Place de la Croix-Rousse

The Place de la Croix-Rousse

The Lyon audio-guided tour leads you to the Place de la Croix-Rousse, the central square of the plateau, which hosts the market and the great events of the district.

The square of Jacquard

The central square of the district, the Place de la Croix-Rousse today hosts the food market several days a week as well as the great events of the plateau. At its centre stands the statue of Joseph-Marie Jacquard, made famous for having invented in 1801 the first semi-automatic weaving loom, which allowed the rise of the silk industry and made Lyon one of the most advanced cities in this field. The district owes its name to an ochre-coloured stone cross installed on the plateau in 1560, which named this newly built area.

What there is to see

The Place de la Croix-Rousse is the living heart of the plateau, animated by its market and the statue of Jacquard, a tribute to the inventor of the loom that revolutionised silk. It is a place of meeting and life, ideal for grasping the atmosphere of the district and understanding its working-class history. A central stage of the discovery of the Croix-Rousse.

Practical information

The Place de la Croix-Rousse is in the heart of the plateau, in Lyon. A public square, it can be walked freely at all hours and on the level; the food market is held there several days a week, generally in the morning.

Who is depicted on the Place de la Croix-Rousse?

Joseph-Marie Jacquard, inventor in 1801 of the first semi-automatic weaving loom, which developed the silk industry.

Where does the name of the Croix-Rousse come from?

From an ochre-coloured stone cross installed on the plateau in 1560, which gave its name to the district.