Saint-Jean Cathedral

In front of you is the Cathedral of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, seat of the Archbishop of Lyon, who still holds the honorary title of 'Primate of the Gauls'. Building it took three centuries, from 1175 to 1480, which is why it begins Romanesque at the east end and finishes Gothic on this façade.

1Popes, councils and a royal wedding

In the 13th century Lyon was a refuge for popes. In 1245 Pope Innocent IV presided over the First Council of Lyon here, which deposed the emperor Frederick II. In 1274 Gregory X called the second, which tried to reunite the Latin and Greek Churches: some 8,000 people poured into a city of barely ten or twelve thousand. In 1316 John XXII was crowned pope in this cathedral.

On 17 December 1600, Henri IV married Marie de' Medici here. Earlier, in 1562, the Protestant troops of the Baron des Adrets had smashed statues and carvings on the façade; the scars are still visible.

A curiosity: loyal to its own liturgy, Saint-Jean was the last cathedral in France to get an organ, in 1841.

Inside, if it is open, look for the astronomical clock, whose origins go back to the 14th century.

2What to look for

• The medallions on the portals: more than three hundred small reliefs showing Genesis, the zodiac, the labours of the months and fantastic beasts.
• The rose window, by Jacques de Beaujeu, with stained glass by Henri de Nivelle.
• The Manécanterie, on the right, one of the oldest buildings in the district.