Place Bellecour
Equestrian bronze king riding bareback, replacing a statue melted for cannons in the Revolution.
This guide to Place Bellecour in Lyon centers on the bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV, sculpted by Francois-Frederic Lemot and raised in October 1825 after being hauled from Paris in pieces. It follows the two-century-old story Lyonnais parents told their children about why the king rides bareback, with no saddle or stirrups, and traces an earlier statue on the same spot, melted down for cannons during the Revolution. The bronze horse alone was dragged across France by twenty-four horses over twelve days. Look up at the king's bare legs as you stand where generations of Lyonnais children once stood.
Audio guides are written and narrated by AI.