A pedestrian area unfolds before us. This is Place Renée Dufourt. It is a space dedicated to a remarkable woman. Renée Dufourt was honored as a resistant. She was also a philosopher and a feminist.
Place Renée Dufourt is located on Rue Denuzière. It sits opposite Place Georges. This section is between Bichat and Bayard.
Let’s talk about the architecture around Place Renée Dufourt. On the north side, there is a striped building. Two floors of white stripes stand out. They unite more floors of brown and gray stripes. These stripes are on each side.
On the south side of Place Renée Dufourt, a large concrete building is under construction. As of 2020, it appeared to be a double building. It features checkered patterns on the street side. Balconies sit above a glass floor in the back.
To the west of Place Renée Dufourt, shrubs climb a large brown wall. This wall reveals the roofs of the gendarmerie.
The ground here at Place Renée Dufourt is concrete and packed earth. Long black benches offer seating. Large squares of greenery add life.
Renée Dufourt was born in Lyon in 1920. She died in Caluire in 2012. The Musée du Diocèse de Lyon believes she offered spiritual support. However, she did not actively participate in the resistance.
Renée Dufourt joined the Jeunesse Étudiante Chrétienne Féminine de France. She became its national secretary in 1942.
She taught philosophy at Lycée Edouard Herriot. She also taught at the École Normale and Université Lyon II. Renée Dufourt served on the Comité National d’Éthique.
Renée Dufourt helped found the Cercle Tocqueville. She also helped found its magazine En Bref. She created Femmes et Pouvoir. She worked with the Minister for Women’s Rights in 1981 and 1988. Renée Dufourt published a study. It was titled “Et si on ordonnait les femmes?”
Jean Dufourt was a portrait painter from Lyon. He was known for his books about Lyon. He was related to Renée. Hugues Dufourt is Jean’s grandson. He is a composer, researcher and teacher in music and philosophy.
In 2015, a fence hid the construction site of Place Renée Dufourt. The square was planned for 2017. By 2017, a double building was completed on the north side. A second building rose to the south. The surface of the square was in place.
As of 2020, the south building houses École Bellecour. Several companies are also located here. Some children’s games were installed.
Place Renée Dufourt is more than just a square. It’s a tribute to a woman of intellect and action. She left her mark on Lyon and beyond.