- The mosaics : Mary in the Church and in History
Influenced by Byzantine art or Art Nouveau, the large Venetian or Roman mosaics of Fourvière show the revival of mosaic art in the 19th century.
- The illustrated Bible in Fourvière
In Fourvière, all the inside and outside decor of the inside and outside decor illustrate passages of the Bible, the book about the Covenant between God and mankind.
- A symbolical poem of marble and gold
Designed as a great poem about the Virgin Mary, the basilica, with its stones and gold, portrays the beauty of Mary through images and symbols that are fascinating to decrypt.
- The way to faith in the architect Pierre Bossan’s work
From the crypt to the basilica, you will discover the sanctuary according to the path of the pilgrimage its architect had imagined.
- The builders of the Church of Lyon
From St Pothin to Frédéric Ozanam, numerous Christians came from Lyon to Fourvière to pray or ask the Virgin Mary’s protection for their missions.
The stone, the mosaics and the stained-glass windows continue to evoke these memories.
- The stained-glass windows : from Gustave Moreau to Art Nouveau
Pierre Bossan, the architect of Fourvière, wanted the large bright gold stained-glass windows of the basilica to praise Mary in heaven and on earth.
Serious or smiling, solemn or tender angels are keen to worship Mary in the basilica. They want to include us into their symphonies.
- The alterpieces : with Mary on the paths of Gospel
In the side chapels of the basilica, eight altarpieces, works of different sculptors, tell the story about the life of the Virgin Mary on earth from her Nativity to Assumption.
- Fourvière and France through centuries
From the Roman Christian Gaul with Saint Blandine, then Clovis, Saint Louis, Joan of Arc and all those who wished for the peace and greatness of France, let us look at the great characters of our history.
- Fourviere in the history of Lyon
From the square in front of the basilica we will tell you how, throughout the centuries, a high place chosen by the Romans became a high place of spirituality and history of Lyon.