with its foot. It is the last relief of the central Solid mass before the plain of Dauphiné. De Fourvière the sight towards the East covers the alpine range.

One is ensured of the presence of men in Lyon at least since the Neolithic era. Many vestiges testify some, in particular in the current district of Vaise. Later, one finds the trace of a small named Celtic village Condate, located at the edge of the Saone, with the foot of the hill of theRusset-red one. The Rhone and the Saone are then the natural borders of the territories of several Celtic people. The city is already a frontier town marked by the importance of the two rivers. Since 61 before J-C, the first merchants Italian had settled in Condate, after being driven out of Vienna.

The hill of Fourvière had a religious vocation already then: Ségusiaves (local Celtic people) called it Lugdunum, the hill (dunum) of Lug (god corbel) where a sanctuary dedicated to this divinity was. Lug is associated Mercure or Apollo, them same connected to… Michel saint.
It is in 48 front J. - C. that Jules César establishes six legions on the hill. This base of military establishment is used then as screen with the foundation of Lugdunum in 43 front J. - C. by Munatius Plancus.
Under Auguste (27 front J. - C.; 14 a. J. - C.) builds a Forum taking thereafter the name of Forum vetus which by etymological evolution becomes Fourvières losing its “S” final at the XIXe century.
A pious tradition tells that holy Pothin (first bishop of Lyon) would have brought with him an icon of the Virgin, towards 150.

On the hill of Fourvière had developed a commercial and prosperous Gallo-Roman city which attracted much from abroad, Italians and inhabitants of minor Asia, of Phrygie especially, which was a burning hearth of Christianity but also the fatherland of a worship with mysteries: that of Cybèle and Attis. Cybèle allowed resurrection its initiates when Attis with each vernal equinox reappeared.

This worship took in Lyon a great importance. They are undoubtedly the faithful ones of Cybèle which started the persecution of the Christians into 177 (during which holy Pothin and holy Blandine perished), because their merry festival of the rebirth of Attis coincided this year with the Good Friday. Perhaps they transfer in the mourning of the Christians martyrs an offence with Cybèle and, listened well Roman authorities, they got rid of the Christian, minority community in Lyon.

In 196, when two emperors claimed with the direction of the Empire, Lyon chooses Albin. Septime-severe, the winner, plundered the city. The political role of Lyon weakens then with the profit of Truces and Arles during IIIè century. The incursions of Frank and Alamans, as well as Bagaudes (peasants brigands), the destruction of the aqueducts (to occur the lead of the pipes), ruined the city in IVè/Vè centuries.
Part of the forum collapsed in IXeme century following a landslide.

A new site was selected with the foot of the hill of Fourvière, along the Saone. The hill will find only its religious vocation (and either its urban role) initially, and only in XIIè century, by the foundation of a vault in the honor of the Virgin Mary and of Thomas saint, equipped with a chapter depend on the Midsummer's Day cathedral.

In 1168 a vault is built on the hill. It is destroyed by the baron of the Adrets in 1562 and is rebuilt almost at once.
During the Middle Ages, most of the hill is given in culture (vine). From XVIème century, the installation of religious congregations on the hill (Tiny Ursulines, Visitandines, brothers) gives to Fourvière its name of “hill which requests”.
The worship marial in Fourvière develops. It becomes particularly popular when in 1638 Louis XIII devotes France to the Virgin.

The pilgrimages develop considerably and the vault cannot contain the flood of the pilgrims soon any more.

In 1848, the Cardinal of Bonald creates a commission to deal with the rebuilding of the bell-tower of the old vault. The founder members are especially notable Lyoneses.

For a long time one projected to build a new sanctuary. In 1870, the Prussians are with the doors of the city. Following the request the Lyons ones, Mgr Ginoulhiac makes a wish: a Basilica will be built if Lyon escapes the enemy occupation. The wish is exaucé. The first stone is posed in 1872. Construction is very fast: the new votive building dedicated to the Virgin is inaugurated in 1896.

Bossan (1814-1888), the Lyons architect, had already carried out the Saint-George church and the Investment property of J. Blanchon (Member of the Commission of Fourvière), of “Moorish” style.
Its stay in Sicily and especially its meeting with the priest of Ars are decisive for its first project (engraved in 1856) entrusted by the Commission of Fourvière for the construction of the future Basilica.
With his death in 1888, his/her collaborator, Sainte-Marie Perrin (1835-1917), succeed to him.
Other achievements of Bossan: basilicas of Ars and of Saint-François-Governed in Louvesc, churches of the Immaculate-Design in Lyon, Valfleury.
Since 1872, the building site is very popular because it reproduces the methods of construction of the Average Age but also because the Lyoneses are invited to take part in the project by buying stones located on a personal level which is given to them.

