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Place Saint-Jean
This is the square in front of the primatial cathedral of Saint-Jean, in Vieux Lyon (5th arrondissement), and takes its name from the cathedral. It has been listed as a historic monument since 1938 and forms part of the protected old town and the UNESCO World Heritage site. In 1794, in the midst of the Revolution, it was renamed Place du Temple de la Raison. From 1852 it housed a wholesale market. In the centre stands the fountain of 1844, designed by the architect René Dardel: a small neo-Renaissance temple sheltering a bronze by Jean-Marie Bonnassieux of St John the Baptist baptising Christ. Water comes out of lions' mouths. In the early eighties the statue was turned a quarter turn during a clean and did not face the cathedral again until March 2023. You get there by the Vieux Lyon – Cathédrale Saint-Jean metro station or by the funicular.
Add it to your trip on Wanloria →Things to do at Place Saint-Jean: 3 missions
- Find the Baptism of Christ on the 1844 fountainWalk round the neo-Renaissance temple in the middle of the square and find Bonnassieux's bronze of St John the Baptist baptising Christ.
- Count the lions' mouths on the fountainLook closely at the fountain: the water comes out of lions' mouths. Note down how many you can see in the whole structure.
- Check which way the baptism statue facesStand in front of the primatial cathedral and check that the statue faces it, as it has since returning to that orientation in March 2023.
Near Place Saint-Jean
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit Place Saint-Jean?
Visiting Place Saint-Jean is free.
What are the opening hours of Place Saint-Jean?
Plaza peatonal de acceso libre a cualquier hora.
How much time do you need for Place Saint-Jean?
Allow about 30 min for the visit.
What is there to do at Place Saint-Jean?
Find the Baptism of Christ on the 1844 fountain, Count the lions' mouths on the fountain and Check which way the baptism statue faces.
What is there to see near Place Saint-Jean?
Rue Saint-Jean (65 m), Saint-Jean Cathedral (72 m) and Miniature and Cinema Museum (Musée Miniature et Cinéma) (110 m).