Hidden from the bustling Cours Docteur Long Rue Lamartine quietly awaits. It’s a short street. It’s named after Alphonse de Lamartine a famous French writer and politician. His mother Alix des Roys was born in Lyon. This adds a special Lyonnaise connection to the street’s name.
Rue Lamartine is not grand. It’s a collection of small houses. They are mostly different. Some have pointy roofs. Number 1 was under construction in the early 20th century. Number 7 had additions. The rest were old even then.
The street is split in two. Rue de l’Amiral Courbet cuts it. One part is larger than the other. The larger section features a mix of small homes. The southern section is different. It has five houses separated by an alleyway. A narrow villa is notable. It’s surprisingly thin. Beyond that are two industrial buildings. They share a large courtyard. One building Lépine is angled towards Rue Bonnefond.
An interesting detail is Impasse Lamartine. It’s a small dead-end street. It’s north of the main road between numbers 12 and 14. Individual houses and garages line the Impasse. It ends at a courtyard gate.
Rue Lamartine was built in the early 20th century. In 2017 a former factory at number 30 housed around 50 artists. It was temporary. The space was promised to the Foé stadium’s football players. The street has a few businesses. There are companies like Lépine and Cabot. A pedicure and nursing service are also located there.
Alphonse de Lamartine’s life is fascinating. He was born in Mâcon in 1790. He died in Paris in 1869. He spent time in Lyon as a child. He lived at the Croix Rousse in the Pupier boarding house from 1801 to 1803. A plaque commemorates him near the Lamartine space a stadium on Rue Philippe de Lassalle. Lamartine was associated with the Lyon Academy in 1832. He frequented the Brasserie Georges in 1857. Another school honoring him is on Rue Fabre. He played a key role in ending slavery in France. His involvement in the provisional government of 1848 and the decree signed by Victor Schoelcher is significant. The government also introduced universal suffrage. His literary and poetic works are still celebrated today. His connections to Lyon run deeper than just the naming of this unassuming street.