Did you know that Croix-Luizet owes its name to a stone cross? The cross was erected and blessed by the priest of Saint-Julien de Cusset. It stood near Lac Luiset. Let’s explore the story of this Villeurbanne neighborhood.
Croix-Luizet is a quarter in the city of Villeurbanne. Villeurbanne sits northeast of Lyon. Together, they form France’s second-largest metropolitan area. Villeurbanne is also the most populous commune that is neither a prefecture nor a sub-prefecture.
Until the 19th century, Villeurbanne was a collection of villages. Croix-Luizet was one of these villages. Others include Charpennes and Cusset.
The Croix-Luizet cross initially rested on a stone base. The base was engraved with the initials of Louise Janon. She was the widow of Dallier. In 1906, the base was removed due to the law separating church and state. After the Revolution, the cross was moved. It found a new home in the garden of the Gaillard castle. This is now Alexis-Jordan Park.
Croix-Luizet is located northeast of Villeurbanne. It straddles the cantons of Villeurbanne-Nord and Villeurbanne-Centre. The Charpennes-Tonkin quarter lies to the west. La Doua is to the north. The Buers and Saint-Jean quarters are to the east. Gratte-ciel and Cusset are to the south.
Like La Doua, Croix-Luizet was often flooded by the Rhone. This explains the limited construction until the late 18th century. Jean-Antoine Morand devised the first earthen dikes. In 1857, Marshal de Castellane built a new, submersible dike. This permanently protected the area from flooding. Afterward, new buildings appeared. These included farms and the La Doua barracks.
Between 1884 and 1887, Castellane’s dike was transformed. It became a fortified enclosure. This was part of Lyon’s defense system. It was intended to protect the city from eastern invasions. However, artillery advancements quickly made it obsolete. It hindered industrial and market garden development. The only two gates were on the Vaulx road and the 4 August 1789 street.
Important textile factories were established in Croix-Luizet from 1898. First came the Villard firm a schappe spinning mill. Around 1920, the Pervilhac velvet factory arrived. Then came the Rhone enamelling factory and the Doua dyeing factory. Also an packaging plant and a Leroudier food production center. A varnish factory on Greuze street later became the Valentine Varnish Company. This industrialization required housing for the immigrant population. A first worker’s city, named Garcin, was built between 1900 and 1905. It housed about forty Italian families working in the factories. For example, 161 people came from the Italian villages Roccasecca and Castrocielo. Other cities composed of Spanish immigrants appeared after World War I. The street of Welcomes pays tribute to this immigrant population.
Line 27 of the Lyon tramway served Croix-Luizet from 1899.
In 1936, the district had 13,180 inhabitants. This included 2,314 Italians and 590 Spaniards. There were 78 Swiss, 72 Russians, 59 Armenians and 43 other nationalities. Most of the remaining population was recently naturalized French.
The decline of Lyon’s textile industry led to the closure of the schappe mill in 1938. The premises were converted for the Continental mechanical company.
During World War II, the Doua firing range was used by the Nazi occupiers. They regularly shot resistance fighters. They were prisoners at Montluc prison.
The Doua military site was converted into a university campus. INSA Lyon was established in 1957. Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 was established there in 1963. The district’s deindustrialization began. Many public housing units were built. These were for middle and senior managers. The mayor applied his right of pre-emption. He built on land belonging to the parish.
In 1977, the arrival of Charles Hernu changed the situation. There was a complete revision of land use policy. The secondary and tertiary sectors were maintained. Also, new facilities were created for community life.
Today, Croix-Luizet is a vibrant part of Villeurbanne. It has a rich history shaped by industry and immigration. This blend creates a unique identity in Lyon’s metropolitan area. As you wander through its streets, remember the cross. Remember the workers and their families who built this community.