Did Henri Joseph Eugène Gouraud ever imagine a street named after him in Lyon? Here on Rue Général Gouraud, his legacy lives on. Rue Général Gouraud starts at Rue de Montagny. It ends at Route de Vienne, facing Place Belleville. The street opened in the 1940s. The original buildings still stand, giving the street a unique, unified feel.
Gouraud, born in Paris in 1867, was a key figure in French military history. He played a significant role in establishing French West Africa. He rose through the ranks to become a General. In World War I, he led the Fourth Army to victory. He was a liberator of Strasbourg. After the war, he served as High Commissioner in Syria. He declared Lebanon’s sovereignty. He then became the military governor of Paris.
Rue Général Gouraud reflects his distinguished career. The south side of the street begins with garages around a courtyard. It then features the façade of number 4, with its framed windows. A large building with oblique facades stands opposite Parc Pfeffer. The street then narrows. It runs between two regular rows of buildings. They are three to four stories high. They have glass doors with iron frames. A few individual balconies at numbers 11 and 13 break the uniform facade. The corner on the north side curves onto Route de Vienne. Trees lining the parking spaces partially obscure the buildings.
A dry cleaner used to occupy the corner of Rue Général Gouraud and Route de Vienne. In 2019, it was replaced by Orient 69, a tea room. Today, the area near Rue Général Gouraud is well-served by public transport. The tram T6 stops at Moulin à Vent, an 8-minute walk away. Buses C12 and 35 stop at Grand Trou, just 2 minutes away. If you need other options, the T2, T4 trams, metro line B, and trains C12, C28, and K44 are also accessible.
Though Gouraud had no direct connection to Lyon, his national prominence earned him this street. Interestingly, he did appear in Lyon in a more unexpected way. In 2022, the Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art featured a newspaper clipping with his portrait. Rue Général Gouraud stands as a quiet reminder of a life of service and a mark on history.