Jean Jullien a name that echoes through Lyon. Rue Jean Jullien begins on Rue Georges Kubler. It forks with Rue de la Tour de Pin. The street descends steeply into the Boucle valley to a facade on Rue Eugene Pons. This street has a story to tell.
Rue Jean Jullien was once named Rue Chaumais. It was laid out in the mid 19th century. The east side was urbanized then. The west side was occupied by small individual houses.
Let’s look closer at the architecture of Rue Jean Jullien. The east side features houses from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Number 6 bis dates back to 1904. These buildings vary in height from one to four stories. They create a broken staircase effect due to the slope. The streets Artaud and Ruplinger intersect this side. A car body shop interrupts the row of houses.
The west side starts with a tree planted area. Then it has a one story house with a unique rotating window. Further along are three individual houses with small gardens. By 2013 the last plot of land was developed. Small white buildings were built on the corner of Rue Pons.
Jean Jullien the street’s namesake was born in Lyon. He came into this world at 2 rue des Trois Enfants on December 4 1854. He died in Ville d’Avray in 1919. Jean Jullien is remembered as a naturalist playwright. Do not confuse this street with Rue Julien. Julien was the first name of one of the Richard Vitton children.
There are other notable Juliens to remember too. Jean Julien was sent to Paris in 1417. He negotiated the city’s tax with the Dauphin. Charles Julien died in battle on December 7 1915. Emile Jullien 1847 1931 was a historian and member of the Lyon Academy. Another Jean Jullien has his plastering painting business nearby. Find it at 5 Rue Artaud. Hubert Julien Laferriere has been elected in Lyon since 2001. He was mayor of the ninth arrondissement and a deputy since 2017.
In the early 21st century changes began. The block of houses began to be replaced by buildings. A building permit covered three twelve meter high buildings at the corner of Rue Pons.
The Maison de la Parentalite et de la Naissance is at number 6 bis. At number 14 the Compagnie des Pentes carries on Jean Jullien’s theatrical torch.
If you have a carriage you can have it maintained here. You can have a drink in two bars. One La Camille aims to be a cafe with entertainment. Rouge Lubie creates mosaic furniture.
As you stand on Rue Jean Jullien think of its past. From its early days as Rue Chaumais to its current buildings the street has evolved. It honors a playwright. It also reflects the changing face of Lyon.