Rue Léon Fabre

Tucked between Place des Célestins and Place des Jacobins, Rue Léon Fabre in Lyon is more than just a street. It’s a portal through time. Rue Léon Fabre wasn’t always here. Imagine Lyon in 1927. The city decided to carve this pathway through a district already steeped in history, a district inhabited since the late Middle Ages. Rue Léon Fabre is relatively short, almost dwarfed by the two prominent squares it connects. This creates an interesting dynamic. The street almost feels like an extension of both places, blurring the lines between thoroughfare and public square. The buildings that line Rue Léon Fabre reflect a mix of architectural styles. On the eastern side, a towering 20th-century structure curves into a rotunda. This modern giant stands in stark contrast to the older buildings nearby. On the western side, two tall facades dominate the view. One features a striking peristyle with enormous windows. The other boasts nine stories of balconies, also culminating in a rounded corner at the square. The namesake of Rue Léon Fabre, Jean Fabre, was a prominent Lyon physician born in 1864. He dedicated his life to medicine, specializing in obstetrics. He even authored a book on the subject, a testament to his expertise. This isn’t the only notable Fabre with ties to Lyon. Philippe François Fabre, a playwright, arrived in Lyon in 1783. He and his lead actor later played significant roles in the French Revolution, known by their revolutionary names, Fabre d’Eglantine and Jean François Collot d’Herbois. Collot d’Herbois eventually returned to Lyon to lead the repression following the city’s siege in 1793. Both men met their ends as a result of the revolution. Even in recent times, the Fabre name resonates in Lyon. Laurent Fabre founded the Chemin Neuf community in 1973.