Squares

Avenue Berthelot

Lyon

Avenue Berthelot is a street in Lyon’s 7th and 8th arrondissements. It runs on an east-west axis from the Gallieni Bridge to the Place du 11-Novembre 1918, and continues as Avenue Jean Mermoz toward the A43 autoroute. The avenue passes through the La Guillotière and Le Bachut quarters and forms a major east-west traffic axis in the southern part of the city.

Historically, it was formerly named Avenue des Ponts and was drawn as an extension of the two Ponts Napoléon, now called Pont Gallieni and Pont Kitchner. It received its current name on 25 March 1907, after the chemist Marcellin Berthelot, who died a few days earlier, on 18 March 1907. The avenue’s numbering reached 351 addresses in 1923. Parts of the street were later renamed: one section became Rue Paul Painlevé in 1935, and another became Avenue Jean Mermoz in 1939. Among its notable features were the Châlet Russe at number 59, destroyed by bombing in 1944, and the present church, inaugurated in 1961.

Map showing the location of Avenue Berthelot in Lyon
Location of Avenue Berthelot in Lyon

Nearby Objects

Avenue Berthelot in Lyon

Avenue Berthelot is a street in the 7th and 8th arrondissements of Lyon. It follows an east-west axis, connecting the Gallieni Bridge to Place du 11-Novembre 1918. The avenue is continued by Avenue Jean Mermoz as far as the A43 autoroute. Along its course, it passes through the La Guillotiere and Le Bachut quarters.

Naming and Historical Changes

Avenue Berthelot was formerly named Avenue des Ponts. It was drawn as an extension of the two Ponts Napoleon, now called Pont Gallieni and Pont Kitchner. The avenue received its current name on 25 March 1907, in honor of the chemist Marcellin Berthelot, who had died on 18 March 1907. By 1923, it had 351 numbers.

The avenue also underwent later renamings and rearrangements. A part was renamed Rue Paul Painleve on 11 March 1935, and another part became Avenue Jean Mermoz in 1939. In the same year, Rue Paul Painleve was incorporated into Avenue Jean Mermoz. Among its notable sites was the Chalet Russe at number 59, which was destroyed by bombing on 26 May 1944. The present church on the avenue was inaugurated on 4 November 1961.

Avenue Berthelot and Its Urban Role

Avenue Berthelot runs along the old Ecole de sante des Armees at number 18 and was built under the direction of Abraham Hirsch. It is a major east-west traffic axis in the south of the city and connects highways A7 to A43. Along its entire length, the avenue has two lanes for motorists in a one-way east-west direction, while tram line T2 occupies half of the roadway. Since the construction of tram line T2, automobile traffic has declined sharply. The avenue is entirely served by tram line T2, with seven stations.

The avenue is also crossed by metro line B at Place Jean-Mace and by tram line T4 at Place Pierre Mendes-France. Among its notable monuments and places are Centre Berthelot, which hosts the Center for the History of the Resistance and Deportation and Sciences Po Lyon, as well as Guillotiere Cemetery, Le Comoedia cinema, and Jean Mace railway station.