Once named Rue Saint-André, Rue de Marseille got its current name on July 6 1854. Its new name came from the Gare de la Mouche. It was also called Gare de Marseille.
Rue de Marseille sits in Lyon’s 7th arrondissement. It is in the Guillotière district. This street runs from Place Gabriel Péri in the north to Rue Raoul Servant in the south. Rue de Marseille features a one-way street for cars. Tram line 1 also runs along part of it. You can find the Guillotière Gabriel Péri and Saint-André tram stops here.
The southern part of Rue de Marseille is in the university area. Here lie Lyon 2 and Lyon 3 faculties. The headquarters of the Rectorat de l’académie de Lyon is also here.
Let us talk about some remarkable buildings on Rue de Marseille. At number 35 stands the Citroën garage. It is listed as a historical monument. In the 1930s people called it the world’s largest service station.
Opposite number 24 is the Église Saint-André. Number 39 houses a building with a remarkable portal. It is the home of the Société de lecture de Lyon. At number 78 the public chose a design called Pot-pourri for an award. It featured large empty flower pots. Over 13000 people voted.
André Combalot established this street. He was a brewer and real estate developer. He initiated it in 1826. On August 5 1826 Combalot gave the city the land for the street. This ran between Place des Repentirs now Gabriel Péri and Rue des Trois-Pierres now Salomon-Reinach.
Combalot also tore down buildings. These stood on the planned route. This included part of his garden and brewery. He filled in the road and planted trees. Antoine Scève’s alignment plan guided the layout. Scève signed and dated the plan July 30 1826.
The street runs perpendicular to the Guillotière bridge. It is parallel to the Rhône River. It was planned as an extension of Cours Bourbon now Cours de la Liberté. This formed the backbone of the Combalot district’s layout. Its width was set at 20 meters. This made it one of the widest streets in Guillotière.
In 1842 the city named it Cours Saint-André. This honored André Combalot. The course was filled in and opened in 1844. The Saint-André course was extended south. This went to Chaussée des ponts now Avenue Berthelot. This happened as part of the second alignment plan of Guillotière.
This new road was built on the Rhône’s alluvial deposits. It also served as a dike. This was to protect the south of Guillotière from floods. The commune considered extending it to the Vitriolerie fort. They sought an agreement with military engineers in 1853. But the project was delayed. The delay was because of the location of the Gare de la Mouche railway station. Its tracks crossed the route.
Christophe Crépets plan showed the street was not heavily built up around 1854. Several buildings on the east side had to be rebuilt further back. The widening took place on this side. This happened in the second half of the 19th century. Buildings 21 to 25 were built in the 1880s. They were built on land from the Cristallerie lyonnaise properties. In 2001 half the road was used for tram lines.
Oriented northwest to southeast Rue de Marseille runs parallel to the Rhône. It connects Place Gabriel-Péri to Rue Raoul-Servant. The northern section was studied from Place Gabriel-Péri to Rue de l’Université. This was part of the Saint-André study area.
Rue de Marseille is more than just a street. It reflects Lyon’s history. It embodies urban development and community spirit. As you stroll along think about its past. Consider its evolution and the stories it holds.