La Croix-Rousse is a hill high in the city of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, as well as the name of a neighborhood located on this hill. The neighborhood is divided into les pentes (slopes, belonging to the city's 1st arrondissement) and le plateau (atop the hill, part of the 4th arrondissement). This zone is served by Metro line . With 18th century architecture, including unique dwellings for labourers, La Croix-Rousse was inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage List 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 ...

in 1998 (along with other districts in Lyon) to protect Lyon's long history as an important European city.

Names and etymology

The name "La Croix-Rousse" ('the russet/red cross') comes from a reddish-brown stone cross erected there in the 16th century. In Lyon, La Croix-Rousse is nicknamed ''la colline qui travaille'' ('the hill that works') in contrast to the better-known hill to the southwest,

Fourvière Fourvière () is a district of Lyon, France, a hill immediately west of the old part of the town, rising from the river Saône. It is the site of the original Roman settlement of Lugdunum in 43 BC. The district contains many religious buildings i ...

, which is known as ''la colline qui prie'' ('the hill that prays').

History

The district started developing in the 18th century when the silk workshops moved here from the Vieux-Lyon area. The ''

canut The canuts () were Lyonnais silk workers, often working on Jacquard looms. They were primarily found in the Croix-Rousse neighbourhood of Lyon in the 19th century. Although the term generally refers to Lyonnais silk workers, silk workers in the ...

s'' (silk workers) were subject to extremely poor working conditions. On account of these conditions, they staged many worker uprisings, known as the

Canut revolts The Canut revolts (french: Révolte des canuts) is the collective name for the major revolts by Lyonnais silk workers (french: canuts) which occurred in 1831, 1834 and 1848. They were among the first well-defined worker uprisings of the period kn ...

. The first revolt, in October 1831, is considered to be one of the first worker uprisings. The area was immortalized in

Paul-Jacques Bonzon Paul-Jacques Bonzon (31 August 1908 – 24 September 1978) was a French writer, best known for the series '' Les six compagnons'' ("Six companions"). He was born in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche and educated in Saint-Lô. In 1935 he married a tea ...

's book series ''Les Six Compagnons'', which depicts the adventures of seven young working-class teenagers from the area. The appearance of the neighborhood is heavily influenced by the central role that Lyon played in the

silk industry Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the co ...

in France. The vast majority of buildings in the area feature large vaulted ceilings with exposed wooden rafters. The larger internal height available in these buildings, compared to other areas in Lyon, was necessary for housing the tall silk looms that were operated in the area. Also of note are the ''traboules'' of Croix-Rousse. These are covered passageways used by silk merchants to travel and ferry material between buildings while being sheltered from rain. The area has since been subject to

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ...

, and now exhibits a vibrant cultural scene. La Croix-Rousse has always possessed a unique atmosphere compared to the rest of the city. As an illustration, some inhabitants call themselves ''Croix-roussiens''.

Bibliography

* Domenico Pucciarelli
''Le rêve au quotidien, de la ruche ouvrière à la ruche alternative, les expériences collectives de la Croix-Rousse, 1975-1995''
Atelier de création libertaire, Lyon, 1996. *

Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...

, ''A Lyon, la Croix-Rousse demeure un quartier rebelle'', 01/08/2003 * Jean Pelletier : ''Connaître son arrondissement – le 4ème'', éditions lyonnaises d’art et d’histoire, * Louis F. Lacroux, ''La Croix-Rousse en flânant'', Éditions Xavier Lejeune * Bernard Collonges, ''Le quartier des Capucins - Histoire du bas des pentes de la Croix-Rousse'', éditions Aléas, septembre 2004, 115 p., * Josette Barre, ''La colline de la Croix-Rousse'', Éditions Lyonnaises d’Art et d’Histoire 4th arrondissement of Lyon Quarters of Lyon {{Rhône-geo-stub

Names and etymology

History

See also

Bibliography