The Lyon old map shows evolutions of Lyon city. This historical map of Lyon will allow you to travel in the past and in the history of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes - France. The Lyon ancient map is downloadable in PDF, printable and free.

Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum (modern: Lyon, France) was an important Roman city in Gaul. The historical city of Lyon was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus as its shown in Lyon historical map. It served as the capital of the Roman province Gallia Lugdunensis. For 300 years after its foundation Lugdunum was the most important city in north-western Europe. Two emperors, Claudius (Germanicus) and Caracalla, were born in Lugdunum. In Letters from a Stoic, Seneca the Younger references the destruction of the city in a great fire.

Christianity was brought to Lugdunum by the Greeks from Asia Minor who had settled there in large numbers. In AD 177 the Christian community sent a letter to their co-religionists in Asia Minor, giving the names of 48 of their number who had suffered martyrdom in the Croix-Rousse amphitheatre, among them St Pothinus, first Bishop of Lyon as its ilustrated in Lyon historical map. The historical church was, however, to recover quickly, and Ireneus, the successor of Pothinus, became the first great Christian theologian. In the 5th century this intellectual tradition was maintained by another son of Lugdunum, Sidonius Apollinaris.

In the period that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire of the West, the historical city of Lyon survived as an important urban centre, and a number of important monastic communities established themselves there. In 843 it was assigned to Lotharingia by the Treaty of Verdun, and then passed to the Burgundian kingdom. It became the centre of the County of Lyon, the lordship of which was conferred by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to the Archbishop of Lyon in 1157 (see Lyon historical map). Although small, the County was influential, by virtue both of its independent status and of its commercially and politically strategic location. The Archbishopric was also important, since Pope Gregory VII had conferred the title of “Primate of the Gauls” on its holders in 1078. It was especially favoured by the Papacy, and several pontiffs were crowned there. This independence came to an end in 1312, when Philip the Fair annexed the city to the Kingdom of France.

The Lyon vintage map give a unique insight into the history and evolution of Lyon city. This vintage map of Lyon with its antique style will allow you to travel in the past of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes - France. The Lyon vintage map is downloadable in PDF, printable and free.

During the first half of the 16th century the vintage city of Lyon became the base for French political activities in Italy. As a result it was frequently visited by the French court, bringing many artists in its train. During the reign of Louis XI (1461-83) four annual fairs were established, which drew merchants from all over Europe, especially Italy (and Florence in particular). Lyon became a major centre for the spice trade and, even more importantly, the silk trade,following the authorization by François I of weaving privileges, hitherto an Italian monopoly as its mentioned in Lyon vintage map. The Florentine immigrants also made Lyon a financial centre for banking and insurance.

The first printing establishment was set up in Lyon in 1472, and it quickly became one of the most important printing and publishing centres in Europe, behind Venice and Paris, producing books in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Italian, and Spanish as well as French. The works of Erasmus, Rabelais, Scaliger, More, Poliziano, and many other intellectual leaders were published by the Württemberger Sebastian Gryphe, who set up in Lyon as its shown in Lyon vintage map. When French policy turned away from Italy in the 1550s, Royal visits to Lyon became less frequent. It was also caught up in the Religious Wars and in 1562 was seized by Protestant troops. Lyon was the vintage location of the meeting that resulted in 1601 in large parts of the Dukedom of Savoy being added to the French kingdom.

When Napoleon I imposed the use of Lyonnais silk on all the courts of Europe the industry boomed. New tenements with workshops were built for the craftsmen (canuts). Lyon was to see the first Conseil des Prud’hommes (labour litigation court) in 1806 and the first cooperative grocery store in 1835 as its shown in Lyon vintage map. Between 1800 and 1848 the number of looms in operation increased tenfold, from 6000 to 60,000, and over 90,000 people were employed in the industry. However, relations between the workers who produced the silk and themerchants who sold it were always uneasy, and Lyon also saw the first worker demonstrations in 1831 and 1834.