The Rue des Capucins is a street located in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon, between the slopes of La Croix-Rousse and the Place des Terreaux. Straight but slightly inclined, it continues the rue du Sergent Blandan, begins with the Place des Capucins and ends on the Place Croix-Paquet. It is parallel to the rue René Laynaud. The street belongs to the zone classified

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

by UNESCO.

History

In its eastern part, the street replaces the old rue Vannerot established in the 17th century, dedicated to Jean Vannerot and which changed of name in 1850. The western part of the rue des Capucines was opened in the mid-19th century on the former site of the garden owned by monks, and a small square called Place des Capucins was open in the 18th century. The monastery of the

Capuchin order The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

, named Capucins du Petit Forez, was built in 1622 at the current location of the No. 6 and their church, the chapel of Saint-André, was located at the foot of the montée de la Grande Côte. Their home was purchased and rebuilt by a banker, André Coste.

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (french: Anne d'Autriche, italic=no, es, Ana María Mauricia, italic=no; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was an infanta of Spain who became Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XIII from their marriage in 1615 un ...

attended the start of construction of the building which was dedicated on 25 April 1635 by Jean de Nuchèse. Finally, the Capuchins were expelled from the street 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 consider ...

. In 1810, the street was named Grande rue neuve des Capucins.

Architecture and associations

The architecture is quite simple, without frills. There is a row of old four to five-storey houses with sober facades and beautiful doors and sometimes arches. There are in this street the municipal police station, several shops and boutiques, an association for gays, the café-théâtre Le Complexe du Rire and a

Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious ...

in the square.

Traboules

The streets has many traboules: * No. 3 and 5 - 6 rue Leynaud: traboules and courtyards * No. 6 - Place des Capuchins: traboule which leads to a beautiful garden (that of the Capuchin monks) * No. 7: ruins of small huts * No. 15 - rue Leynaud: staircase in the upper courtyard * No. 19 - 3 rue Abbé Rozier: in the courtyard, two climbs of stairs are in front of each other, built in the same style as those of the Cour des Voraces * No. 22 - 5 rue Coustou: beautiful entrance with columns

References

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