A yellow brick tower curves gently at the start of Rue Saint-Romain. This unassuming street in Lyon’s 8th arrondissement holds a surprising history. Rue Saint-Romain isn’t just a thoroughfare it’s a timeline etched in stone and brick. Its name hints at a fascinating dedication. The street is named after a saint a fact beloved by the Comte des Tournelles. He owned the land. He particularly admired this saint. Many Romans were canonized. The most famous died in 385. He’d been a disciple of Saint Martin.
Rue Saint-Romain begins near Rue Marius Berliet close to the police station. It stretches eastward ending at Rue Antoine Lumière. Facing the Lumière Lycee. Cars travel in both directions. Except for a short central section.
The street’s architecture reflects its evolution. Older houses remain. They stand alongside buildings from the 1950s to 2000s. A mix of styles and eras speaks to the street’s continuous life. Note the striking contrast between the old and the new. You see the yellow brick tower. Then you see a long white building. Three attached facades connect to a recessed section. On the north side. A pink building sits at numbers 7 and 9.
After Rue Saint Gervais an eight-story building dominates the southern side. This creates a widening of the street. A three-story building with balconies protrudes slightly on the north. A narrow section follows. It’s formed by old houses. One north-facing house has porthole-like windows. Gardens and other houses follow. A beautiful pointed-roof house is at number 33. Across the street at number 32. The Herbiet oil workshop remains. Only its letters are visible on a gateway. It is being converted into housing. The street then passes between two mid-20th-century buildings. Their rows of garages are visible. The north building has a rounded corner. It rises to six stories. The south building is shorter. It’s cut off at two stories.
After Rue Saint Maurice. A long building with many setbacks occupies the north side. It’s the Castel Lumière. It faces a large double house. A garden wall separates it from a double building.
Rue Saint-Romain. A simple name. A rich history. Its buildings and their evolution narrate a story spanning decades. A street’s life in Lyon.