“Wonder why this street bears the name Jaboulay?” someone asks. It is a tribute to Mathieu Jaboulay. He was a prominent Lyon-born surgeon. Welcome to Rue Jaboulay. This street is more than just a passage. It is a connection to Lyon’s medical history.
Rue Jaboulay begins near the Quai Claude Bernard. It stretches eastward towards Rue Camille Roy. The street concludes with an oblique section. This final stretch leads to Rue Garibaldi. Avenue Berthelot is nearby.
The street’s architecture is diverse. The blue-tiled flank of Saint Luc Hospital is quite striking. A moat planted with ivy adds character. A bell reminds us of the old hospitals. Solid 19th-century facades line the south side. Look for the two beautiful balconies on the sixth floor.
Saint Joseph’s destruction created a void. It reveals the rectorate. Its two large beige cubes stand out. Concrete university buildings face the rectorate. The academic inspection buildings add to the scene. In 2017, a white cube with large windows appeared. It opens onto Rue Pasteur of the university.
After Rue de Marseille, short rows of buildings appear. One building has small windows. Two converted workshops face Place Jules Guesde. After Rue Sébastien Gryphe, buildings line the street. Styles and eras vary. The colorful entrance of a café is eye-catching. It sits beneath an arch on the corner of Rue Gryphe. Look for pairs of chamois above a metal door. Number 45 has a workshop floor lower than the others.
The southern section past Rue d’Anvers used to be a TCL hangar. It had glass roofs held by iron pillars. In 2017, the site was under construction. Part of it was renovated into lofts. These are known as lofts 52.
After Rue Saint Jérôme, buildings rise higher. Some reach seven stories. These were built in the late 20th century. They feature many rounded shapes. The street resumes past Place Jean Macé. Buildings are even taller on the south side. The Delacroix building occupies the first triangle. It is adorned with a mosaic. Completed in 2008, it boasts wood and a glass-covered slit. You can view it from below in the Jean Macé library. A sports field isolates the building.
After Rue Voituret, buildings are shorter. They range from two to four stories. The RAC workshop sits at the back of its courtyard. Buildings rise again before the intersection with Rue Roy. Number 90 was built in 1991. Number 89 has seven stories with overhanging balconies.
The long facade of number 92 stands out. It has a red entresol above the door. It faces a triangular square. The square includes a playground. It also features benches and an ornamental garden. Past the garden, buildings stand perpendicular to the street. These create tree-lined paths. Pedestrians can reach Rue Roy and Avenue Berthelot. In 2017, a wide path connected Avenue Berthelot from number 96.
The last part of Rue Jaboulay is oblique. Until the late 20th century, it was Rue RP Duvivier. Before that, it was the northern part of Rue du Vivier. Only building corners and low workshops face the street.
Mathieu Jaboulay was born in Saint Genis Laval on July 3, 1860. He died in a train accident in Melun on November 4, 1913. He pioneered skull and nervous system surgery in Lyon. He was the last surgeon major of the Hôtel Dieu. In 1906, he attempted the world’s first pig kidney transplant. He also developed a gastroduodenal surgery technique and an amputation method.
With Louis Lumière, he improved gastroenterostomy. Jaboulay taught Alexis Carrel. He was a precursor to Carrel’s Nobel Prize-winning sutures. His statue stands in the faculty of medicine. Rue Jaboulay was initially named Rue de la Lône. Marcel Jaboulay died for France on September 19, 1918.
The street was gradually opened in the 19th century. Around 1860, only the section between Rue de Marseille and Rue Sébastien Gryphe was built. The western part waited for the filling of the lône. The eastern part was built around 1930. This occurred after the military left Fort du Colombier. The area near Rue Roy was rebuilt in the early 21st century.
Dates on the corner of the quai mark hospital milestones. These are 1869 for the founding of Saint Luc. Then 1894 marks the founding of Saint Joseph. Next 1993 marks the merger of the two hospitals. Finally 1999 marks the construction of the current hospital center.
Jaboulay inspired five medical professions. The street passes Saint Luc Hospital. Regional education headquarters are located here. These include the rectorate and academic inspection offices. A CROUS office and a Lumière university annex are also here. There are also several bars, a snack, a florist, a bank, an insurance agency and an ANPE agency.
As you walk along Rue Jaboulay, remember Mathieu Jaboulay. He was a surgical innovator. His legacy lives on in this Lyon street.