How many streets do you think are named after Nobel Prize winners? Right here we are on Rue Frédéric Mistral. It honors a man who dedicated his life to Provençal language and culture. Frédéric Mistral was born in Maillane in 1830. He died there in 1914. This street in Lyon stands as a testament to his enduring legacy.
Rue Frédéric Mistral stretches from the intersection of Rue Richelieu and Rue Sangnier. It goes all the way to Place des Maisons Neuves in Villeurbanne. That is the meeting point of Rue Paul Bert Rue Félix Faure and Avenue du Dauphiné. Most of the street is within Villeurbanne. The exceptions are the openings of Rue Sainte Anne de Baraban and Rue Antoine Charial.
The architecture along Rue Frédéric Mistral tells a story of its own. The street is lined with 20th-century buildings. Approaching the square you will see one-story houses with shops. At number 10 bis stands a house within a leafy property.
Frédéric Mistral was not just an ordinary writer. He founded the Félibrige. It was an association dedicated to maintaining Provençal language and customs. Mistral dreamed of restoring the kingdom of Provence. It once included Lyon in the 9th century. Although he did not write directly about Lyon he published “The Poem of the Rhône.”
Mistral also prefaced Michel Sextius’s book. That book included odes to Lyon. His influence extends further. There is even a school named after him on Rue Berlioz. The street was once named after Francisco Ferrer. He was a Spanish anarchist executed in 1909. It replaced the name Allée du Sacré Coeur which was a local path.
Before urbanization this area was part of the Sacré Coeur de la Ferrandière estate. There was an avenue planted with linden trees here. Rue Frédéric Mistral was opened in the second half of the 19th century.
Getting to Rue Frédéric Mistral is quite easy. The nearest bus stop is Verdun – Victor Hugo. It is just a 4-minute walk away. If you prefer the light rail the closest station is Meyzieu Gare. That is about a 17-minute walk. The T3 light rail line serves this area. You can also reach it by bus lines 67 and 85.
So as you walk along Rue Frédéric Mistral remember the man behind the name. Think of his passion for language his literary achievements and his dream of a restored Provence.