Traboules
Traboules (French from Latin transambulare to vulgärlat . Trabulare "cross") are special passage or staircase constructions that allow passage from one street to another, possibly through courtyards and sometimes across different levels. They are mainly found in the silk-weaving town of Lyon , but also in other French cities such as Villefranche-sur-Saône and Saint-Étienne .
function
Traboules shortened the transport routes between the individual factories and from there to the dealers; At the same time, when they were used, contact with the rain and rubbish on the - previously unpaved and sidewalk-free - streets was largely avoided .
Types
- Direct traboule : The exit can be seen from the entrance (on the same level)
- Angled traboules : Two or more buildings on street corners are crossed
- Radial traboule : A courtyard in the center of city blocks, from which several passages on various roads branch off
- Multi-storey traboule : passage through a building on a slope; the various entrances are in streets on different levels, the traboule leads through an (open) staircase
distribution
The traboules of Lyon are mainly located in the districts of Vieux Lyon and Croix-Rousse , i.e. in old residential areas on the slopes. In Vieux Lyon , they date from the Renaissance , while in Croix-Rousse , the traditional silk workers' quarter, they are more recent.
In Saint-Étienne, the distribution of the traboules is much more limited; they can be found in the historic districts of Saint-Jacques and Crêt de Roc .
Others
The traboules played an important role as hiding places and escape routes for the resistance of the citizens of Lyon, for example during the uprising of the silk weavers and for the Resistance in World War II .
literature
- René Dejean: Traboules de Lyon, histoire secrète d'une ville . édition des Traboules, 2000, ISBN 978-2-911491-33-7
- Gérald Gambier: Cours et traboules de Lyon , éditions La Taillanderie, 2005, ISBN 978-2-87629-261-1
