Lyon
Liyon (Arpitan)
Prefecture and commune
Skyline of Lyon in La Part-Dieu
Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
 Place des Terreauxwith the FontaineBartholdi
Parc de la Tête d'or
 Confluence District
Vieux Lyon
 Pont Lafayette
Flag
 Coat of arms
Motto(s): Avant, avant, Lion le melhor(old Franco-Provençal for "Forward, forward,
Lyon the best")[a]
Virtute duce, comite fortuna("With virtue as guide and fortune as
companion")[b]
Location of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon[c] (Franco-Provençal: Liyon) is the second-largest city in France
by urban area and the third largest by city limits.[14] It is located at the
confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the
French Alps, 391 km (243 mi) southeast of Paris, 278 km (173 mi) north
of Marseille, 113 km (70 mi) southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, 58 km
(36 mi) northeast of Saint-Étienne.
The City of Lyon had a population of 522,250 at the Jan. 2021 census
within its small municipal territory of 48 km2 (19 sq mi),[15] but
together with its suburbs and exurbs the Lyon metropolitan area had a
population of 2,308,818 that same year,[7] the second most populated in
France. Lyon and 58 suburban municipalities have formed since 2015
the Metropolis of Lyon, a directly elected metropolitan authority now in
charge of most urban issues, with a population of 1,424,069 in 2021.[16]
Lyon is the prefecture of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and seat of
the Departmental Council of Rhône (whose jurisdiction, however, no
longer extends over the Metropolis of Lyon since 2015).
The capital of the Gauls during the Roman Empire, Lyon is the seat of
an archbishopric whose holder bears the title of Primate of the Gauls.
Lyon became a major economic hub during the Renaissance. The city is
recognised for its cuisine and gastronomy, as well as historical and
architectural landmarks; as such, the districts of Old Lyon, the Fourvière
hill, the Presqu'île and the slopes of the Croix-Rousse are inscribed on
the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lyon was historically an important
area for the production and weaving of silk. Lyon played a significant
role in the history of cinema since Auguste and Louis Lumière invented
the cinematograph there. The city is also known for its light festival, the
Fête des lumières, which begins every 8 December and lasts for four
days, earning Lyon the title of "Capital of Lights".
Economically, Lyon is a major centre for banking, chemical,
pharmaceutical and biotech industries. The city contains a significant
software industry with a particular focus on video games; in recent years
it has fostered a growing local start-up sector.[17] The home of renowned
universities and higher education schools, Lyon is the second-largest
student city in France, with a university population of nearly 200,000
students within the Metropolis of Lyon.[18] Lyon hosts the international
headquarters of Interpol, the International Agency for Research on
Cancer, as well as Euronews. According to the Globalization and World
Rankings Research Institute, Lyon is considered a Beta city, as of
2018.[19] It ranked second in France and 40th globally in Mercer's 2019
liveability rankings.[20]
History
Toponymy