Down Rue de Champvert a steep descent begins near Point du Jour. It cuts through Rue Locard then plunges towards Avenue Barthélémy Buyer. Facing Rue Frère Benoit it’s a dramatic drop.
Rue de Champvert is more than just a road. It’s a timeline etched into Lyon’s landscape. Its story unfolds with each step. The street connects the historic Champvert district to the modern city. It’s a testament to Lyon’s evolution.
Initially Rue de Champvert is relatively flat and well-built. The corner near Rue des Aqueducs boasts the Notre Dame church. This striking star-shaped building has a beautiful pointed steeple. You can enter via two circular ramps. Sunlight bathes the interior in an orange glow. Next to the church stands an old house a fine example of symmetry with two central floors. Opposite rises a large apartment block. Three columns of balconies jut out.
Further down Rue de Champvert grand trees line the street. Buildings are set back. Westward lie homes. The Résidence du Bois Gentil stands out. It’s a complex of varying shapes sizes and orientations. Two to five stories high with alternating bands of wood between the windows. On the east side a gate guards the Centre des Massues. Large concrete structures with wide windows are visible.
At number 39 an old house dominates. Its overhanging roof protects a large painted frieze. This house sits within a public park. At number 70 an enormous eighteen-story tower marks the western end of Rue de Champvert.
Champvert’s history is deep. Latin inscriptions on plaques unearthed in Clos Marduel add to the mystery. In 1599 Benoit Blanchet a local lord owned a house here. He dedicated a legal study to his father. The book details Lyon’s judicial system.
Boissieu’s 1764 engraving shows Champvert as a rural area. A few scattered houses dotted the countryside. A dramatic incident occurred on September 2 1836. Dufavet a well digger was buried in a rockslide. He survived thirteen days with only a fly for company before rescue.
The Compagnons de la Chanson rehearsed at number 10 from 1942 onwards. They achieved fame and recorded numerous records. A plaque shows their silhouettes. Since the 1960s large bourgeois houses have been demolished. Three remain including the one near the park and the Compagnons’ house. The street itself was straightened and widened. A west-side service road remains from the old route.
The Centre des Massues has expanded. New buildings including one near Rue Locard were completed around 2020. In 2022 more construction took place on the hillside. 139 new homes were built above the greenway.
Rue de Champvert’s past present and future are intertwined. It’s a captivating journey through time. A street where echoes of history meet modern life. A must-see on any tour of Lyon.