Confluence

What whispers do the waters of the Rhône and Saône share at their meeting point here at Confluence? They speak of a Lyon reborn, a district transformed. Once a gritty industrial landscape of workshops, factories, and slaughterhouses, Confluence now pulses with modern life. Imagine 18th-century Lyon, much smaller than the city you see today. Ainay district marked the city’s edge, fortified walls separating it from the untamed confluence of the Rhône and Saône. A visionary named Antoine Michel Perrache dreamt of expanding Lyon southward, uniting the islands at the rivers’ meeting. His ambitious project, approved by King Louis XV in 1771, aimed to drain the Rhône’s arms and create a unified landmass. Sadly, Perrache died in 1779 with the project incomplete. The Perrache company, burdened by debt, sought royal aid, but the French Revolution shattered those hopes. Napoleon’s ambition for an imperial palace on the land also faded with his fall. The Confluence lay dormant until 1826 when Mayor Jean de Lacroix Laval envisioned an industrial zone. He decreed that the Perrache peninsula be devoted to factories and industrial establishments. The train station arrived, along with metal workshops, chemical plants, gas factories, even jails. This area became a place most Lyonnais avoided, except for the workers who toiled there. Decades passed. Then, in the 1990s, Mayor Raymond Barre launched a radical transformation. He aimed to double the city center’s size to accommodate a growing population. Confluence became a testing ground for ecological urban planning. Today, as you stand at Confluence, you witness the culmination of this extraordinary journey. Modern architectural marvels like the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council building and the Orange Cube rise against the backdrop of the flowing rivers. Parks and green spaces weave through the district. The Musées des Confluences stands as a testament to this area’s transformation, its futuristic design a stark contrast to the industrial past. The whispers of the Rhône and Saône now tell a new story. It’s a tale of innovation, sustainability, and a city embracing its future while honoring its past. This is Confluence, a testament to Lyon’s enduring spirit.