The Prefecture Hotel of Rhône is an administrative building located in the 3rd arrondissement of Lyon. It serves as the seat of the prefecture of the departmental district of Rhône, which corresponds to the department of Rhône and the metropolis of Lyon. It also hosts the departmental council of Rhône, which remains installed here despite the creation of the metropolis of Lyon. The building is outside the department of Rhône.
The former prefecture at place des Jacobins became too small, prompting the Rhône general council to decide to build a new structure. The chosen site was land owned by the Lyon civil hospices, between the Brotteaux and Guillotière districts. Construction was entrusted to architect Antonin Louvier and carried out between 1883 and 1890. The building was inaugurated after completion and later became associated with a major historical event: it was the place where French Republic president Sadi Carnot died after being fatally stabbed the previous evening.
A part of the building was registered as a historical monument, with the protection covering specific elements defined by the registration order.
Nearby Objects
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Avenue de Saxe 300 m away -
Place Guichard 350 m away -
Rue de Créqui 400 m away -
Bourse du Travail 400 m away -
Rue Duguesclin 450 m away
Administrative Role in Lyon
The Prefecture hotel of Rhone serves as the seat of the prefecture of the departmental district of Rhone. Since a specific date, this departmental district has corresponded to two territorial collectivities: the department of Rhone, sometimes called Nouveau-Rhone, and the metropolis of Lyon. The metropolis of Lyon replaced the department of Rhone and the former urban community of Lyon, which included the commune of Lyon and 58 surrounding communes. The building also hosts the departmental council of Rhone. This council is located outside the department of Rhone, but it has been maintained in the Prefecture hotel of Rhone since the creation of the metropolis of Lyon on a specific date. The Prefecture hotel of Rhone is located in the 3rd arrondissement of Lyon.
Construction and historical role
The former prefecture at Place des Jacobins had become too small, and the Rhone general council decided in a session to build a new building. The council chose a site owned by the Lyon civil hospices, between the Brotteaux and Guillotiere districts. Construction was entrusted to architect Antonin Louvier, with work beginning in 1883 and ending in 1890. The building was inaugurated on the specified date. It later became the place where French Republic president Sadi Carnot died on the specified date, after having been fatally stabbed the previous evening by the Italian anarchist Sante Caserio. A part of the building was registered as a historical monument on the specified date, with the registration covering specific parts defined by the order.
Gallery Decoration and Historical References
The gallery contains the main facade of the prefecture and includes several works and historical references. In the salle des deliberations, it displays Aux gloires du Lyonnais et du Beaujolais. It also features a representation of the death of President Carnot at the prefecture de Lyon in 1894. On the staircase of the Hotel de Prefecture, the gallery exhibits the tableau Federation des Gardes nationales et de l'armee au Champ-de-Mars, a Paris, le 14 juillet 1790 by Auguste Couder, maroufled on the wall.