Traboule

Traboules (from Latin "transambulare" via vulgar Latin "trabulare" meaning "to cross") are a type of passageway primarily associated with the city of Lyon, France but also located in the French cities of Villefranche-sur-Saône, Mâcon, Saint-Étienne, along with a few in Chambéry). In Lyon, they were originally used by silk manufacturers and other merchants to transport their products.

Lyon

The traboules of Lyon are located primarily in Vieux Lyon (5th arrondissement) and the Croix Rousse (1st and 4th arrondissements) and are often credited with helping prevent the occupying Germans from taking complete control of these areas during World War II.Fact|date=April 2007 The "Traboule de la cour des Voraces" ("Traboule of the Voracious Court") is the most famous, located in the Croix-Rousse quarter. It is one of the landmarks of the Canut Revolts ("Canut" is a local term for silk workers) and it is also the oldest reinforced concrete stairwell in Lyon.

The layout of Vieux Lyon is such that there are very few connecting streets running perpendicular to the river. The traboules allowed workmen and craftsmen to transport clothes and other textiles through the city while remaining sheltered from inclement weather. For many inhabitants, being a "true Lyonnais" requires being knowledgeable about the city's traboules. Nowadays, traboules are tourist attractions, and over forty are free and open to the public. Most traboules are on private property, serving as entrances to local apartments. Many, if not most, of the underground passages have been blocked off and are currently used as storage areas.

External links

* [http://www.lyontraboules.net/ Website with photographs and five self-guided walking tours of Lyon's traboules]