Very eclectic, the basilica was called “the elephant reversed” according to the expression of Huysmans. Of very massive form, it is flanked of four crenelated towers of which the height borders the 48 meters, symbolizing each one a cardinal virtue. In south-west, it is the tower of Justice; with the North-West, that of the Force. The North-East represents south-eastern Prudence and it Temperance. It should be known that the crosses that one sees at the tops of the two turns on each side of the apse are in fact of the telephone relays. (argh….)

The frontages north and south-west are decorated with scenes or characters with the Old Will. Square, one can distinguish, with the pediment, the Virgin. On its line, the aldermen beseech it to save them plague and on its left, the clergy begs it to protect the city from German…

The frontage

20 years (1875 - 1895): it is the number of years that it will have been necessary so that the frontage of the basilica of fourvière is built.
35 mêtres: it is the total width of the frontage.
56,70 mêtres: it is the height of the frontage.
Some elements of architecture strike the glance. It acts above all of contrast separating the towers characterized by their simplicity (little decoration) and frontage centers it characterized by a great number of ornaments in all kinds.

The lion of juda, in the center of the frontage, dominates the entry of the crypt.
This lion, imagined and carved by Dufraisne between 1884 and 1888, constitutes a double homage to Saint-Joseph and the town of Lyon. Originally, Dufraisne was résponsable pediment. Bossan, principal architect, finally entrusted only the only load of the lion to him, reproaching his/her colleague “for falling into the baroque”.
- Doors of the crypt: make of bronze, they were installed in an objective of simplicity.

Higher, on the pediment, 12 characters (from left to right: J. Planchon, L. Brown, A. Frapet, P. Dugas, A. Boissieu, P. Brac of the Stone quarry, Carndinal Coullié, Cardinal Cavert, Mgr Ginoulhiac, Cardinal of Bonald, P. Bossan). They are the great Lyons figures of the XIXeme century. With the top of them: the virgin. With the left of this one is represented the Raphaël archangel, on his line, the Michel archangel.

The crypt

The crypt of fourvière is devoted to Joseph. More than one crypt, it is acted in fact of a low church whose vaults are lower than 10 meters.

In 1880, Pierre Bossan (1814-1888) will offer his annual fees to decorate the chorus with the crypt.
The chorus of the crypt is decorated with mosaics which comprise the texts evangelic and with the angels. 

On the ground, 7 capital sins: in first the evil is represented by a dragon with seven heads. Then the peacock appears pride, the ants trailing a fly avarice, the goat the lust, the snake the desire, the cat anger, the wolf greediness and finally the tortoise appears the idleness.

The apse

The apse of Fourvière is a semicircular vault which closes the chorus of the basilica. It is traditionally directed towards the East, which is the case of the apse of the Basilica of Fourvière

Frescos

Saint pothin arrives to Lyon: in the higher part of this terrestrial scene, the Virgin Mary, base, the Jesus Child in her bosom, are surrounded by six angels which plane and crowns offer to him, and, on a light line of clouds, martyrs of Lyon, victims of the persecution of Marc Auréle in 177, by name designated in the letter of the Christians of Lyon and Vienna to the Churches of Phrygie.
Inscription: Saint Pothin, disciple of Polycarpe Saint, bringing the Christian faith of the beaches of the East, instituted in Lyon, IIeme century, the worship of the Virgin Mary.

This beautiful composition was to be the last work of the painter Charles Lameire (1832-1910). The large artist had come to Lyon to govern the completion of his work; he had the supréme joy of seeing it in place on Thursday 11 August 1910. A few days later it was confined to bed and it died chrétiennement, on Sunday 21 August, at the 78 years age. An inscription posed on the left of the panel and in bottom points out the douloureusecoincidence of achévement of the work and of died of the painter.

Marie

The virgin is very present on the hill. Like Cybèle in his time, one dedicates a burning worship to him.  I did not count the representations of Marie, I present some of them to you. And of course, when a worship with the goddess-mother is set up, its parèdre is not far. This is why Saint Michel is in the place of honor, all in top of the cathedral, him which is accustomed to the high sanctuaries. The hill of Lug becomes the hill of Michel Saint…

Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a statue out of wooden, high one meter. It goes back to 1598. The original statue, the black virgin, was destroyed by the Protestants in 1562. The legend wants to make of it a virgin of Luc Saint, sent as a Gaulle by Saint Polycrate, disciple of Jean Saint. Saint Pothin would have raised to him a worship in the crypt of Nizier Saint, then at the XVIIème century the statue is found on the hill. No document comes to prove this assertion.

http://www.fourviere.org/bas_.htm
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourvi%C3%A8re
http://www.lyon-fourviere.com/his_.htm
http://cathedrale-lyon.cef.fr/visite_guidee/histoire_lyon.html

http://www.lyon.fr/vdl/sections/fr/arrondissements/5arrdt/tourisme_decouverte4601/histoire
http://www.visitelyon.fr/fourviere/nef-fourviere.php

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