Les Subsistances is a cultural centre of diffuse artistic production and located in the

1st arrondissement of Lyon The 1st arrondissement of Lyon, France is one of the nine arrondissements of the City of Lyon. It is located below the hill of Croix-Rousse and on the north part of the Presqu'île formed by the Saône and the Rhône, the two rivers in Lyon. T ...

. Since 2007, it has housed a creative laboratory (theater, dance and contemporary circus) and the

École nationale des beaux-arts de Lyon École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

. The site has 22,500 square metres of buildings (including 8,300 square meters of renovated surface) and 16,000 square meters of land, and is partly classified as

monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

. The director of Les Subsistances is Guy Walter, and the vice director is Cathy Bouvard.

History

In 1640, the Sisters of the

Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary , image = Salesas-escut.gif , size = 175px , abbreviation = V.S.M. , nickname = Visitandines , motto = , formation = , founder = Saint Bishop Francis de ...

acquired the current site of the quay of the Saône, and built a small monastery and a church. The assembly then formed the convent of Sainte-Marie des Chaînes, so named because the customs had chains across the

Saône The Saône ( , ; frp, Sona; lat, Arar) is a river in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Rhône, rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department and joining the Rhône in Lyon, at the southern end of the Presqu'île. The name deri ...

to thwart smugglers who wanted to enter in Lyon by river. To address the lack of space and the influx of younger sisters, the decision was made to build a larger monastery. The newly constructed building collapsed before being rebuilt, which aggravated the financial situation of the convent. In 1789, it was declared national property, and the nuns were expelled in 1791 during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. In 1807, the army seized the site, which was transformed into a storage center and military camp. In 1840, the army built the large square, then called Manutention Sainte-Marie des Chaînes.

Flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

and

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

were manufactured there;

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

were stored there until 1991. In 1870, a metal

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

was built over the central courtyard. Three flour mills were built, in 1853, 1870, and 1890, and a

bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who ...

. In 1941, the site was occupied by the army, and until 1995 it was called Military Subsistances. In 1995, the site was given to the city of Lyon. The building has been renovated several times since 1997. It now houses a laboratory for creation and, since March 2007, the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (about 9,000 square metres). From May 1998 to December 1999, the place welcomed about fifty companies, and 309 performances. In November 1999, the site was closed for a year for a renovation by Denis Eyraud, and was inaugurated on 26 January 2001. The buildings formerly used as mills now serve as administration spaces, and the old bakery was transformed into a 120-seat theater. A hangar was built with removable bleachers with a capacity of between 260 and 800 spectators. The most beautiful space, La Verrière, can host up to 2000 spectators. The other buildings are composed of seventeen rooms and residence studios, eight workshops, and the restaurant Quai des Arts.

Administration

Paul Grémeret was appointed director in May 1998, succeeded by Klaus Hersche in September 2000. In 2003 Guy Walter and Cathy Bouvard became directors of Les Subsistances.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Subsistances, Les Arts centres in France 1st arrondissement of Lyon Entertainment venues in Lyon Culture in Lyon Monuments historiques of Lyon

History

Administration

See also

References

External links