Traboule

The traboules are with Lyon, Villefranche-sur-Saône and with Saint-Etienne of the passages through courses of building which make it possible to go of a street another.

There are several types:

traboule direct: one sees the exit as of the entry.
traboule in angle: crossing two or several buildings with the angle of two streets.
traboule radiant: a court in the middle of a small island of dwellings comprising several accesses.
traboules with turnings

Some comprise staircases because it connect streets having a made uneven fort, others cumulate these various characteristics.

Etymology

According to the historian Amable Audin, the word traboule comes from the Latin transambulare via the vulgar Latin trabulare “ to cross ”, indicating a passage through courses of building which makes it possible to go of a street another parallel street in the most direct way that it is.

Traboule is a Lyons expression and inhabitant of Saint-Etienne. One also uses the verb “ trabouler ” to mean to move in a maze.

One also says “gone who traboule” or “gone” very short. Similar passages also exist with Chambéry, but are exclusively named “gone”.

Localization

Certain sources count more than 500 traboules. On the territory of Lyon, they are located mainly in the Vieux Lyon (in the district S Midsummer's Day (5th district)) and of the Cross-Russet-red (1st and 4th districts).
With Saint-Etienne the network is more restricted than in Lyon however two historical quarters Saint Jacques and the Crêt de Roc has their traboules.

Old Lyon (Midsummer's Day)

The traboules of this district date from the Rebirth. It were built according to the model of the Roman patio, with its galleries and the well in the court.

Cross-russet-red

With Cross-Russet-red, the traboules result more recent since from the construction of the buildings of the workmen of silk (the Canuts). These ways allowed the workmen and craftsmen to transport cloths and other parts of Textile (mainly of silk) through the city while remaining to the shelter in the event of precipitations. They also allow, since the " pentes" , to gain the Peninsula in straight line quickly, via short cuts. It is in this district that one of most famous the traboules is: that of the Court of Voracious the. It is one of the places of memory (Révolte of the Silk workers, resistance…) and it is also the first staircase out of reinforced concrete of Lyon.

Utility

It is thought that the first traboules were built in IVe century. The inhabitants of Lugdunum lack water, they settled at the edge of the Saone (in the " basse" city; , with the foot of the hill of Fourvière). The traboules were then used to join the Saone quickly. Moreover, the traboules were also used for the silk workers, installed on the hill of cross-Russet-red to quickly join the fabric merchants installed with the bottom of the hill.

Historical roles

These short cuts are the ideal tool to move in the city with the shelter of the authorities, often ignorant of their exact configuration. Until the invention of the Digicode, they were used of shelter and way for the popular movements, for example:

the traboules were used by the Canut S at the time of their revolt;
They also were used by the resistant at the time of the Second world war.

Anecdotes

For the inhabitants, being a “ true Lyonese ” implies the knowledge of the traboules.
Nowadays, the traboules are visited, forty being opened free with the public within the framework agreements made between the commune and the private individuals. The town of Lyon takes part in the trickle charges, of cleaning of lighting and to a total value of 70% with work of restoration subjected by the owners in exchange of a right of way because these places, most of the time, remain private.

External bonds

very documented Personal site and richly illustrated on the traboules of Cross-Russet-red the

and precise details on Traboule of Voracious the

a visit of the traboules of Midsummer's Day by the pupils of the College Jean Moulin
Personal site proposing various circuits of visits of the traboules districts of Jean saint, the Russet-red Cross and the peninsula

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