Place Bellecour

Place Bellecour is the large central square of Lyon, in the 2nd arrondissement on the Presqu'île between the Rhône and the Saône, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. It was laid out from 1617 under Henri IV as a royal square on open meadow land known as Terreau Bellecour, and it was later redesigned in the 17th and 18th centuries. At roughly 6 hectares it is one of the largest open squares in Europe, and unusually it has no trees or central fountain, only a surface of reddish gravel. The two flanking buildings on the north and south sides date from the early 18th century, with uniform façades. At the centre stands the equestrian statue of Louis XIV, installed in 1825 to replace an earlier statue that had been melted down during the Revolution in 1792. The square was the scene of violent episodes in the Revolution, when it was renamed Place de la Fédération and many buildings were damaged during the siege of Lyon in 1793. At the southern end stands a statue of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince, who was born in Lyon in 1900. The square sits on the line of the metro, with the Bellecour station on lines A and D, and a tourist office stands at its edge. Today it is a place of gatherings, with a Ferris wheel in winter, markets, concerts and events, and a central part of the Fête des Lumières every December. Visitors can reach Vieux Lyon across the Saône by the Passerelle du Palais de Justice, or Fourvière by funicular. The square offers an open view toward Fourvière hill and its basilica.