The Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights) commemorates the day Lyon, France, was consecrated to the Virgin Mary.
The festival traces its roots to 1643 when Lyon was struck by the plague. The échevins (municipal councilors) promised to pay tribute to Mary if the town was spared. Since then, Lyonnaise tradition dictates that every family place candles on their windowsills on the 8th of December. Today, eight million small candles are sold in the Greater Lyon area in the run up to the festival. The festival draws up to four million visitors.
The trip to Lyon took longer than expected. The incident on the train (unfortunately, the announcement was made in French so what exactly happened remains unknown) and the earlier winter sunset left little time to explore Lyon's arrondissements (districts) and little light to take photographs with.
A steep walk up Fourvière Hill leads to the Parc Archéologique. This a photograph of the two thousand year old Théâtre Romain (Roman Theater) which was discovered when developers dug into the hill. In the early days of Rome, theaters served as venues for performances given to appease the Roman Gods.
Fourvière Hill is the nucleus of Roman Lyon. Lyon (then Lugundum) was Roman Gaul's capital. Its ideal location at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers made it a transportation hub. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Fourvière Hill is also known as the "hill that prays." A short walk from the Parc Archéologique is the Fourvière basilica. This large marble structure was built in honor of the Virgin Mary in 1872 after the Franco-Prussian War.
This is the sculpture of the Virgin Mary above the main doors of the Cathedral. The people of Lyon prayed to Her for protection during the war.
The interior decoration is in an extremely exuberant Byzantine-style.
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