The northernmost point of Lyon awaits. Rue Albert Falsan. A seemingly unremarkable street. Yet its history whispers tales of geological exploration and modern development.
Rue Albert Falsan begins at the very edge of Lyon. It stretches between Saint Cyr and Collonges. Its northernmost tip intersects with Rue Pierre Termier. This marks the furthest northern point of Lyon itself. The street ends at Rue Simondan. It faces the Cité Edouard Herriot. The western side belongs to Saint Cyr. This extends to the Chemin des Balmes. After that it enters Lyon. A pedestrian walkway climbs to the Chemin du Montessuy. The bus line 31 and the Saint Rambert shuttle both serve Rue Albert Falsan.
Rue Albert Falsan is named after Albert Falsan. A geologist born in Lyon in 1833. He died in 1902 at his home on Place Lyautey. Falsan was a member of the Lyon Academy from 1869. His work focused on the geological studies of the Rhône basin. His research included the hills of Fourvière Loyasse and Saint Irénée. He left behind a monograph on the geology of Mont d’Or. He co-authored it with Arnould Locard. Another detailed his geological history around Lyon. Falsan meticulously cataloged erratic boulders. He also lived in Collonges au Mont d’Or. His father Claude François Falsan was a prominent silk merchant. He served as a trade chamber syndicator. He was an economist. He published a work on payments and transfers in Lyon in 1831. He died in 1838 in Saint Cyr au Mont d’Or.
The Vergoin housing project sits between Rue Termier and Rue Albert Falsan. It was built in 1970. The street itself opened around that time. Greenery was added in the 1990s. In 2009 the Vergoin buildings were renovated. They got brown shutters. North of the Montée des Balmes the street follows an old rural path. This path separated Saint Rambert and Saint Cyr. It existed at least since the 19th century. The southern part opened later in the 1980s. A tragic event occurred on December 29 2016. Police and firefighters were called to the Vergoin. They found a man who had just killed his wife. The killer’s parents’ apartment was set on fire on January 3rd.
Today Rue Albert Falsan offers access to a small shopping center. It has a bakery a hairdresser a supermarket and a pharmacy. The street’s quiet present belies a vibrant past. It is a street deeply connected to the history of geology and Lyon itself. A reminder of the layers of time that shape this city. Remember Rue Albert Falsan as a place where history and nature meet.